The Big Burn

Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America

By: Timothy Egan

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan put the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl at the center of a rich history, told through characters he brought to indelible life. Now he performs the same alchemy with the Big Burn, the largest-ever forest fire in America and the tragedy that cemented Teddy Roosevelt's legacy in the land.

On the afternoon of August 20, 1910, a battering ram of wind moved through the drought-stricken national forests of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, whipping the hundreds of small blazes burning across the forest floor into a roaring inferno that jumped from treetop to ridge as it raged, destroying towns and timber in an eyeblink. Forest rangers had assembled nearly 10,000 men—college boys, day workers, immigrants from mining camps—to fight the fires. But no living person had seen anything like those flames, and neither the rangers nor anyone else knew how to subdue them.

Egan narrates the struggles of the overmatched rangers against the implacable fire with unstoppable dramatic force, through the eyes of the people who lived it. Equally dramatic, though, is the larger story he tells of outsized president Teddy Roosevelt and his chief forester, Gifford Pinchot. Pioneering the notion of conservation, Roosevelt and Pinchot did nothing less than create the idea of public land as our national treasure, owned by every citizen. The robber barons fought him and the rangers charged with protecting the reserves, but even as TR's national forests were smoldering, they were saved: The heroism shown by those same rangers turned public opinion permanently in favor of the forests, though it changed the mission of the forest service with consequences felt in the fires of today.

The Big Burn tells an epic story, paints a moving portrait of the people who lived it, and offers a critical cautionary tale for our time.

©2009 Timothy Egan (P)2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Fantastic

The story of turn of the century politics, western expansion, and Teddy Roosevelt all told through the lens of the 1910 fire

A must read

A brilliant story weaving the greed of politicians and the ideals of the early 20th century conservationist movement. It’s a story for all who enjoy public lands, because the greedy land barons are coming for our land again. History does repeat itself, and hopefully public lands win the day once more.

Great Historical Read

Loved the story. Went to the same school as the author. Silver Valley is my hood!

Excellent!

Well written and well narrated. Fascinating and unimaginable story of America's westward expansion and a disaster that accompanied it.

Amazing Story & Wonderful History - Politics, Nature, Adventure

The history in this book is on par with the movie Forest Gump. If you like adventure, the wild west, or nature you will enjoy this book.

The only critique is I wish there was more discussion about Native Americas’ relationship with fire and land managment over millennia. The practice of fire suppression after the Big Burn only exasperated overstocking of forest fuels. Oaks cannot thrive without fire, becoming over-shaded by firs...acorns rot in a duff layer unnaturally thick....poor forage for deer. Native Americans relied on fire to keep the forests health... when managed correctly, a forest is like a grocery store, pharmacy, and lumber yard.

Enjoyed listening to this book

This was a great listen. Lots of history and learning of the forest service and fire management. It was especially great to listen to while driving through the areas of Idaho and Montana that were highly affected. Would definitely recommend.

A great story, expertly told

A great, wonderfully written story with beautiful narration. I’m sure I will listen to it again at some point.

Informative.

This book had been on my read list for a while, wish I had read it sooner. The author didn't just focus on the events of the day of the Big Burn, but even gave a brief, yet informative and interesting, account of the major players backgrounds, including individuals and the political and cultural climate of the time. As a Wildland Firefighter with the US Forest Service, I would recommend this to anyone who has even the slightest interest in land management.

The 1910 Wallace ID fire, and so much more

This tremendous book, another by Timothy Egan, intersperses the description of the massive Fall 2010 fire that nearly destroyed Wallace Idaho with abbreviated biographies of Gifford Pinchot and Teddy Roosevelt and their joint work to establish the US Forest Service. Egan's description of the fire reminded me of Norman MacLean's 'Young Men and Fire' in its descriptions of the escape of forest service workers from the searing heat and suffocating smoke. I have this book listed as one that students in my undergraduate Environmental Science class can review; another is 'The Worst Hard Time,' Egan's description of the Dust Bowl and the sad fate of dozens of midwesterners who suffered through it.

Fantastic!!!!

Another great work by Timothy. I my opinion he is getting as good as Stephen Ambrose.