Synopses & Reviews
Since first learning to handle a Winchester .22 as a kid, Dan Aadland has exulted in huntingand#8212;not as a sport but as a calling. In this book he takes readers to Montanaand#8217;s prairies and mountains in search of antelope, whitetail deer, moose, and the occasional upland bird as he vividly describes the rituals and camaraderie of hunting culture.and#160;In fifteen essays recounting a lifetime of adventures, Aadland spins tales of a hunter whose years have been enriched by pursuing game under Montanaand#8217;s big sky. He conveys the drama of stalking elk in deep snow, when sometimes just the chance at a shot is enough, and describes the tricks of bowhunting. He tells how hunting with horses was and#8220;the real dealand#8221;: planting oneand#8217;s foot in the stirrup and sensing an affinity with great hunters of the past. Underlying his memoir is a deep respect for wildlife and appreciation for the West.and#160;Sometimes nostalgic, often humorous, Aadlandand#8217;s book recounts the highs and lows of the hunt while revealing why the pursuit of game remains so important to so many people. The Best of All Seasons depicts hunting as an essential part of the good life, suggesting that in our civilized age it yet remains a fundamentally natural act. In allowing readers a glimpse into that life, this book simultaneously shows that for Dan Aadland, fine writing comes just as naturally.
Review
"The admiration for Roosevelt, Montana hunting and all things outdoors is evident in Dan Aadland's well-written In Trace of TR: A Montana Hunter's Journey. . . . The book is interlaced with stories of Roosevelt's hunts, and it offers a keen perception for the Montana landscape and the man who loved the adventure as much as the sport."and#8212;Linda Wommack, True West Magazine
Review
"In a book that is part history lesson and part memoir, mixed with a healthy dose of hunting lore and a sprinkling of political comment, Aadland offers a unique and local perspective of the man he refers to as 'TR.'" and#8212;Linda Halstead-Acharya, Billings Gazette
Review
"Readers who hunt big game will enjoy the many interesting stories and will quickly recognize that Dan knows firsthand 'whereof he speaks,' whether it is in the terminology associated with packing, or as his wife suspects, in the 'mysterious code' that we cartridge reloaders converse in."and#8212;Montana Sporting Journal
Review
"Aadland's unique experiences allow the reader to understand TR in an intimate way and appreciate how the Western landscape helped shape his character."and#8212;Lauren Halley, American Cowboy
Review
"Seemingly as accomplished as his subject, author Dan Aadland, while not (yet) president of the United States, is an astute student of American history, a hunter, horseman, horse breeder, retired teacher, former Marineand#8212;and he's also a heck of a writer. . . . [In Trace of TR is] a powerful book that I think Theodore Roosevelt would have understood and enjoyed."and#8212;Matthew P. Mayo, Roundup Magazine
Review
"Aadland is a good writer who has pursued an unusual set of interests into some of the best country left in the United States. He's worth a read."and#8212;Chris Madson, Wyoming Wildlife
Review
and#8220;The Best of All Seasons, Fifty Years as a Montana Hunter, is much more than a recount of personal adventures. In prose that engages the interest of hunters and nonhunters alike, Aadland carries the reader to a Montana that is both distant and yet familiar. . . . With a deft touch for detail, Aadland describes scenes that ring true for generations of Montana hunters.and#8221;and#8212;Linda Halstead-Acharya, The Billings Gazette
Review
and#8220;The real story is Aadlandand#8217;s love affair with Big Sky country and its inhabitants, wild and human alike. Look elsewhere for the inflated opinions of visiting and#8216;expertsand#8217;: the authorand#8217;s clear, concise prose springs naturally from the land heand#8217;s called home for decades. Whether heand#8217;s addressing the logistics of a dead moose, four horses, a long trail and no human help, or exploring the romance and practicality of traditional archery, Aadland writes from the heart. He even tackles the why of hunting as ably as any observer in recent memory. Enjoy this book as you would a long evening around a campfire with the best of friends. The Best of All Seasons deserves nothing less.and#8221;and#8212;E. Donnall Thomas Jr., author of The Language of Wings
Synopsis
As a student of American history, as a hunter, horseman, and former Marine, and as someone passionate about the West, Dan Aadland had long felt a kinship with Theodore Roosevelt. One day, on a single-footing horse, lever-action rifle under his knee, Aadland set out to become acquainted with TR as only those who shared his experiences could.
In Trace of TR documents that quest, inviting readers to ride along and get to know Theodore Roosevelt through the western environment that so profoundly influenced him.
Accompany Aadland as he rides the broad prairies in search of TRand#8217;s and#8220;prongbuck,and#8221; tracks elk through the rugged Big Horn Mountains, and pursues a glimpse of a grizzly in the Absaroka Wilderness. Along the way the authorand#8217;s campfire musings and reflections on Rooseveltand#8217;s writings further deepen and enrich this unique examination of our twenty-sixth president. Aadlandand#8217;s journey takes readers into TRand#8217;s beloved Dakota Territory then and now, offering a kindred spiritand#8217;s moving, deftly drawn portrait of both the land and the man across the space of a century.
About the Author
Dan Aadlandand#8217;s writings about hunting have appeared in such publications as Montana Outdoors and Rifle. A former teacher who now breeds horses in Absarokee, Montana, he is the author of six other books, including Sketches from the Ranch: A Montana Memoir.