Book Reviews

Featured books:

The last Wild Wolves

by Ian McAllister

Greystone Books, 2007 ISBN 978-1-55365-242-7 $45.00, 192 pp, hardcover large format, color photos, includes DVD www.greystonebooks.com Author, photographer and conservationist Ian McAllister has lived on BC’s north coast for 17 years, and few people have put in as much “dirt time” in the Great Bear Rainforest as this man. His latest book introduces us to three wolf packs in the Great Bear Rainforest, and follows these packs with words and stunning images through the seasons, describing their habitats and habits.

Most of us consider ourselves very fortunate to see a wolf in the wild; McAllister actually becomes intimate with packs and documents the characteristics of individual wolves. It was long assumed that grizzly bears were the apex predator on the coast, but Ian has witnessed a pack chase off a grizzly, and another time actually kill a full-grown black bear, the aftermath of which he describes as “a cross between a butcher shop and a barber shop.”

McAllister describes the special relationship between wolves and humans. Half of the wolf den sites found in the Great Bear Rainforest are at or near traditional village sites. It makes perfect sense; both species need shelter from storms, access to fresh water and plenty of the very same prey species—deer and salmon. Although wolf scat samples have been found to contain many species of birds, raven is notably absent. There is a unique symbiotic relationship between wolves and ravens—the ravens will alert wolves to the presence of, say, a dead seal, then the wolves will rip open the carcass, which ravens are unable to do.

McAllister’s grasp on temperate rainforest ecology and wolf biology is astounding, and in the introduction. Dr. Paul Paquet refers to Ian’s “unrelenting advocacy” on behalf of coastal wildlife and ancient forests. This book will be at home on the bookshelf of any lover of wild wolves or the majestic wilderness of BC’s coast. Includes DVD by Twyla Roscovich.

- Reviewed by Dan Lewis

Archived reviews:

  • Book Reviews - Paddling the Waters of Vashon Island; Paddle Your Own Kayak; Paddling and Hiking the Georgian Bay Coast; Coastal Beauty - Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs of Coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island; Kids Gone Paddlin'; and Following the Curve of Time. Summer 2008.

  • Book Reviews - April-June 2008

  • Book and DVD Reviews - by Diana Mumford Winter 2008

  • Book Reviews - by Diana Mumford Fall 2007

  • Book Reviews - by Diana Mumford Spring 2007

  • Book Reviews - by Diana Mumford Winter 2007

  • Book Review by Alan Wilson October/November 2006

  • This Month's Books reviewed by Diana Mumford - Afoot & Afloat: North Puget Sound & the Strait of Juan de Fuca - Gulf Islands Cruising Guide - The Willits Brothers and Their Canoes - The Wild Side Guide to Vancouver Island's Pacific Rim August/September 2006

  • This Months Books - reviewed by Diana Mumford - - Kayaking the Broken Group Islands - Paddling the Yukon River and its Tributaries - Tears, Fear & Adventure - Greenland Paddles: Step by Step June/July 2006

  • This Months Books reviewed by Diana Mumford - A Paddler's Guide to Killarney and the French River by Kevin Callan - The Complete Paddler: A Guidebook for Paddling the Missouri River from the Headwaters to St. Louis, Missouri by David L. Miller April/May 2006

  • This Months Books and Videos The Wild Coast: A Kayaking, Hiking and Recreation Guide for Morth and West Vancouver Island - Secret Coastline II: More Journeys and Discoveries Along BC's Shores - Waters Less Traveled: Exploring Florida's Big Bend Coast - Return of the Plankton: The Season Underwater in Puget Sound - Stewart Marshall Painter - This is the Sea Two - Marine Life on the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertibrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes - In the Wake of the Jomom: Stone Age Mariners and a Voyage acrros the Pacific - Reviewed by Diana Mumford February/March 2006

  • This Months Books Kayaks You Can Build: An Illustrated Guide to Plywood Construction - Stitch-and-Glue Boatbuilding: How to Build Kayaks and Other Small Boats - Bill Mason Wilderness Artist: from heart to hand - Bark Canoes: The Art and Obsession of Tappan Adney - Raincoast Chronicles Fourth Five - reviewed Diana Mumford December/January 2006

    This Months Books and Maps review by Diana Mumford - Secrets of the Coral Reefs - N30 Eco-Trips in Florida: The Best Nature Excursions - Experience the World with Bill Mason - Guide to Seashells of the World - Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Seashells - Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Coral Reef Fishes - Marine Priority Conservation Areas: Baja California to the Bering Sea - Sea Kayak Paddling Through History: Vancouver and Victoria - Sea Kayak Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds October/November 2005

