This is a really great book but hard to read sometimes if you love wolves, like I do. They are beautiful creatures and I understand the author's love (obsession) with them. They deserve the right to live their lives in peace.

I originally got an ARC from Netball but loved the book so much I bought a copy. This review is voluntary and honest.

First-rate and gripping narrative of a continent's flagship apex predator and its fate at the hands of humans

The word "wolf" can definitely conjure up some strong images for people. "Menacing" and "predator" for some, "beautiful" and "regal" for others. For many, wolves became prey because of how they would inflict such destruction on livestock. Add a bounty on wolf pelts and the wolf was nearly hunted to extinction in the contiguous United States. Conservationists and hunting laws brought the wolf population back, but in the American West, where wolf population increased the most, and hunting is a common way of life, wolves remained in danger.

Author Nate Blakeslee follows one particular wolf known as O-Six and the conservationists who follow her and the hunters shooting wolves in her territory. O-Six becomes the 'poster-child' for wolf conservation with world-wide press picking up on her story, and a strong social media presence.

Blakeslee manages a magnificent job of offering multiple view points on the wolf perspective without telling the reader how to feel about the circumstances. I personally lean toward the wolf conservation myself so I was definitely most sympathetic to the plight of the wolves struggle to survive. However, I found the hunters' stories quite interesting and none came away as villains.

I am not sure that this book changes anything - possibly my perception of one side of the wolf story. But I am not going to get up and make calls to my congresspeople or donate money to a conservation group or get my wolf-hunting license. This is just a story, presented and left open, which is interesting, but then leaves me with no strong feelings when I close the book. So what happens next? I go on to the next book, I guess.

Looking for a good book? Nate Blakeslee's <em>American Wolf</em> is a well-written, well-researched look at the American wolf story, presenting a balanced perspective, but possibly does so at the risk of leaving the reader without any overwhelming reactions.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing Nate's experience in the wilds & his obvious respect for the wolf, and nature in general. It really is too bad that something as simple & beautiful as NATURE, is being "canned" for consumers and politicized by the capitalists & anti, anthromorphised by Hollywood, and abused by selfish slobs.

The wolf seems to have worked things out & maybe it's time WE took a lesson!

American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee is the most recent read in my effort to get through all the books I irresponsibly got via NetGalley last year and never read. Essentially, it’s the story of the wolf in America, focusing on “recent” events since the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995. The book follows the lives of the wolves, as chronicled by a handful of avid (or obsessed?) wolf-watchers in the park over many years, as well as the political, cultural, and societal factors that impact wolves’ survival in the American West.

The most gripping parts of the book are Blakeslee’s reporting on the life of O-Six, a female wolf born in 2006 in the park. He succeeds in telling a gripping story of life and survival for wolves as they face both natural and man-made threats. It reads almost like a novel, and definitely paints a vivid picture of wolf society. I learned so much about wolves, the evolution of individual wolf packs, and the social interactions of what are clearly very intelligent and emotional animals.

Woven into the story is the political, societal, and legal context in which the wolf reintroduction and population management unfolded. It was interesting to read about the events through the 2000s and to understand how events I lived through (sequestration and the 2011 threat of a government shutdown, followed by an actual shutdown in 2013) impacted things across the country. It’s disturbing and yet unsurprising, especially having lived my entire adult life in the DC area, to read of the political nonsense–riders circumventing legal protections for wolves tacked on last minute to a must-pass spending bill in 2011, for example.

I couldn’t help but root for the wolves as I read the book, while I understand the legitimate concerns of residents of areas surrounding Yellowstone as they coped with rising wolf populations. I’m glad I read the book, and sorry it took me so long to actually pick it up to read. I give the book 4 stars, only subtracting one because I feel it starts out a little slowly and took some effort to get into. Persevere, though! It’s worth it!

4 stars!

For years there have been no wolves in Yellowstone. The deer and other animals have had no serious predators and over ran the vegetation in the park. Then the decision was made to reintroduce the wolves to Yellowstone.

Wolves from Canada were captured, tagged, and collared before release into Yellowstone. The wolves formed packs, established territories and reproduced well in their new environment. The deer population gradually dropped.

