Book Club Selection: “The Big Burn” by Timothy Egan

May-June Book Club Selection: “The Big Burn” by Timothy Egan

If you listen to the podcast, odds are you’ve been paying close attention to the ongoing public lands debate. I’d also venture a guess that you’ve spent a considerable amount of time exploring public lands, whether scaling one of Colorado’s 14ers, camping in the alpine of the Wind River Range, or simply peering of the edge of the Grand Canyon. Public lands are what make the West the West, and they are the foundation of everything unique about the region, from wildlife to scenic views, natural resources to recreation.

To fully understand– or even begin to understand– the American West, you need to understand the history of public lands, so the May-June book club selection is:

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan

The book is centered around a massive and deadly forest fire that burned over 3 million acres of Montana, Idaho, and Washington in just two days. While the story of the wildfire is exciting and tragic, I found the real value of this book to be the detailed history of the creation of the United States Forest Service—how our public lands came to be seen as a national treasure owned by the people, rather than a resource to be exploited by robber barons. 

As noted in the subtitle, the book digs into the role that Theodore Roosevelt played in shaping conservation policy, as well as the powerful political and economic forces he had to fight to ensure the protection of these landscapes. Egan also paints a vivid picture of Gifford Pinchot, TR’s right hand man in conservation and the first head of the US Forest Service. Pinchot was an interesting dude to say the least—he would hold conversations with the ghost of his deceased wife, began each day by pouring buckets of ice-cold water on this head, and would regularly square off in boxing and wrestling matches against TR.

The topics and people examined in this book are more important now more than ever—if you want to be an effective advocate for public lands, it’s mandatory to understand this history.  I loved this book, and I think about it regularly as I visit the far-flung corners of the American West. But don’t take my word for it, check out this glowing Los Angeles Times book review for a solid synopsis.

This book club selection is being offered in conjunction with the Diablo Trust’s monthly book club.  Diablo Trust is a leader in cutting-edge conservation in the southwestern US, so I highly encourage you to check out their website and consider supporting their work. At the least, read along with their book club— they have some wonderful monthly selections!

If you’d like to participate:

• Grab a copy of The Big Burn—purchase it from Amazon or your local bookseller, or check it out from your local library. Start reading.
• Head over to our Goodreads Group. Create an account, then join in the conversation in the online discussion forum. As you read, give your feedback on the book, pose questions to the group, and share your first-hand experience reading Stegner and Abbey. The only way this works is with lot of participation from lots of people, so the more the better.

Mountain & Prairie Book Club – Goodreads Group

Not interested in TR, Pinchot, or The Big Burn? Then get started on the July-August Book Club selection: Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides.  More details will be announced in early July.