Book Description

More than a half-century ago the Canadian Wildlife Service assigned the naturalist Farley Mowat to investigate why wolves were killing arctic caribou. Mowat's account of the summer he lived in the frozen tundra alone-studying the wolf population and developing a deep affection for the wolves (who were of no threat to caribou or man) and for a friendly Inuit tribe known as the Ihalmiut ("People of the Deer")-is a work that has become cherished by generations of readers, an indelible record of the myths and magic of wild wolves. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

A surprisingly great book
The first time I saw,Never Cry Wolf, I thought I would not enjoy reading it. First, because it was an assigned literary book to read: secondly, it was not a book I would normally select to read. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this book, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Farley Mowat, the author, has an incredible vocabulary that he uses to tell the story. But, while he may use some scientific or big words it doesn't distract the reader too much. In his writing, Mowat has a lovable quality, sarcasm. This trait makes the book fun to read and easily relatable to real life and people.

Mowat takes the reader to the world of the Arctic Wolves in the Canadian wilderness. The narrator, a biologist, is sent by the government to explore the life of the wolf, and, more specifically, to find out more information on how the wolf is interacting with the other species of life. What the narrator learns through his study changes his views on the wolf and on the world. He realizes that things aren't always as they seem, and facts are not always simple to understand.

Wolf Juice
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and kept the reader thinking. I was continually wondering how many other things we, as a society, might have misconceptions about. I loved the style of writing. I could have read the book in one setting. It was funny, egotistical yet humble, and kept me enthralled. After reading Farley Mowat's story, I was ready to head out and live on the Alaskan tundra with wolves and eskimos. Who doesn't need a break from the world once in a while? Luckily, I was able to mentally visit the wolves and enjoy the comfort of my recliner at the same time. It was like Discovery Channel, only the narrator was hilarious. Great book!!!!

wonderful book
All of Farley Mowat`s books are great.You will enjoy them if you are a nature or wildlife lover.

Is it real?
While I can't speak to the veracity of the facts involved, I can say with certainty that I loved this story of a man in the wilderness making friends with a wolf pack. He lovingly dedicates the book to one of his wolf friends.

Mowat goes alone into the Alaskan wilderness to study the wild wolves, who are being exterminated because of a belief that they are eating livestock. Mowat tries as well as humanly possible to live as he sees the wolves living. He drinks gallons of tea so he can pee around his camp to mark his territory. He eats rodents to see if he gets his full complement of dietary needs. He takes "wolf naps" so that he can watch them interact with one another during all hours. He even notes baby-sitting habits.

Unusually, the movie that was made from this book keeps to the story pretty accurately. I would recommend that, also.

Not Just for Naturalists
For me this book was a real page-turner. Mowat's writing has an exquisite simplicity to it. His entire experiences in the Arctic with wolves is facinating. I must admit that I did find some of the events unbelievable, but that could just be due to my preconceptions about wolves in general (the very types he is trying to dispel). However, for me, these unbelievable moments did not detract from the narrative in any way; I still found myself wanting to know what happened next. In my own mind while reading the book, I couldn't help but consider how our negative stereotypes of wolves are very similar to the negative stereotypes people often feel about other groups of people. In both cases, when one begins to truly know the other, he finds that there is really no basis for the negative sterotype. Mowat makes it point not to rely on anecdotal evidence when studying the wolf, and instead only gives merit to the anecdotal evidence after he has observed behavior that would back it up. It would seem that this should apply when judging people as well.

The only improvement I think could be made to this book is for Mowat to include whatever became of his report. I realize he is telling the story to reveal his own experiences with the Arctic Wolves, and not to reveal the post report offical government position; but it woud have been nice to have that included anyway.

Overall, I think this is a great book, and well worth the few hours it takes to read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Every child needs to have a pet. No one could argue with that.

But what happens when your pet is an owl, and your owl is terrorizing the neighbourhood?

In Farley Mowat’s exciting children’s story, a young boy’s pet menagerie – which includes crows, magpies, gophers and a dog – grows out of control with the addition of two cantankerous pet owls. The story of how Wol and Weeps turn the whole town upside down is warm, funny, and bursting with adventure and suspense. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Owls in the Family is Great
Owls in the Family is a great book. We think that it is a five star because it has lots of things to look forward to reading about. It also has great details and very fun characters. It takes place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. A little boy named Billy wants an owl for a pet. Then he gets out on the prairie with his friend Bruce to find owlets. They have many adventures to share with you. For example, Billy finds an own (Weeps) in an oil barrel with boys throwing rocks at him. So go buy the book!

Owls in the Family
Owls in the Family is a good book. This book is good because it has action and adventure. Owl lovers should read this book. It takes place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is all the way in Canada. A boy named Billy wanted an owl and his dream came true. He got an owl. You should get this book now. You should get this book at your nearest bookstore!!

Nostalgia
I read this book back when I was 7 or 8 yrs old, and till this day it still brings wonderful feelings of nostalgia whenever I think of it. Every detail is still pretty fresh in my mind(I'm now 34) due to the authors brilliant attention to detail.

highly recommend it for kids of all ages...