With changing seasons and food availability, the wolves moved in and out of Yellowstone. This caused many hunters, whose livelihood and businesses were based on the elk and deer, to be angry at the wolves. So begins the court battles for keeping the wolves on the endangered species list or removing them so hunters could control the amount of wolves.

With all the controversy, the book focuses on one alpha female, O-Six. She has been a beautiful wolf to watch. From the time she was two, O-Six has been the supreme hunter and alpha female in Yellowstone. Her instinct and smarts has allowed her wolf pack to flourish in Yellowstone.

As a reader, I fell in love with O-Six and rooted for her and her pack all through the book. I loved reading about her ancestors and her beginning. The story really came to life and I felt like one of the wolf watchers in Yellowstone, seeing O-Six’s story unfold.

I really love animal documentaries, especially one’s that get real personal with the animals (Meerkat Manor, White Cloud, etc). This one is just wonderfully done and documented. I even Googled the pictures of the wolves so I could see what they really looked like.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. This was outside more normal reading style. I found it well written and engaging. I would recommend it.

One of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. The way the story is written leaves readers on their toes! I will be recommending this book to all animal, outdoor, and general knowledge lovers.

American Wolf is the compelling story of the wolves of Yellowstone National Park. It is also the story of the extremely dedicated group that monitors their activities on a daily basis, year-round. The main focus is on wolf O-Six, the alpha wolf who led the Lamar Canyon Pack until she was shot by a hunter.

The book is also the story of all the wolves re-introduced into Yellowstone and their interactions with humans. The humans include hunters, environmentalists, park staffers, park visitors, the wolf watchers, people from neighboring communities, and the world-wide community of wolf lovers. The wolves themselves are at the center of the storm of controversy surrounding the re-introduction and the subsequent legalization of hunting them outside park boundaries. It is a story full of conflict on all sides. Blakeslee presents the issue from all viewpoints, even interviewing the hunter who shot O-Six, whose identity is never revealed.

O-Six was unusual in that she was a female Alpha wolf, the leader of her pack. She led her wolves in many hunts, and even once took down an elk alone. Wolves live in packs and their social bonds are very strong. When something happens to the Alpha wolf, there is a cascade of effects on the remaining pack members. This is poignantly seen in this story as the pack breaks up after O-Six is shot.

The other players in this story are the biologists who study the wolves and the wolf watchers, who volunteer their time to maintain detailed logs of all wolf activities in the park. Doug Smith is the biologist in charge of the wolf research in Yellowstone. He is interviewed and quoted many times in the book, as is Rick McIntyre. McIntyre is an NPS employee who leads the wolf watchers and spends all his free time also monitoring the wolves. No one knows the wolves of Yellowstone better than he does.

It can be hard to read at times. The accounts of wolves being shot are heartbreaking. We restored them to this ecosystem after systematically wiping them out before we understood the vital role that predators play in the ecosystem. (We humans also carried out extermination campaigns against other predators, such as mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats.) Then, after we restored them to the park, hunting was re-opened for wolves. There are many factors at play here, but you get the feeling that biological science is not directing the decision-makers who allow some of these things to happen.

Most of us will never see a wild wolf in its natural environment. The wolf watchers go to the park every day and do just that. They bring spotting scopes and cameras and record all wolf activities. Because of them, people across the globe can learn about the activities of these wolves. Rick McIntyre’s observations and interviews with the author make up a lot of the book. We get to see the story of the wolves from someone who has spent literally years on the ground, observing these packs. The wolf watchers see the pups when they come out of their dens and watch them grow up and join their own packs. They observe the entire life history of the individual wolves. This is probably the most monitored wolf population in the world and it makes for some fascinating reading.

The author writes in a journalistic style, but also brings the story to life with more insightful personal stories and interviews. It’s not a dry read at all. In my opinion, the author did a good job presenting all sides of this issue.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in wolves. Yellowstone is a jewel and the wolves are one of the big attractions in the park, after the geysers and other natural features. It is interesting to learn their story in depth and see how it has evolved over time, from the re-introduction efforts to now. This book is fascinating and it gets my highest recommendation.