  • This Months Books and Maps reviewed by Diana Mumford - Paddling & Hiking Ontario’s Southern Shield Country - Northern Forest Canoe Trail Maps - Waterfowl of Eastern North America - Birds of Canada Field Guide - A Camper’s Guide to Ontario’s Best Parks August/September 2005

  • This Months Books and Videos by Diana Mumford - The Happy Camper - Kayaking the Inside Strait - Trailside Cookbook - The San Juan Islands - Seasons with Birds - Compacy Guide to British Columbia Birds June/July 2005

  • This Months Books Reviewed by Diana Mumford - Sea Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide - Top Knots - One River, Two Cultures: A History of the Bella Coola Valley April/May 2005

  • This Months Books Reviewd by Diana Mumford - BC Marine Parks Guide 2nd Edition edited by John Shinnick - GREENPEACE: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists and Visionaries Changed the World by Rex Weyler - Sailing Directions - BC Coast (South Portion) Volume I, 17th ed. - Waggoner Crusing Guide 2005 - Guide to the Oceans by Dr. John Pernetta - Bijaboji: North to Alaska by Oar by Betty Lowman Carey - Captain's Quick Guide - Hiking the Gulf Islands: and Outdoor Guide to BC's Enchanted Isles by Charles Kahn - Songhees Pictoria by Grant Keddie
    February/March 2005

  • This Months Books & Videos Reviewed by Diana Mumford - Beyond the Whales by Alexandra Morton - Birds of the Raincoast: Habits and Habitat by Harvey Thommasen and Kevin Hutchings with R. Wayne Campbell and Mark Hume - Rendezvous with the Wild: The Boreal Forest editied by James Raffan - A Stain Upon the Sea: West Coast Salmon Farming by Stephen Hume, Alexandra Morton, Betty C. Keller, Rosella M. Leslie, Otto Langer - Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring by John Dowd - Paddling the Tobeatic: Canoe Routes of Southwestern Nova Scotia by Andrew L. Smith - A Prepared Paddler's Guide to Kayak Safety & Rescue VHS/DVD with Mark and Becky Molina - THis is the Sea DVD by Justine Curgenven - Girls at Play DVD by Anna Levesque - Legend of the Fall DVD by Corran Addison - Seamanship for Kayakers: Getting there (and back) Navigation DVD Hosted by John Dowd based upon programs by John Dawson and Dan Lewis December/January 2005

    This Months Books & Videos Reviewed by Diana Mumford - Sailing With Vancouver by Sam McKinney - Kayak Across the Atlantic by Pete Bray - Wilderness Paddling: 2005 Calendar photos by Gary and Joanie McGuffin - Kayaking in South Western B.C.: VHS or DVD - The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking by Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette - Riversense DVD Produced by Kate Geis - Chattooga: Descending into the Myth of Deliverance River by Joan Lane - The Wild Edge: Clayoquot, Long Beach and Barkley Sound by Jacqueline Windh October/November 2004

  • This Months Books Reviewed by Diana Mumford - Chasing Clayoquat: A Wilderness Almanac by David Pitt-Brooke - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land by Subhankar Bangerjee - Wild Flowers of the Yukon, Alaska and Northwestern Canada by John G. Trelawny - Seashores of the Maritimes by Merritt Gibson - The Bald Eagle of Alaska, BC and Washington by David Hancock - Wildflowers of the Sea Coast in the Pacific Northwest by Dr. Lewis Clark, edited by John. G. Trelawny - Sea Turtles of the World by Dough Perrine - Dophins, Whales and Manatees of Florida: A Guide to Sharing Their World by John E. Reynolds III and Randall S. Wells - Kayaking and Camping in Prince William Sound by Paul Twardock - A Paddler's Guide to Weekend Wilderness: Adventures in Southern Ontario by Kevin Callan - Canoeing, Kayaking and Hiking Temagami by Hap Wilson - Around The Rock by Ken Campbell - Easykayaking Basics: A Paddling Handbook for the Pacific Northwest by Gary Buckland and Paul Grey - Paddle Your Own Canoe: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Canoeing by Gary and Joanie McGuffin August/September 2004

