The Quiet World

Saving Alaska's Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960

By: Douglas Brinkley

Narrated by: Andrew Garman

Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting history of America's most beautiful natural resources, The Quiet World documents the heroic fight waged by the U.S. federal government from 1879 to 1960 to save wild Alaska - Mount McKinley, the Tongass and Chugach national forests, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Lake Clark, and the Coastal Plain of the Beaufort Sea, among other treasured landscapes - from the extraction industries.

Award-winning historian Douglas Brinkley traces the wilderness movement in Alaska, from John Muir to Theodore Roosevelt to Aldo Leopold to Dwight D. Eisenhower, with narrative verve. Basing his research on extensive new archival material, Brinkley shows how a colorful band of determined environmentalists created the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge just before John F. Kennedy became president.

Brinkley introduces a lively gallery of characters influential in preserving Alaska's wilderness resources. And wildlife fervently comes to life in The Quiet World: Brinkley tells incredible stories about the sea otters in the Aleutians, moose in the Kenai Peninsula, and birdlife across the Yukon Delta expanse while exploring the devastating effects that reckless overfishing, seal slaughter, and aerial wolf hunting have wrought on Alaska's once-abundant fauna. While taking into account Exxon Valdez-like oil spills, The Quiet World mainly celebrates how the U.S. government has preserved many of Alaska's great wonders for future generations to enjoy.

©2011 Douglas Brinkley (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Great until the last third

Great until the last third, when the author starts to go on and on about the beat generation and cults (which have little to do with Alaska or conservation). I think he really admires that whole generation of poets and forgot what the book was about. First two thirds was great though!

A us history of alaskas wildlife

If you could sum up The Quiet World in three words, what would they be?

Alaska wildlife protection history

Who was your favorite character and why?

teddy roosevelt for starting the nature preservation movement

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

even though it has a lot of history in this book it involves a lot of wildlife nature making is a really nice audio book

Inspiring!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Quiet World to be better than the print version?

I thought this book might be tedious to get through: it's not at all. The author weaves a good tale which is inspiring. Let's persist in preserving ANWR!

Where are Native Alaskans?

Any additional comments?

The history coverage was exceptional, I appreciated the context and depth.

It might better have been sub-titled, A Federal/National Perspective. Alaskans, save Mardy Murie, Celia Hunter and Ginny Woods were largely left out. Native Alaskans were ignored. How could a writer, who otherwise seems a great chronicler, mention Project Chariot and completely ignore the Native Alaskan voice?

I marked down the otherwise excellent narration because he murdered Alaskans names both people, e.g. Brina Kessel and places, e.g. Nunamiut, which grates on the reader.

Great Historical Read

the author did a great job weaving so many different storylines together. The only reason I gave this 4 stars is because I wish the final chapter or epilogue touched on the current state of Alaskan conservation. I understand the time frame was through 1960, but some kind of conclusion or current state would have tied things up nicely. Look at Collapse by Jared Diamond for example. But, nonetheless, great book and sparks the desire to travel!