The Western Paradox: A Conservation Reader

by Bernard DeVoto, Douglas Brinkley (Editor), Patricia Nelson Limerick (Editor)

Bernard DeVoto (1897-1955) was, according to the novelist Wallace Stegner, "a fighter for public causes, for conservation of our natural resources, for freedom of the press and freedom of thought." A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, DeVoto is best remembered for his trilogy, The Year of 1846, Across the Wide Missouri, and The Course of Empire. He also wrote a column for Harper's Magazine, in which he fulminated about his many concerns, particularly the exploitation and destruction of the American West. This volume brings together ten of DeVoto's acerbic and still timely essays on Western conservation issues, along with his unfinished conservationist manifesto, Western Paradox, which has never before been published. The book also includes a foreword by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., who was a student of DeVoto's at Harvard University, and a substantial introduction by Douglas Brinkley and Patricia Limerick, both of which shed light on DeVoto's work and legacy.

Genres: History, Nature, Nonfiction, American History, Essays, Conservation, American

576 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

About the author

Bernard Augustine DeVoto was an American historian and author who specialized in the history of the American West.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about this book. It is split between some of DeVoto's published Harpers articles and the almost completed book " The Western Paradox". His articles are passionate and 0highlight his tireless wok on behalf of the public lands. The book, well, it's a bit more complicated, lengthy and to some extent not moored in respect to chronology, topic or commonality between the pages. Perhaps it just needed his final edits.

DeVoto is an absolute essential read for public lands researchers, but I'm not sure this book is that good. Though the articles are. I had skimmed through the last two hundred pages because they just weren't relevant to me. The funniest thing is DeVoto hates Nevada, so reading those bits were good for a laugh.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 27 of 2021: The Western Paradox by Bernard DeVoto

Bernard DeVoto (1897-1955) was an American historian and mentor to Wallace Stegner. He is famous for his trilogy of Western history (Across the Wide Missouri, Year of Decision 1846, and Course of Empire) - which are in my reading goals for 2022.

The Western Paradox consists of two parts - a collection of essays on Western land management published in Harper's between 1946 and 1954 and an unpublished manuscript from which this collection is entitled.

The Easy Chair essays detail current (at the time) public land use issues for the West such as overgrazing, cattle policy on public land, corruption in the Department of the Interior, and states trying to obtain federal public land. It brought home to me that the more things change, the more they remain the same...and that the fight for good public land management never ends.

The second part of the book is an unpublished manuscript, The Western Paradox. Because of its unfinished nature, it is a bit rambling and unorganized. Yet it is still filled with historical and social insights on the West. I found the last chapter, on flash flooding, overgrazing, and mitigation of overgrazing effect to be hopeful for restoring habitat damaged by cattle.

I tried reading this book a few years ago and found it difficult to get into. I think my success with reading it in 2021 was likely due to my greater interest in public lands policy at this point in my life. I found this to be an easy, yet deep, read. My takeaway message was that the fight for good public land management practices are never ending. Those of us who are in this fight must be ever vigilant.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The source of our current state of woe in the west explained. THE primer for western conservation readers.

[Tula or KathyPotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it again and then purchased a copy.