  • This Months Books - reviewed by Diana Mumford - North of Desolation by Peter Vassilopoulos - Afoot and Afloat: The San Juans by Marge & Ted Mueller - Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast Edited by Peter McGee - Sea Kayak the Gulf Islands by Mary Ann Snowden - Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island by Doug Alderson- Sea Kayak Nootka & Kyuquot Sounds by Heather Harbord June/July 2004

  • This Months Books - Diana Mumford reviews: Sea Kayaking Illustrated: A Visual Guide to Better Paddling by John Robison - Fit to Paddle: The Paddler’s Guide to Strength and Conditioning by Rocky Snyder - Performance Sea Kayaking (Video and Instruction) - First Aid At Sea by Douglas Justins & Colin Berry Adlard - Living With Weather Along the British Columbia Coast by Owen S. Lange - The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth - Backroad Mapbook: Southwestern BC April/May 2004

  • This Months Books - Lost World by T. Koppel - White Slaves of Maquinna: John R. Jewitt's Narrative of Capture and Confinement at Nootka - The Remarkable World of Frances Barkley by Beth. Hill and C. Converse - Salish Elders by Wim Teiwinkel - Tlingit Art: Totem Poles & Art of the Alaskan Indians by Maria.Bolanz & Gloria Williams - Passage to Alaska by Tim Lydon - Bella Coola: Life in the Heart of the Coast Mountains by Hans Granander & Michael Wigle - Raincoast Chronicles Volume 19: Stories and History of the British Columbia Coast edited by Howard White - Painter, Paddler: The Art and Adventures of Stewart Marshall by Andrew Scott - More of Canada's Best Canoe Routes edited by Alister Thomas February/March 2004
    This Months Books by Diana Mumford and Alan Wilson - Voyage of the Dreamspeaker: Vancouver/Desolation Sound Highlights - A Guide to Sea Kayaking in Newfoundland & Labrador - Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian Environmental Law and Policy December/January 2004

    This Months Books - Florida From the Swamp to the Keys - Naturally Salty: Coastal Characters of the Pacific Northwest - Playboating with Ken Whiting - Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River - Full Moon Flood Tide: Bill Proctor’s Raincoast October/November 2003    

  • This Months Books by Diana Mumford - The Jade Coast: The Ecology of the North Pacific Ocean by Robert Butler - Pacific Reef and Shore: A Photo Guide to Northwest Marine Life by Rick M. Harbo - Orcas, Eagles and Kings: A Popular Natural History of Georgia Strait and Puget Sound by Steve Yates - Sea Kayaker Magazine Handbook of Safety and Rescue by Doug Alderson and Michael Pardy August/September 2003

  • This Months Books - Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide - 2003 Waggoner Cruising Guide - Complete Folding Kayaker - Building the Greenland Kayak: A Manual for its construction and use - Fortress of the Grizzlies - Mis*Adventure: Rise to the Challenge! - Kayaking Vancouver Island - Sea Kayaking Safety Guide June/July 2003

  • This Months Books - The Practical Guide to Kayaking & Canoeing - New York Exposed: The Whitewater State Volume I April/May 2003

  • This Months Videos by Jaysun Nelson - Nigel Foster Sea Kayaking Video Series - Seamanship for Kayakers Series: 'Getting Started' April/May 2003

  • Books: The Encyclopedia of the First Peoples of North America - A Sto:lo-Coast Salish Historical Atlas - Listening to Whales - From Time Immemorial: The First People of the Pacific Northwest Coast - A Sea Kayaker’s Guide to North Puget Sound - Far-Away Places: 50 Anchorages on the Northwest Coast - Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Industry - Boat Camping Haida Gwaii February/March 2003

  • Books: The Canoe, a Living Tradition - Building a Birchbark Canoe - Listening to Whales - The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build - Wooden Kayak Book Reviews from Previous Issues: KayakCraft - Aleutian Kayak - Qayaq—Kayaks of Alaska and Siberia - The Strip-Built Sea Kayak - The Zen of Wooden Kayak Building - Knot Tying: The Basic Knots - Blue Latitudes - Beyond the Cockpit December/January 2003

    Books - The Good Alternative Travel Guide by Mark Mann with Zainem Ibraham - The Beachcomber’s Guide to Seashore Life of California by J. Duane - Listening to Whales by Alexandra Morton - Southeastern and Caribbean Seashores, A Peterson Field Guide. Eugene H. Kaplan October/November 2002

