Guardians of Yellowstone: An Intimate Look at the Challenges of Protecting America's Foremost Wilderness Park

by Dan R. Sholly, Steven M. Newman

Yellowstone National Park's chief ranger reveals the challenges of protecting the park and recounts the ordeal of battling the fires that swept the park in 1988

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Environment, Natural History

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of Yellowstone at the time of the 1988 fires. This was before the reintroduction of wolves to the park so the relationships between wildlife species and vegetation has changed since this time.

[Paul Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Interesting stories from the Head Ranger in Yellowstone Park over a couple of years including the huge fires of 1988.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Sholly was the chief ranger of Yellowstone National Park during the 1988 fires that burned through a large portion of the park. This book is a mish-mash of quaint anecdotes of his life as chief ranger, accounts of administration and management difficulties, and, primarily, a first-hand recollection of the effort to manage the 1988 fires. Sholly's writing is amateurish, even with his journalist co-writer (Steven Newman). However, I enjoyed the book, because of its first-hand accounts of being a ranger, and its frank discussion of the politics of managing the park. Even in 1991, Sholly recognized that the 1988 fires would leave Yellowstone in a better ecological state, despite the political backlash against the park service for their 'natural burn' policy.

I think I was able to enjoy and finish the book because of my love of Yellowstone and national parks. Unless you're very interested in the 1988 fires, I can't really recommend it to a general reader.

[Alex Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book dragged on at times, it was an interesting look at what it is like to run one of America's greatest parks in Yellowstone. I was captivated by several of the topics covered, like buffalo, grizzly bear attacks, and the wildfires of 1988. A good read for those who love to visit Yellowstone.