The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America

My rating:

add to my books

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America

by Timothy Egan, Robertson Dean

3.92 · rating details · 1,736 ratings · 506 reviews

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 the blink of an eye. Forest rangers had assembled nearly...more

MP3 CD, 0 pages

Published October 19th 2009 by Brilliance Audio (first published 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,420)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 01, 2010

Mahlon rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone with an interest in History, fire prevention, or conservation.

Recommended to Mahlon by: Amazon

Timothy Eagan's The Big Burn tells the story of the Nation's largest wildfire, which burned parts of Idaho, Montana, and Washington. It burned August 20-21 1910, killing 87 (including 78 firefighters) The great fire severely tested the recently founded U.S. Forest Service, leading many to question it's mission, and even it's existence. Eagan uses the fire to discuss the history of the Forest Service, and to highlight it's place in president Theodore Roosevelt's conservation plan, and his friends...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Mar 15, 2011

Marc rated it

· review of another edition

Outstanding, highly readable history of the Great Fire of 1910 that burned 3.2 million acres in and around the Bitterroots National Forest in Idaho and Montana. The author moves deftly between (a) the immediacy of the fire and the experiences of people caught up in it, and (b) the powerful business and political interests whose actions both contributed to and were affected by the disaster.

Timothy Egan has done a tremendous amount of research, but what emerges most clearly (and power...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Feb 14, 2010

Richard rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, history

An enjoyable history novel about the creation of the Forest Service and many National Forest in the West. The author, Timothy Egan, does a nice job of dividing The Big Burn into 3 parts. Part one explores the struggles of Gifford Pinchot (the first US Chief Forester) and President Roosevelt as they create the conservation movement and the Forest Service. The Service with newly forestry graduates were tasked to watch over the newly created national forest in the West. The second part of the novel...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 19, 2010

Jeanette rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history, nonfiction, america

Over the long term, greed was the winner of this battle. Some things never change. We could use another Teddy Roosevelt here in the 21st century. Progressive, outspoken, tenacious, and so gifted with words.

This book is a lot more about politics than it is about The Big Burn. I agree with another reviewer who said the title is misleading, as the book is much more about Gifford Pinchot than Teddy Roosevelt. Also, it is never made clear how the fire "saved America." Stil...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 01, 2010

Adelle rated it

· review of another edition

A beautifully written, engaging book. Before I had read the book, I had never heard of the Fire of 1910, and probably wouldn't have cared even if I had. Timothy Egan put me right there in the Big Lonesome and the Bitterroot Mountains with flames roaring round me on all sides. I cared what happened to the forest. I cared what happned to Ed Pulaski and his crew. Would some of them be alive when all was over?

I liked the rightness of the historical circle. Teddy Roosevelt, havi...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 26, 2010

Kurt rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, nature, history

I first heard about the 1910 event known as "The Big Burn" many years ago while reading about hiking trails in my home state of Idaho. The magnitude of this huge forest fire intrigued me at the time; so, when I saw a book on the bestseller list with the title The Big Burn I immediately took notice.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has so many qualities that make it my kind of book: Nature, Idaho, History, Conservation, Adventure, Politics, Tragedy, Disaster, and best...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Dec 28, 2010

Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: environment, history, western-us

Egan intersperses the story of Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pichot, and the early conservation movement with an account of the hurricane force wild fire that burned down acres upon acres of woods in northern Idaho, Washington, and Montana that finally solidified public opinion around public lands. The first portion of the book focuses on Roosevelt and his administration's efforts to set aside land as a public trust. Just as in The Worst Hard Time, where Egan really shines, though, is when he tells...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Sep 23, 2010

Carol rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audio, library-download, non-fiction, bio-autobio

From the title of this book, I knew I would learn about Teddy Roosevelt and the fire of 1910. And I did. What Egan is really telling here is the story of the birth of the US Forest Service and Gifford Pinchot, set in the context of turn-of-the-century politics and times. It was a fascinating read (listen, in my case); I learned a lot about American history and am inspired to learn more.

