Bison: Distant Thunder

At the turn of the nineteenth century seventy million bison roamed the Great Plains of North America. By 1900 only a few hundred remained. Distant Thunder recounts the tale of this animal, this symbol of America, from its near extinction to its incredible recovery. It is a startling journey into a world that draws on American history, its relationship to wildlife over the last two centuries, and a living portrait of a truly impressive animal.
Native Americans of the Great Plains both revered the buffalo and depended on them for their survival. The Indians used buffalo hides to make tepees, ate buffalo meat, and wore buffalo furs and leather. After the mid-nineteenth century, a national effort took shape to end the white man's conflict with Native Americans by eliminating the bison - their main source of food and shelter. With free ammunition handed out by the army, the white man went on a killing spree, decimating bison herds with no restraint.
Douglas Gruenau brought his camera and unique sensitivity to the American West, where bison herds currently survive, protected in national parks and preserves. The fifty-six color images in this book pay homage to the bison. Gruenau's photographs witness the ancient rituals of a species more than thirty thousand years old. For a year we roam with the herds, experiencing the rhythm of their lives. He captures the power, size, and untamed nature of this animal in a way that will leave the reader in awe and thrilling wonder.

Douglas Gruenau is head of the science department at Trinity School, a private school in New York City.