Synopses & Reviews
I think that will be a great adventure said R.M. Patterson's mentor at the Bank of England when informed of the young man's decision to leave for Canada in 1924. He could not have known all the adventures that awaited Patterson in the Canadian wilds. This biography goes with Patterson to the Peace River country of northern Alberta where he homesteaded and on to the Northwest Territories, where he lived out his dream-questing after the fabled Nahanni gold on the River of Death. There, his escapades earned him the title Hard to Kill and provided the basis for Patterson's bestseller The Dangerous River. Patterson then married sweetheart Marigold Portman in 1929 and took up cattle and dude ranching on the Buffalo Head Ranch in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Not content to just settle down and raise a family, he also used the ranch as a base for his adventures and spent the next 16 years exploring the high country of the Continental Divide with such colourful characters as George Pocaterra and Adolf Baumgart. In the late 1940s the Patterson family moved to Vancouver Island, where RMP continued his exploration of remote northern rivers in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. And he returned to his beloved Nahanni three more times. By the time of his death in 1984, Patterson had become a Canadian legend, both for his exploits and for his five published books and numerous articles. His vivid portrayal of the Canadian wilderness has never been bettered. Through Patterson's diaries and letters and through personal communication with Patterson's family and friends, David Finch has created a fascinating portrait of a man who lived life to the fullest.
Synopsis
The escapades of R. M. Patterson, explorer, rancher and writer, come to life in David Finch's new biography. A spirited adventure-seeker, R. M. Patterson left the comforts of British society for untold adventures in Canada. The first person to photograph the falls of the Nahanni, Patterson introduced the world to this now famous river in his book The Dangerous River.Authoring a total of five books about his forays into the Canadian wilderness and his life on a southern Alberta ranch, Patterson earned himself legions of fans and made Canada's wilderness famous.A skillful historian and storyteller, David Finch combines careful research, charming wit and his passion for the outdoors in this entertaining narrative.