I worked on a forest fire in Idaho once and never gave much thought about why the tool I carried...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 03, 2011

Rebecca rated it

· review of another edition

This book details what a struggle it was to establish the national park system. Sounds boring right? Well it couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm guessing the majority of people have seen the Grand Canyon or Old Faithful and I think we take it for granted that it was always there or will always be there. It was such a political battle that it took a forest fire with more energy than the Hiroshima bomb to make the idea stick.

We all know Teddy Roosevelt had the idea but this boo...more

· see review

Apr 14, 2011

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

This was a very good historical non-fiction. The name of the book refers to an enormous forest fire that swept through the mountains of Idaho and Montana in 1910. Numerous small fires had been burning in the mountains all throughout the dry summer, but they were turned into one enormous conflagration in mid August by hurricane force winds blowing in from the west. The fire raged for two days destroying two towns, hundreds of homes and over a million acres of forest. The fact that the de...more This was a very good historical non-fiction. The name of the book refers to an enormous forest fire that swept through the mountains of Idaho and Montana in 1910. Numerous small fires had been burning in the mountains all throughout the dry summer, but they were turned into one enormous conflagration in mid August by hurricane force winds blowing in from the west. The fire raged for two days destroying two towns, hundreds of homes and over a million acres of forest. The fact that the death toll was only in the low hundreds was due mainly to small group of forest rangers in the brand new United States Forest Service.
These rangers are the heroes of the story as they spend their own money and risk their lives trying to save the forests and the towns in them. Egan uses their stories to get a personal side in the history. However, he also writes about the larger picture of the region and the nation at the time. The northwest region at the time was ruled by huge mining, timber, and railroad interests. The laws at the time favored these large companies and they were able to by land and strip natural resources for very low rates and make obscene profits. They were able to buy political influence and keep the playing field tilted in their favor until the other hero of the book, Theodore Roosevelt, becomes president.
Roosevelt legitimized the conservation movement which had started a few years earlier, but had no real political traction. Roosevelt created the first national park, Yellowstone, and the Forest Service to enforce his new, stricter laws protecting the large tracts of federally owned land in the west. Installed as the head of the new Forest Service is the other major character from the national level in the book, Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot was an uncompromising man who was a fervent believer in conservation and the role of the Forest Service. He did much to legitimize the agency in its early years.
This is a good book about an interesting event in American history. Egan does a very good job showing all sides of this story from the personal to the national level. (less)

· see review

Feb 17, 2011

Paul Pessolano rated it

· review of another edition

Many of us know Timothy Egan from his book, "The Worst Hard Time", a story of the disaster known as, "The Dust Bowl".

Egan has come back with another historical book in "The Big Burn". This is the story of the largest forest fire in America. This is hard to believe with all the large fires that have taken place in the western states. "The Big Burn" destroyed 3 million acres in two days. I tried to put this in perspective by taking the acre o...more

· see review

Feb 05, 2011

John Frazier rated it

· review of another edition

An insightful and informative look at what could be considered the genesis of the conservation movement in this country, spearheaded by none other than President Teddy Roosevelt and the equally gilded Gifford Pinchot, both of whom managed to meld lives of privilege with a relentless love of the outdoors and the wonders of nature.

Timothy Egan has successfully woven the histories of these two men with those of the people who shared their zeal for a life among the towering trees of Idaho...more

· see review

Nov 24, 2010

Ruth rated it

· review of another edition

The massive fire in August of 1910 that swept though the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana destroyed millions of acres of prime forest and caused an incredible loss to the nation. When the huge winds hit these arid states it not only destroyed everything in it's path but it pitted a fledgling foresty service against Money interests in the East who had enjoyed uncontrolled harvesting of the most valuable lumber the country owned. Political battles that ensued would not heal for many years....more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 10, 2010

Chris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adult, historical, nonfiction, not-graphic

Though the subtitle mentions Teddy Roosevelt specifically, this is not a biography and he's hardly the book's lone focus. The prologue made a bit of a rough entry point for me, but I really liked the book's three part structure and found it to be an engrossing read.

