The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
The Big Burn is history but as enjoyable a read as your favorite fiction, full of political struggles, interesting characters and unthinkable tragedies. The main topic is a wildfire of 1910 in the Bitteroots of Montana that turned into the perfect storm of drought, hurricane force winds and lack of land management.
Leading the charge for conservation in the west was Teddy Roosevelt. He used his political know how to circumvent his opponents. But that didn't mean that his ideas, such as starting the National Park system were well received. Most people thought conservation wasn't necessary. And the inhabitants of the still wild west felt no respect for the newly formed forest service who struggled to keep brush fires under control and homesteaders off the government owned land.
The stories of dedication and heroism in fighting this devastating fire illuminated the true backbone of America. The most interesting things I learned however, were that we haven't learned from our mistakes. No matter what political party you belong to, there is still infighting and underhandedness between those we elect to represent us in Washington. And believe it or not, even in 1910 severely injured people lost everything because of the high cost of medical care.
If you love history, The Big Burn is fascinating. The story is so well told that you will be able to see the fire race over the mountains, hear the thunder of the wind whipped flames, and feel the scorch on your skin. You will find yourself fanning the flames as you quickly turn the pages.
The Big Burn is history but as enjoyable a read as your favorite fiction, full of political struggles, interesting characters and unthinkable tragedies. The main topic is a wildfire of 1910 in the Bitteroots of Montana that turned into the perfect storm of drought, hurricane force winds and lack of land management.
Leading the charge for conservation in the west was Teddy Roosevelt. He used his political know how to circumvent his opponents. But that didn't mean that his ideas, such as starting the National Park system were well received. Most people thought conservation wasn't necessary. And the inhabitants of the still wild west felt no respect for the newly formed forest service who struggled to keep brush fires under control and homesteaders off the government owned land.
The stories of dedication and heroism in fighting this devastating fire illuminated the true backbone of America. The most interesting things I learned however, were that we haven't learned from our mistakes. No matter what political party you belong to, there is still infighting and underhandedness between those we elect to represent us in Washington. And believe it or not, even in 1910 severely injured people lost everything because of the high cost of medical care.
If you love history, The Big Burn is fascinating. The story is so well told that you will be able to see the fire race over the mountains, hear the thunder of the wind whipped flames, and feel the scorch on your skin. You will find yourself fanning the flames as you quickly turn the pages.
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