  • Books - Afoot & Afloat Series by Marge & Ted Mueller - The Playboater's Handbook II by Ken Whiting - Listening to Whales by Alexandra Morton - John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide, by John Shaw August/September 2002

  • Books - Northwest Flatwater Paddling - Waggoner Cruising Guide - Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia - Death By Chocolate:What you Must Know before Taking a Cruise - At Sea In the City, New York From the Water's Edge - Mammals of the Pacific Northwest - Listening to Whales June/July 2002

  • Books - The Complete Sea Kayaker's Handbook - Cradle To Canoe: Camping and Canoeing with Children - The Kayak Roll-VIDEO - Rowing to Latitude - Salish Sea Handbook - The Zen of Wooden Kayak Building - VIDEO - Cougar Attacks, Encounters of the Worst Kind April/May 2002

  • Books - Cooks Afloat! Gourmet Cooking on the Move - Kayak Cookery - Living Off the Sea - One Burner Gourmet - Cooking in the Outdoors - Fish For Thought, an Eco-Cookbook - Lipsmackin' Backpackin' - Woodalls Campsite Cookbook - Camp Cookery - Exploring Quadra Island - Sea Kayaker's Guide to New Zealand's Upper North Island February/March 2002

  • Books - Visions of the Wild, a Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island - Sea Kayak Navigation Simplified - The Essential Sea Kayaker -The Essential Whitewater Kayaker - Whitewater in BC's Southwest BC Car-Free - Capsize Recoveries and Rescue Procedures - The Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic - Liquid Skills: Essential Techniques for Every Kayaker December/January 2002

    Books - Amazon Extreme - The Last River: the Tragic Race for Shangra-La - A Paddlers' Guide to Everglades National Park - Spirited Waters - Marine Mammals of the Pacific Northwest - Wood and Canvas Kayak Building - Savvy Paddler October/November 2001

  • Books - Arctic Crossing:by Jonathan Waterman -Klondike Trail:The Complete Hiking and Travelling Guide-by Jennifer Voss-Building Skin-On Frame Boats:by Robert Morris-Boat Camping Haida Gwaii:by Neil Frazer-R.M. Patterson: A Life of Great Adventure by David Finch-Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own-by Graham Warren and David Gidmark-Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: by Jim Pojar & Andy MacKinnon-Seashore of British Columbia: by Ian Sheldon-Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast: by Nancy Baron & John Acorn -Pacific Seaweeds: by Louis Duehl-Tumblehome: Meditations and Lore from a Canoeist's Life:by James Raffan. August/September 2001

  • Books - Paddle Your Own Canoe- Superior, Journeys on an Inland Sea- Where Rivers Run- River Running- River Rescue: A Manual for Whitewater Safety- River Safety: A Floater's Guide- The Gift of Rivers: True Stories of Life in the Water- Never Turn Back: The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar- The Playboater's Handbook- Breakthru!- Kayaking Georgian Bay - Whitewater Adventures CD- Steep Creeks of New England. June/July 2001

  • Books - Sea Kayaking: Getting Started - Kayaking For Everyone - Sea Kayaking - Essential Sea Kayaking - Kayak Routes - Sea Kayaking in Nova Scotia - Paddling Through Time. April/May 2001

  • Books - Qayaq: Kayaks of Alaska & Siberia - Aleutian Kayak - Complete Folding Kayaker - Kayaker's Little Book of Wisdom - Touch Wood - Fish For Thought February/March 2001

  • Books: Plants of Coastal British Columbia - The Strip-Built Sea Kayak - The Kayak Shop - KayakCraft - EcoForestry December/January 2001

    Books: Jungle Islands-My South Sea Adventure - The Kayaking Sourcebook - Desolation Sound & the Discovery Island-A Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide - A Year on the Wild Side - Reef Fish Identification October/November 2000

  • Books: Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness - On Celtic Tides-One Man's Journey Around Ireland by Sea Kayak - Secret Coastline: Journeys and Discoveries Along B.C.'s Shores - The Playboater's Handbook - Two Dog River - Extreme Sea Kayaking - Kayaking Ocean Rock Gardens (Video) August/September 2000

  • Books: Sea Kayaking - Recipes for Wild Women: Canoe Trippers' Cookbook and Guide - Deep Water Passage : A Spiritual Journey at Midlife - Adventuring around Vancouver Island: Beach combing to Bungy Jumping - Island Paddling: A Paddler's Guide to the Gulf Islands & Barkley Sound - Day Trips With Kids: Great Outdoor Activities Around Vancouver - Vancouver Island Shores: Seashore exploring for the novice - How To Rent A Public Cabin in South-central Alaska - Reading Weather: Where Will You Be When the Storm Hits? - Marine Weather Field Guide ) and Guide to Mountain Weather June/July 2000