Part I, "In on the Creation," focuses on the creation of the National Forest Reserves and the infant forestry service. Much of the story is about Roosevelt and close friend and founding forester Gifford Pinchot...moreThough the subtitle mentions Teddy Roosevelt specifically, this is not a biography and he's hardly the book's lone focus. The prologue made a bit of a rough entry point for me, but I really liked the book's three part structure and found it to be an engrossing read.

Part I, "In on the Creation," focuses on the creation of the National Forest Reserves and the infant forestry service. Much of the story is about Roosevelt and close friend and founding forester Gifford Pinchot's introduction of the idea of conservation into the national consciousness, framing it as an effort to save nature for the common citizen from the greedy robber barrons and their corrupt politicians who only cared about stripping the land of its resources for their personal gain. Their political battles make today's divisiveness look understated and tame in comparison, and it was fascinating reading about the friendship between the two passionate, charismatic figures.

Part II, "What They Lost," is much more intimate and personal in scale. It describes the fire by telling the stories of a range of those who experienced it. There were the "Little G.P.s," Gifford Pinchot's handpicked first wave of foresters who were responsible for the land, men like Elers Koch and Ed Pulaski, who saved countless lives but lost most of his eyesight, lung capacity, and vitality in the process. The immigrant workers representing over 30 countries like Domenico Bruno and Giacomo Viettone, who were drafted to fight fires on the promise of pay that Congress wouldn't release in their efforts to destroy the Forestry Service. The rough residents of towns like Taft, illegally built on national land that "at one time had nearly 500 prostitutes among its 2,500 people, in the estimate of a journalist, and 30 saloons." The 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers provided by the military to protect the towns. Homesteaders like Ione "Pinkie" Adair, who was asked to provide food and shelter for the firefighters and wouldn't be parted from her pistol. And countless others.

Part III, "What They Saved," tells of the aftermath. It broadens the view back to national politics and the the ongoing story of the Forest Service, but also completes the stories of the figures we came to know during Part II. I really enjoyed the way Egan weaves all these different threads together together to create one big tale. I was in turns entertained, fascinated, and educated.(less)

· see review

Aug 09, 2010

Andrew rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history

In harrowing detail, the author details how 1910's "Big Burn" ravaged almost 3 million acres of national forest. The newly formed forest service tried to control the fire abut failed. The fire wiped out towns, and hundreds of people were killed.

The book also details the history of the National Forest service and its first leader, Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot was the country's first national forester, but business interests in Congress vetoed efforts to provide the organizatio...moreIn harrowing detail, the author details how 1910's "Big Burn" ravaged almost 3 million acres of national forest. The newly formed forest service tried to control the fire abut failed. The fire wiped out towns, and hundreds of people were killed.

The book also details the history of the National Forest service and its first leader, Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot was the country's first national forester, but business interests in Congress vetoed efforts to provide the organization with proper funding and manpower. "Not one cent to scenery," said one senator.

Although Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, much of the western woods were given "to commerce, to settlement, to profit." Pinchot, Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir and others wanted to save the land. According to Pinchot: "The earth, I repeat, belongs of right to all its people, and not to a minority, insignificant in numbers but tremendous in wealth and power."

Pinchot & TR, old friends, came up with the idea of conservation, and in the final weeks of Roosevelt's term, he issued a proclamation that added 16 million acres of land, in six states to the national forest system.

Pinchot falsely believed forest fires could be contained. In 1910, after a dry summer, the fire started. As the fire grew, smoke covered towns, and ash and embers rained down. Separate blazes combined into a firestorm that moved over 50 miles an hour, with tips of trees exploding.

