Synopses & Reviews
The wildfires of 2015 were the most devastating on record; more than 9 million acres burned across North America and the United States spent more than 2 billion dollars fighting and suppressing the fires. 2016 is expected to be even worse: by May, more than 1.6 million acres had already burned. Wildfire season is burning longer and hotter, affecting more and more people, especially in the west. Land on Fire — by bestselling nature writer Gary Ferguson — explores the science behind this phenomenon and the research being done to find a solution. You'll learn about the heroic efforts of those responsible for fighting fire, how years of fire suppression and chronic drought have combined to make the situation more dire, and how nature reacts in the aftermath of flames. Color photographs throughout reveal the beauty and terror of fire and the stunning effect it has on the landscape. Land on Fire is for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our time of fire.
Review
"Ferguson provides an incisive rendering of fi re ecology, the social impacts of wildfi re, and an inside view of the state-of-the-art science and technology behind today's heroic firefighting efforts." Dr Christina Eisenberg, chief scientist, Earthwatch Institute; author of The Carnivore Way: Coexisting with and Conserving North America's Predators
Review
"For readers seeking a nuanced understanding of America's increasingly extreme wildfire problem, this is a superb overview. It's just the sort of book I wish someone had handed me when I became a fire lookout fifteen years ago. I learned much from it. You will too." Philip Connors, author of Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout
Review
"Thee massive fire seasons of recent years make it clear we need to think hard about the future of our forests. This comprehensive book offers some conversation starters for how we might reimagine our relationship with the woods." Bill McKibben, author of Earth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
About the Author
Gary Ferguson has written many books on nature and science including Hawks Rest, the first nonfiction work to win both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award for Nonfiction, Decade of the Wolf, The Great Divide, and The Carry Home. His articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications. His lectures on wilderness are a culmination of 30 years researching — and experiencing — the marriage of wild lands, history, myth, and narrative psychology.