Vicious: Wolves and Men in America / Edition 1

by Jon T. Coleman

Overview

A provocative history of wolves in America and of the humans who first destroyed them and now offer them protection

Over a continent and three centuries, American livestock owners destroyed wolves to protect the beasts that supplied

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300119725
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	11/15/2006
Series:	The Lamar Series in Western History
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jon T. Coleman teaches history at the University of Notre Dame.

Editorial Reviews

"A fascinating book which draws on historical, biological and cultural insights in a penetrating analysis of how Americans have interacted with a major predator. Coleman's approach allows us to understand fully why we eliminated wolves from the United States, and why recent debates over wolf reintroduction have been so heated."--Robert Keiter, author of "Keeping Faith with Nature and The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (also Wallace Stegner Professor of Law and director of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment at the University of Utah)

From the Publisher

The many recent books written about wolves include several photographic essays depicting the wolf in its natural environment and studying the animal's habits and social characteristics. Coleman (history, Univ. of Notre Dame) takes a different approach in this volume, which began as his doctoral thesis. His study involves the history of wolves and humans in America, with a focus on the geographic area of Colonial New England. He chronicles the events, misunderstandings, and miscommunications that led early settlers to fear and destroy wolves before discussing America's shift in attitude. As a book about relationships, it includes references to the legends, folklore, and cultural differences that shaped the interaction between humans and wolves over three centuries. Coleman's witty and entertaining style will engage readers; it is well researched and documented, as one would expect in a scholarly work. Highly recommended for its literary quality and unique approach to academic and special collections. [For another cultural history about an American animal, see Mark Derr's A Dog's History of America, reviewed on p. 176.--Ed.]--Deborah Emerson, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, Fairport, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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