Of Wolves and Men

Barry Lopez

ISBN 10: 0743249364 / ISBN 13: 9780743249362

Published by Simon and Schuster, US, 2004

About this Item

Originally published in 1978, this special twenty-fifth-anniversary edition of the National Book Award finalist includes an entirely new afterword in which the author considers the current state of knowledge about wolves and recent efforts to reintroduce wolves to their former habitats in American wilderness areas. Humankind's relationship with the wolf is based on a spectrum of responses running from fear to admiration and affection. Lopez's classic, careful study won praise from a wide range of reviewers and went on to improve the way books about wild animals are written. Of Wolves and Men reveals the uneasy interaction between wolves and civilization over the centuries, and the wolf's prominence in our thoughts about wild creatures. Drawing on an astonishing array of literature, history, science, and mythology as well as considerable personal experience with captive and free-ranging wolves, Lopez argues for the necessity of the wolf's preservation and envelops the reader in its sensory world, creating a compelling picture of the wolf both as real animal and as imagined by man. A scientist might perceive the wolf as defined by research data, while an Eskimo hunter sees a family provider much like himself. For many Native Americans the wolf is also a spiritual symbol, a respected animal that can make both the individual and the community stronger. With irresistible charm and elegance, Of Wolves and Men celebrates scientific fieldwork, dispels folklore that has enabled the Western mind to demonize wolves, explains myths, and honors indigenous traditions, allowing us to further understand how this incredible animal has come to live so strongly in the human heart.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780743249362

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Of Wolves and Men
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster, US
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0743249364
• ISBN 13: 9780743249362
• Binding: Hardback
• Edition: Classic Edition.
• Condition: New
• Weight: 603 grams

About this title

Synopsis

"The wolf exerts a powerful influence on the human imagination. It takes your stare and turns it back on you."

In this astonishing classic, Barry Lopez draws upon an impressive range of natural history, scientific fieldwork, and traditional folklore—along with his own personal experience living among captive and free-ranging wolves—to reveal the curious, controversial nature of Canis lupus. Now with a new preface by bestselling author Nate Blakeslee, Of Wolves and Men is wildlife literature at its finest.

About the Author

Barry Lopez (1945–2020) was the author of three collections of essays, including Horizon; several story collections; Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award; Of Wolves and Men, a National Book Award finalist; and Crow and Weasel, a novella-length fable. He contributed regularly to both American and foreign journals and traveled to more than seventy countries to conduct research. He was the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim, Lannan, and National Science Foundations and was honored by a number of institutions for his literary, humanitarian, and environmental work.