As it grew and worsened, the small of force of forest rangers was augmented by the military, including the 25th Infantry, the Buffalo Soldiers (who proved the mettle fighting the Big Burn). Soon, the country called up additional help - miners, immigrants, even convicts; the effort eventually numbered 10,000 men.

There are horrifying passages of people getting burnt alive, trapped in towns, hiding in tunnels of stifling air amid dead bodies, people seeking shelter in shallow creeks as flaming trees fell upon them. Whole towns were wiped out (and some western "towns" were filled with saloons and prostitution; in one town 1 in 5 people was a hooker).

Many of those who made it out alive suffered severe burns, blindness, and scarred lungs. Shortly after the burn, the first rain and snow fell.

In the aftermath, clouds and soot drifted throughout the west, and soot even dropped over parts of New England. The government failed to pay many of the victims for their injuries, and even refused to build a proper cemetery for the worker's graves. But it also gained national attention to the plight of the forests and the forest service, and conservation became a national moral issue, and it also added concern for forests in the East, as well.

One of the main rangers - Pulaski, invented a tool that is still used by forest rangers. (And Pulaski and Pinchot are still thought of as the first forest ranger heroes).

A great read....

(less)

· see review

Aug 01, 2010

Colleen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-and-nature, nonfiction

This wasn't as good as "The Worst Hard Times", but still pretty good. The first third of the book was kind of slow as he covers some of the history & politics that led to the creation of the national forests. It's also really infuriating to read about politicians that were vehemently against things like national forests but really in favor of child labor. The middle third of the book--the description of the fire, the people involved, and the events surrounding it--picks up a bit. C...more

· see review

Feb 08, 2010

Randy rated it

· review of another edition

Timothy Egan writes great books (as well as strong columns for the New York Times). He tricks us a bit with the sub-title. Although there is much about Teddy Roosevelt the main character of this tale is really Gifford Pinchot, the nation's first forester and father of the US Forrest Service and the man most responsible for saving what's left of America's forests. Another of the featured characters is Ed Pulaski, an original forest ranger who was so damaged by the The Big Burn that he never reall...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 29, 2010

Will rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, american-history, nature

In 1910, the US Forestry Service was in its infancy. Teddy Roosevelt had put Gifford Pinchot in charge of the foundling agency. But robber barons and local commercial interests used all their resources to try to smother the infant in its crib, using their control of media to lobby against and lie about the Forest Service, and using their money to corrupt public officials in order to deny the Service the manpower and resources needed to actually protect the growing quantity of land held in public...moreIn 1910, the US Forestry Service was in its infancy. Teddy Roosevelt had put Gifford Pinchot in charge of the foundling agency. But robber barons and local commercial interests used all their resources to try to smother the infant in its crib, using their control of media to lobby against and lie about the Forest Service, and using their money to corrupt public officials in order to deny the Service the manpower and resources needed to actually protect the growing quantity of land held in public trust. Then, in a drought-parched lands of eastern Washington, western Montana and northern Idaho, the greatest forest fire in US history sparked a major change in public consciousness.

Egan offers historical context for this story, writing about the politics of the day, the forces, personalities and motives involved. As America saw its frontiers vanishing, a president took on the task of preserving some of the nation’s wilderness for future generations. Some things never change. Just as today’s robber barons are willing to despoil the entire planet to bolster next quarter’s bottom line, so the big business interests of 1910 were more than happy to spend the nation’s future to enrich their present.

When a wildfire broke out in the western forests, it was the Forestry Service that was charged with keeping it under control. Pinchot had oversold his vision of the service, believing that forest fires were an aspect of nature that man, and in particular the Service, would be able to control. He was wrong. And short-sighted, penurious Congressional funding for the Service ensured that there would be insufficient resources to manage any but the most modest blazes.

Entire towns were wiped off the map. In some cases this probably represented an improvement. Hundreds of people lost their lives, fighting the fire, fleeing it, or attempting to hide. Egan offers us personal stories of the people involved, the local rangers who tried to organize firefighting squadrons, townspeople who joined the battle, or trampled women and children to save their own lives.