Wolves are a divisive topic in the American West where they have been reintroduced. Wolf lovers, biologists, ranchers, politicians, townspeople all have opposing views, and the fluid boundaries between national wilderness and civilization create volatility. This book explores all aspects of the argument while exploring the life of a particular pack led by an unforgettable female wolf. Beautifully crafted and an amazing read

"When the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, there were perhaps as many as two million wolves on the continent. Most of the early colonial governments, eager to make their settlements safe for livestock, paid bounties for wolf hides.
. .
By the 1920s, the wolf had been all but eliminated from the continental United States except for a small population in northern Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Why did our ancestors feel they had to root out every last wolf, and why were hunters still so eager to shoot them in the few places they remained? "
Nate Blakeslee, American Wolf

BACKGROUND INFO
Around 1845, the migration of religiously driven pioneers believing in Manifest Destiny rapidly sped across America ripping apart the lives of native human populations and destroying predatory wildlife habitats. As homesteads and ranches filled the land, the natural range and sources of food for the large predators shrank leading to incursions in farm fields and leased grazing areas. Inevitably the two worlds clashed head-on and the losers were the predatory animals -specifically gray wolves (Canis lupus).

By 1929, the massive efforts to eradicate gray wolves was achieved.

But there were consequences and conflicts as a result of this extermination. Not everyone agreed that nature should be so radically altered. Quoting Sir Isaac Newton - for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

Advocates for preserving portions of the decreasing wilderness and restoring the balance of the natural world prevailed and on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant and Congress created the world's first national park in what was then the Territories of Montana and Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Act provided, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, protection for the wonders such as its geysers and hot springs but also stated:

[The Secretary of the Interior] shall provide against the wanton destruction of the fish and game found within said park, and against their capture or destruction . . .

In time, researchers discovered the role that large predators play in a healthy ecosystem. In 1995, after years of planning, 31 wolves from Canada were released in the Yellowstone National Park sparking a new battle between true believers on both sides of the wolf issue.

REVIEW
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Thanks to Disney and the Three Little Pigs, I can't get that song out of my head. How about sayings like "wolf in sheep's clothing" or he's a 'lone wolf"? The wolf as predator has been getting a bad rap for thousands of years. After reading, American Wolf, I am not sure who was/is the greater predator these days - the 4-legged or the 2-legged kind.

Flip the cover and begin. Hear the wind whistle though the trees and over mountain tops. Watch and feel the snow as it falls in white sheets. Note that the cold is so intense that the myriad wolf watchers standing in long lines on the roadsides of the park appear frozen in freeze-frames images. Suddenly a wild-eyed elk bursts out of the trees trailed by a blur of snarling fur and the crowd comes alive.

I'll set the stage here. The book follows one crowd popular alpha female (including her various mates and off-spring) famously known around the world as O-6 from birth through her death. It will be impossible not to admire and respect her strengths, loyalty, and prowess as a mother and leader of the pack. O-6, having just given birth to her third litter, was shot by a poacher when she trespassed just beyond the Yellowstone boundary. The identity of the shooter remains a secret and is identified in the book by a fictional name. His story is played against O-6's throughout the book thus providing the negative views of the wolf re-introduction project.

O-6's death set off a world-wide firestorm, and raised public awareness to the plight of the Gray Wolves. I cried when she died. Yup. If you don't cry when she dies, you will when you read how her mate reacts.

Digging in more specifically, let's take a seat beside Ranger Rick McIntyre as he begins his day peering through his spotting scope. Look! He spots the new den site for a local pack and he leans in to see the new pups as they tumble outside for the first time. We will experience his compulsive need to see his wolves every day. What we see often thrills us, sometimes makes us turn our heads away, and sometimes leaves us haunted. It is no wonder that McIntyre has no other social life; he is unable to leave the park. This is wildlife interacting with the natural world oblivious to cell phones, sit-coms and stock market prices.

Yellowstone, this designated wilderness, where a wolf can be a wolf. Where a beaver can make slap happy sounds on ponds. Where ravens elbow around grizzlies for foraged meat. Yellowstone, where lucky visitors shot only pictures. But this safe harbor exists solely within the unseen boundaries of the park. Trails that lead back thousands of years transect the park leading wildlife into unprotected terrain; into rifle scopes not viewing scopes or camera lens.