  • Books: BC Marine Parks Guide - 2000 Waggoner Cruising Guide - Sailing Directions: BC Coast - Essential Sea Kayaking - Complete Sea Kayak Touring - Wildwaters April/May 2000

  • Books: The Stars: A New Way to See Them April/May 2000
    Revival of the Great Canoes     February/March 2000
    Books: Kayak Cookery     - Living Off the Sea - Kayak Cookery - The One Burner Gourmet - Cooking in the Outdoors December/Janury 2000
    Eco-cookbook: Fish for Thought by the Living Oceans Society December/Janury 2000

    Books: Reef Creature - Wayward Winds - Hazardous Material - Wind.Water.Sun - Travels With A Kayak October/November 1999

  • Books: Killer Whales, Transients, The Vancouver Paddler, The First Nations of British Columbia, Kayaking in Puget Sound, the San Juans and Gulf Islands August/September 1999

  • Books:  The Art & Technique of Wilderness Medicine,and Plant Technology of First Peoples in BC June/July 1999

  • Books:  Pacific Coast Crabs & Shrimps June/July 1999

  • Books: Sea Kayak Navigation (Franco Ferrero) April/May1999

  • Books: Pacific Coast Nudibranchs (David W Behrens) April/May1999

  • Book Review: Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest A Field Guide February/March 1999

  • Book Reviews: Heart of the Raincoast - Guiding Lights - Know Your Neighbors December/January 1999

    Books: Water World [Cannings]; Vancouver Island Shores (Lynda A. Colbeck) October/November 1998

  • Books: The Kayaker's Playbook [Kent Ford]; Island Backroads (Richard Blier) August/September 1998

  • Books: Kayak Routes of the PacificNorthwest [ed. Pete McGee]; 1998 Waggoner Cruising Guide [Rober Hale]; Wild Colours: Canada's Rocky Mountain Wildflowers [Kathryn Graham & Paul Gilbert]; Cuba 1998 [Gordon Robinson] June/July 1998

  • Books: Cat in a Kayak [Maria Coffey]; Florida Keys [Bruce Wachob]; Gray Whales, Wandering Giants [Robert Busch] April/May 1998

  • Books: Kayaking in Paradise [Greg Rasmussen] February/March 1998

  • Books: To Save the Wild Earth; Performance Kayaking; The Sacred Balance; Food Plants of the Interior First Peoples; The Great Bear Rainforest;
    Giants of the Forest; Sunshine and Salt Air; Sunshine Coast Paddling December/January 1998

    Books:     Vancouver Island Wildlife; Umiak; Sea Cucumbers; Kayak Diving October/November 1997

  • Books: Sea Silver: Inside British Columbia's Salmon-Farming Industry - Island Paddling - Paddling The Sunshine Coast - River Rescue August/September 1997

  • 1997 Current and Tides Table - reviewed by Ted Wilson June/July 1997

  • Books: Teasing the Spirit - Road Kills - Day of Two Sunsets December/January 1997

    Book Reviews: Eating from the Land - Northwest Marine Weather - New Waggoner Guide - Cloud Chart Sky Guide October/November 1996

  • Library: New Books and Videos June/July 1996

  • Video: Fiji -- The Way the World Should Be   December/January 1996

  • Books: Resource Books for Baja   December/January 1996

    Books: Paddling References -- Time to plan for next year's trips, by Al Schaffer October/November 1995

  • Books: Complete Book of Sea Kayaking, by Derek Hutchinson October/November 1995

  • Books: Scorched Earth -- The Military's Assault on the Environment (William Thomas), review by Howard Stiff June/July 1995

  • Books: Hiking the Gulf Islands (Charles Kahn) - 52 Weekend Activities Around Vancouver (Lebrecht and Lees) - Far Away Places -- 50 Anchorages on the Northwest Coast (Iain Lawrence) June/July 1995

  • Book Review: Never turn back? February/March1995

    Video Review:     The Broken Islands September/October 1994

  • Book Review: The Complete Folding Kayaker by Ralph Diaz September/October 1994

  • Book Review West Coast Marine Weather Hazards Manual: May/June 1994