I would have liked for Egan to offer more science in explaining the particularities of this fire. And it might have been informative, if gruesome to go into some of the details of why death by fire is so horrific. Some of that can be found in Daniel James Brown's compelling book, Under a Flaming Sky, about an earlier firestorm in 1894.

There are characters aplenty in The Big Burn, people with whom one can identify, and there are clear lessons to be gleaned that are applicable to contemporary issues. The Big Burn is a fast-paced read that is engaging, informative and thought-provoking.
(less)

· see review

Jan 02, 2010

Judy rated it

· review of another edition

Timothy Eagan (The Worst Hard Time) has a winner here. I circled around this book in my favorite book store for months, then noticed that it ended up on several "Best of 2009" lists, and ended up pouncing on it when I came across it on the new books shelf of my local library. What a fabulous story. Egan seamlessly weaves together two stories. The first is a fascinating account of the August 1910 forest fire that over a two day period tore through the newly created national forests ...moreTimothy Eagan (The Worst Hard Time) has a winner here. I circled around this book in my favorite book store for months, then noticed that it ended up on several "Best of 2009" lists, and ended up pouncing on it when I came across it on the new books shelf of my local library. What a fabulous story. Egan seamlessly weaves together two stories. The first is a fascinating account of the August 1910 forest fire that over a two day period tore through the newly created national forests in the Bitterroot Mountains of Washington, Idaho and Montana. Fueled by desperately dry forests and guided by hurricane force winds, in two days the fire burned more than three million acres, killed almost 100 people (mostly temporarily hired fire fighters and U.S. Forest Service Rangers), and destroyed five towns. At the time, the National Forest Service was slowly being eroded by the policies of the Taft administration and the Forest Service and its Rangers were generally held in low regard by the general public. The heroic efforts of the nearly 10,000 fire fighters and the Forest Service Rangers during this fire changed that public perception and gradually Americans came to agree with the creators of the National Forests that they were a national treasure to be enjoyed by future generations and the system was strengthened and enlarged. The second, and perhaps larger, story is that of the creation of the National Forest system and the enlargement of the National Park system by larger-than-life Theodore Roosevelt and his close friend, Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief Forester of the United States. Egan recreates the atmosphere of greed that fueled the Robber Barons and the timber interests and caused them to oppose any national protection of the country's great forests in the West. Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot are two of my favorite Progressives and this book is chock full of both familiar and new tidbits about the two men. For instance, how did I never know about Gifford Pinchot's ability (in his mind) "to see dead people"? Yep, I will be investigating this more closely. It seems that after his financee died, he still had a full relationship with her for years. He noted the days that he clearly saw and spoke with her as "clear days" in his diaries. When I read parts of his diary for a graduate course, I just assumed that he was talking about the weather. It wasn't until he was almost fifty that he stopped seeing Laura and was able to fall in love with another woman, marry her, and have several children. This story needs to be examined in more detail and, don't worry, I'm on it. But creepy love story aside, this book is fabulous. It's easy to read and hard to put down. (less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Nov 18, 2009

Jonathan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jonathan by: Teddy Roosevelt's ghost

Shelves: history-biography

First off, let me start by saying that Teddy Roosevelt is the man. Anybody who cares about wilderness conservation or has visited a national park should be thankful that he was our president. Egan's book is not only about the great forest fire of 1910 (the titular big burn), but about Roosevelt's efforts to set aside land for future generations. There is plenty of backstory as Egan explores the kinship between TR and his appointed head of forestry Gifford Pinchot, a kinship which ultimately l...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jul 06, 2011

Frances rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2000-2009, nf-environment, nf-history, non-fiction, obtained-audible

In an attempt to make a "long" car trip more enjoyable, we decided to listen to this book during our trip to Pittsburgh. We'd both read Timothy Egan's book, "The Worst Hard Times," so this seemed an easy choice.