We do the leave the park occasionally to tip a brew with the locals and hear their side of the story. A story often lost in the shuffle about ecosystems and states’ rights - just families and small businesses trying to make a live in an inhospitable environment. Shifting the focus, we find that the wilderness sanctuary isn't an island. Its edges rub up against civilization and the two are always at war. Guided elk hunts, ranchers and homesteaders sit on one side of the see-saw with wolf advocates, environmentalists, and biologists on the other. The battle for life and death rages through these pages; some as God intended and others at the hands of man for sport, food, or revenge.

This book is a wonderful read that doesn't reach an amiable conclusion. The battle between sides continues to this day.

Blakeslee has painstakingly researched this topic and will provide the reader with a balanced view of the see-saw riders. The reader's bias will have them sitting on their favorite side of the see-saw but hopefully with a better understanding for the opposition.

Highly recommended for nature lovers and wilderness seekers.
RIP O-6.

It seems like, when it comes to wolves, no one is neutral - people either love them or hate them. I am in the first category, not that I’ve ever seen one, but I fell in love with them after reading Never Cry Wolf way back in the ‘60s. But to many people in the US, especially hunters and ranchers, wolves were a particularly destructive predator not only to elk but to domestic livestock. As a result, they had been almost completely eradicated. Wolves had not been seen in much of the US in decades, Then in the ‘90s, as elk herds surged in Yellowstone Park, it was decided to reintroduce wolves into the area. Like so many others, I followed the story of their reintroduction, even felt an embarrassing sense of pride that those first wolves were Canadian wolves. But the ranchers and elk hunters were still strongly anti-wolf, an opposition made worse by the fact that the decision was made by the federal government and seemed to ignore the wishes of the residents.

In American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West, writer Nick Blakeslee chronicles the history of the reintroduction, the packs, the politics, the science, their effect on the park, the question of wolf hunts, the political wrangles to take them off the endangered list as well as to keep them on it, the people who loved them, the people who hated them, and the people who just wanted to see them. He tells the story mainly through two individuals: Rick McIntyre, a biological technician for the Yellowstone Wolf Project who, it is safe to say, became obsessed with the wolves and O6, an alpha-female who became not only one of Rick’s favourites but would eventually become known as the most famous wolf in the world.

American Wolf is a well-written, well-documented book. Blakeslee tries to stay objective and give both sides a voice. He is clearly sympathetic to the hunters and ranchers and townsfolk who saw the reintroduction as detrimental to their way of life and he shows how divisive it proved to be. In one case, he mentions two stores in the same airport; one was pro-wolf and sold all kinds of wolf souvenirs and the other anti- and refused to carry anything wolf related. But, despite his best effort, it is clear that his real sympathy is for the wolves – many of whom he brings to life, chronicling their genealogy from the first group of wolves, the different packs who sprang from these first wolves, their pack behaviour as well as the distinct personalities of several individuals, their lives… and their deaths. This may be the only non-fiction book that has made me cry. For anyone who, like me, loves wolves or is just interested in the story of their reintroduction, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Riveting tale that follows the wolves themselves and some of the people who interact with them. A truly riveting read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

This is a true story which centers around the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. It presents both sides of the re-introduction controversy but the author is definitely pro-wolf. The story of many packs is told with special attention given to wolves to whom the watchers have become attached. I found it very emotional especially when favorite wolves were killed by hunters. It is sad when wolves kill each other or die as the result of an encounter with a bear or an elk but it is heart wrenching when they are killed by man.

The book delves into the studies done by wolf watchers and it is pretty obvious that wolves form attachments and appear to feel emotion. It's hard to say to what extent the emotional involvement of the watchers dictate the emotions attributed to wolves.

It is a good thing that this story is being told again. It raises the issue of wildlife management at Yellowstone and a good cry always makes one more willing to fight for the lives of these amazing creatures.

Format: Kindle Edition
I will say that this book took me by surprise. I tend to read nonfiction that deals with history or biology. Ecology and environmental tales are not my forte but I am a fan of this publishing house so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did as it is now my #1 pick of best nonfiction I've read this year for any topic.

What makes American Wolf so interesting is that it has a narrative that is much more like a fictional book. There is suspense, drama, betrayals, and violence. This book is chock full of emotion. The topic could have been very dry, just another story about species reintroduction and the handful of people involved. But the story of the Yellowstone wolves, including O-Six herself, is fraught with danger and full of love. Each generation introduces a new host of characters with their own personalities. The complexities of the human relationships surrounding the wolves and the politics of the reintroduction itself are well-written and explained.