I hadn't ever heard of this 1910 fire, nor I was I aware of this aspect of Teddy Roosevelt's influence on the creation of the Forest Service. Further, although I think of Muir and Roosevelt as crucial early figures in the environmental movement, I was not...more

· see review

Oct 28, 2011

Bruce rated it

· review of another edition

An interesting, exciting read. Though this work is about the major forest fire of 1910, it is also the story of the beginnings of the conservation movement, such as it is, in the US. Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot were instrumental in setting aside millions of acres of forest despite corrupt politicians and robber barons. The politicians and robber barons attempted to starve the forest service to death but then came the big burn and the heroic stories that came out of it. The forest ser...more

· see review

Sep 25, 2009

Tim rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads

With wildfires again in the news and raging on the west coast, this book becomes all the more timely. Telling the story of the largest forest fire ever to strike the United States, Egan looks that the ecological, political and social implications of wildfires and forest fires and the response of humans to nature's fury. At the same time, Egan profiles the uniquely American icon Theodore Roosevelt, a man of deep contradictions, yet stern beliefs in both nature and man's place within it. There is ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 01, 2011

Heather rated it

· review of another edition

As he did with The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan has created an engaging narrative of the sometimes dramatic conflict between man and nature. This time the focus is on an enormous forest fire that burned nearly three million acres in three western states, and set the stage for Forest Service policy for decades. Inhabited with giant characters like Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and the heroic Ed Pulaski, Egan's story takes readers into the political web of the early twentieth century, and the...more

· see review

Jul 29, 2011

Rick Ludwig rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-since-retirement, read-in-last-ten-years

This book vividly presents an era which I have explored in many other excellent histories, but focuses on an event of which I was totally unaware, the great fire of 1910 that nearly ended the fledgling U.S. Forest Service. Timothy Egan does an excellent job of laying out the earliest days of this critical organization and the important roles of Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt in getting it started. He also brings to life the political tactics that were used to try to discredit, underfun...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 10, 2011

Lindsey rated it

· review of another edition

Wonderful history book regarding how Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and the big burn of 1910 shaped US Forest Service policy regarding wildfire suppression and the overall mission of the FS. The title is misleading; the big burn didn't "save America", it did however bring more support for the FS, FS employees, and conservation in general. I would have liked more analysis of the fire's repercussions, rather than an in depth look at the lives of Roosevelt, Pinchot and those directly ...more

· see review

Oct 14, 2011

Jeff Moulton rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books, history, nonfiction

The Big Burn refers to the fire of 1910 that consumed the Rocky Mountains, obliterating an area larger than New England and resulting in several deaths. The book chronicles the efforts of the fledgling U.S. Forest Service as they tried to contain the massive blaze. It also spends quite a bit of time on the history of the Forest Service and how the fire was used to cement the agency's role in U.S.

Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of the Big Burn (also known as the "Big Blowu...more

· see review

Mar 07, 2010

Carolyn rated it

· review of another edition

By 1910, the U.S. Forest Service was a fledgling agency borne from Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot's love of the outdoors and their foresight to know that if they didn't act to conserve nature it would be destroyed by railroad barons, lumber millionaires, and mining concerns. However, business interests ruled the day, and several notoriously crooked politicians, bought off by the timber industry, were working just as diligently to destroy the Service. Hopelessly underfunded, the Servi...more By 1910, the U.S. Forest Service was a fledgling agency borne from Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot's love of the outdoors and their foresight to know that if they didn't act to conserve nature it would be destroyed by railroad barons, lumber millionaires, and mining concerns. However, business interests ruled the day, and several notoriously crooked politicians, bought off by the timber industry, were working just as diligently to destroy the Service. Hopelessly underfunded, the Service was the laughing stock of the West, its rangers derided and mocked by the timber industry as well as residents of the western frontier.
But by August 1910, dry conditions combined with lightning storms and ungodly winds from the west -- the Washington Palouse -- transformed the thousand small fires already burning in the northern Idaho/Montana area into the largest forest fire in U.S. history, burning 3.2 million acres. Winds reached 80 mph, and fire roared through with flames as high as the eye could see, with the impact of a hurricane.
There was little that could be done to stop a blaze of that magnitude, but the Forest Service rangers, along with whatever immigrants and ex-cons they could sign on at the last minute, acted bravely and saved many, many lives. Their heroic actions in the face of the firestorm completely changed public opinion about both the need for the Forest Service and the need for conservation. (The irony is that the timber industry, too, decided the Forest Service was irreplaceable -- to protect all that valuable timber. Why should they, the companies, spend money protecting the forest when the government was willing to do it for them? Sadly, author Timothy Egan implies, this is still largely the case, as many of the past chiefs of the Service have been in bed with the timber and mining industries.)
As with The Worst Hard Time, which covered the Dust Bowl days, Egan has done his research and told a story that although a bit dry in some places, resonates afterwards. His description of 24 hours when the fire swept through Idaho and Montana is detailed and evocative. The narrative, as with Worst Hard Time, is woven through individual stories, this time of rangers, immigrant workers, and locals, most of whom survive the fire by incredible means.
The real heroes of the book are the two men who had the vision of conservation, Teddy Roosevelt and his good friend Gifford Pinchot, who became the first chief of the Forest Service. Their passion for the outdoors drove them to be unwavering vocal leaders in the drive to preserve nature in its most pristine state, an unheard of idea (excepting John Muir's writings) at that time. Their friendship and quirky relationship, which included camping trips in the West, boxing matches against each other at the NY governor's mansion, and unaccompanied hikes sneaking out of the White House to the Potomac, add humor and energy to the book. (less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 25, 2010

Steve rated it

· review of another edition

History of the forest service and how a huge set of forest fires in Northern Idaho, Western Montana, and Eastern Washington brought it about. Retells some pretty famous stories, such as the relationship between Teddy Roosevelt & John Muir that Ken Burns did such a good job on, in his recent PBS series. Gifford Pinchot is well portrayed, a very interesting character. Also fascinating is Ed Pulaski (the famous tool, which I had a lot of experience with, is named after him) who fought the fire in W...more

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 12, 2010

Bubba61909 rated it

· review of another edition

This book is an insight into how the Forrestry Department came to be. When the big blaze started no one saw the end result coming. If all the politicians didn't fight Teddy and Pinslow so much, the great fire might not have been as severe. Then after the great blaze all of the politician had to blame Teddy and Pinslow anyways which is typical of most politicians. The book shows how America has changed and how most politicians are still the same, pointing the finger at someone else and stomping o...more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 113 114 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (12)

More editions...

Genres

History

134 users

Non Fiction

116 users

History > American History

11 users

Environment > Nature

8 users

Biography

7 users

Environment

7 users

Politics

5 users

Politics > Presidents

5 users

Book Club

4 users

Science

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Timothy Egan

Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize winning author who resides in Seattle, Washington. He currently contributes opinion columns to The New York Times as the paper's Pacific Northwest correspondent.

In addition to his work with The New York Times, he has written six books, including The Good Rain, Breaking Blue, and Lasso the Wind.

Most recently he wrote "The Big Burn: Teddy...more

More about Timothy Egan...

Books by Timothy Egan

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

The Good Rain: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest (Vintage Departures)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Big Burn: Ted...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Groups That Shelved The Big Burn: Ted...

Oly Reads

143 members

last activity 7 hours, 18 min ago

shelf: read

East Texas Library Friends

79 members

last activity Jan 21, 2012 07:39am

shelf: to-read

Badger Mountain Moms' Boo...

10 members

last activity Jan 31, 2012 02:26pm

shelf: to-read

title link	preview: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America
avg rating	preview: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America Goodreads rating: 3.92 (1736 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9809946-the-big-burn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1291345302m/9809946.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9809946-the-big-burn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan[/url]

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website