Honestly, I never knew wolves were so intelligent and empathetic with one another. This book really sucks you in and pulls at your heartstrings. I was riveted from the beginning and read it voraciously until the end. And, most amazingly for a nonfiction book with which I have no connection to the topic, I cried. I stood in my kitchen and cried my eyes out. I don't want to spoil it by telling you why but just know that this book is so much more than it appears, even for a girl who grew up in hunting country.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Crown Publishing, and the author Nate Blakeslee for the opportunity to do so.

This book was one of my favorite nonfiction reads this year!

One part a chronicle of the wolf O-Six and her pack's time in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone, part memoir of the wolf-watchers of Yellowstone, a detailed look at the politics surrounding wolf re-introduction and regulations, and also a testament to the ecological impact of wolves in the environment. This book packs a lot of valuable insight and information into a very reader friendly package.

One of the things I enjoyed most about reading American Wolf was Blakeslee's delicate handling of the way both wolf-lovers and wolf-hunters were portrayed in his account. Though he establishes background and reasoning objectively on both sides of the wolf argument, he also manages to establish emotional resonance with all the characters featured in this account. Whether we as readers relate to the hunters or the wolf-watchers is ultimately up to us. That's not to say that this book doesn't come down positively on the side of the wolf, I just appreciate how well the author was able to put forth both opinions and show readers why wolves truly are necessary in their environment.

For someone who is interested in animals, Yellowstone, wolves, and the politics surrounding wolves it is a definite must-have!

In American Wolf, the reader is introduced to the wolf reestablishment program for wolves in Yellowstone Park. Hunted almost to extinction, this program has been a success, bringing wolves back to their habitats throughout the Rockies in states such as Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. While the program was a success with environmentalists who were heartened to see an ecosystem restored, it was greeted with anger and dismay by the ranchers who wanted the same land to graze their cattle and the hunters that felt that the wolves would threaten their livelihood of arranging elk hunts.

This controversy is illustrated through the life story of one particular wolf. She was the alpha female of a pack and was known as O-Six for the year of her birth. Park rangers and wolf-watchers followed her life from her infancy through her childhood to her mate selection and establishment of her own pack. They watched as she hunted, fought off other wolves interested in her territory and as she successfully raised several litters of puppies. She was a favorite of the watchers for her skill and grace and her intelligent creation of her pack.

But the book doesn't just talk about the individual wolves. The author also explains the legal battles going on in court between those interested in saving the wolves and those who wanted to eradicate them. He also explains the environmental benefits of the wolf introduction program. While some say that it hurts the elk population, others talk of species that benefit. For example, the beaver population exploded. This happened because as the elk adjusted to the new predators and moved upward in the valleys, the willows they ate in the creeks had more chance of survival. Since the willow is an important part of the beaver life, it helped more beaver to survive. The coyote population was reduced to a more stable number as the wolves were the superior predators and as the coyote population lowered, that of small rodents who were their prey, rose.

The author also talks about the humans involved. He explores the work of specific park rangers, men who have dedicated their lives to rescuing and assisting wildlife. He talks about the men and women who have made wolf-watching their life work, going out every day without fail to observe the wolves and make copious notes of their observations. The arguments of hunters are examined along with an in-depth study of one specific hunter. The reader will walk away from this book armed with an extensive knowledge of all sides of this compelling topic. This book is recommended for readers of nature books and those interested in environmental topics.

American Wolf is a beautifully written chronicle of the repatriation of wolves in Yellowstone National Park, which began in the summer of 1995. This follows the wolves, their watchers, their detractors and the politics that continually changed the status of the wolves, from endangered, to protected, to hunted. The battle continues to this day as hunters and ranchers fight to be able to shoot any wolf that strays off protected land, and as the threat to that land is raised.

Even though I knew the story and its outcome, I still found myself hurrying to turn the pages to see exactly how it would unfold. It's a very well written and important addition to the available library on both sides of the wolf controversy. What's unusual about this one is that it reads more like a novel than scientific nonfiction, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this complicated and contentious topic. I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from Netgalley, but that did not affect my review

I learned a lot from this book! Well-written, well-researched and super informative about the wolf population and history of the politics of federal protection regulations and politics in Yellowstone. Also dispels many big bad wolf myths! Highly recommended.