Owls in the Faimily
I think Owls in the Family was an exciting book. It wasnt the best. But it was good.

Owls in the family
I really liked Owls in the family. The reason I liked this book was because it had some adventure.It also had some exciting parts. It also kind of lets you experience having owls as pets. It also explains how the owls look. It also proves how smart owls are. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

the dog who wouldn't be
i am reading this book with my dad and having a fun time.mutt,comes to this family for only a penny but brings a millon laughs.he did not think he was a dog so he did not ACT like a dog.when he didn't want to do something he pretented not to hear it.he would put on an expression that said,''i'm sorry,were you speaking to MOI? my two favorite parts are when the dad turns mutt blue and when the dad shot his gun and fell into the dich.you will have to read the book to find out the rest.

Good, but with serious reservations
I must speak a dissenting voice to all the glowing reviews of this book. Mowat is, no doubt, an excellent naturalist, and many of the adventures described in the book are very entertaining. However, I am very disturbed that, although the author is ready to defend HIS pets with his shotgun against other animals, he pretty much gave his own animals not just free rein but also encouragement to kill the pets of others. Mutt the dog is deliberately set on a woman's cats, and the "secret cemetery" of neighborhood cats filled by his pet owl is described with almost pride.

Also disturbing to me is the author's attitude toward women. Any complaining woman is described as "spinsterish." The "Cat Lady" whose cats the author set his dog on to attack and kill was described as harboring "yearning hope" for a male intruder to come and presumably do things to her that I don't want to refer to in a review that children may read -- the implication is pretty strong, with a reference also to the Sabine women.

I may get flamed for this review, but I feel that these are very poor attitudes to be subtly or unsubtly conveying to children. I find it very unfortunate because I endorse the author's work as a naturalist.

Beloved dog, lost times
This is a tale that couldn't happen today. Dogs don't have the lifestyle they did in the 1920's and 1930's in remote Canada, and sadly, boys don't either.

Mutt is a fascinating mutt with a mind of his own; halfway through the book I realised he must be part Siberian Husky with his deafness, his love of roaming and chasing and need to attend to his own desires.

Farley's mother demonstrated an act of faith- as well as the desire to save [money amount]- when she purchased Mutt as a puppy from a starving duck seller. Farley's dad wanted a hunting dog; Farley's mom didn't want to spend a lot of money on a dog during the Dust Bowl years, living in Saskatoon.

Dogs roamed free, boys roamed free. Boys weren't sent off to summer camp to keep busy- there was enough to do with their own imaginations, their friends and their animal companions. Attitudes towards cats were cavalier; some parts are very hard to read if you appreciate cats. Thankfully that attitude has changed over time.

The stories of the father's boating attempts are hilarious. I don't like boats, but am inspired to read "the boat that wouldn't float" by the same author. I live in the western US and have a vague understanding of how difficult it would be to navigate some of these rivers so I appreciated the delusional voyage of The Coot.

Farley paints his parents as people who had their own interests and needs, but also understood the needs of their son and his dog. They understood that living in a city wouldn't work for them, after several years living in the sparse western provinces. Farley's imagination was clearly nurtured and allowed him to become the prolific writer he became. Even the car (Eardlie, a Model A) has a character and idiosycrasies that add to the story.

My dog, too, is geriatric so I read the final chapter sadly. Mutt's demise will give fuel to the arguments of people who believe completely in leash laws.

Yes, this is a fantastic story of a dog, but it is also a wonderful story of life in a more free time, for children. Farley skips over most of the drawbacks of that time and paints a wonderful portrait of childhood.

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be
By: Farley Mowat
Reviewed by: Catherine Li

This book describes the life of a boy (Farley) with a dog named Mutt. Mutt was adopted by the author's mother when he was a puppy and was found by a boy who was selling baby ducks. Mutt was a very unique dog because he had excellent hunting skills. He could dive really deep to catch ducks under the water. Whenever the author's Dad fired his gun to hunt birds, Mutt could always retrieve a bird back even if the author's Dad missed his shot. Besides his hunting skills, he had ability to walk on fences, ladders, and trees - just like a cat! The first time he tried to walk on a fence he fell, but he kept trying until he was able to master his balancing skills on a narrow fence. Mutt was a very determined dog.
I really enjoyed reading this book because the writing describes a lot of details. The writing is very descriptive, and I could picture all the events in my mind. I love the huge vocabularies the author uses to make the sentences complex. "A swirl of muddy water marked his passing, and in the center of the swirl thee was a whitish blob that twisted back and forth lethargically." The author writes lengthy and quite difficult sentences. I remember when I tried reading this book a year ago, there was at least five to ten words I did not understand.
The author described the hunting skills and tricks Mutt could do in very expressive writing. Each chapter was extremely long, however I never got bored and kept reading. The events the author chose very amusing and thrilling. For instance, "The last jump took him well into deep water, and he began churning forward like an old-fashioned stern-wheeler." This book is so descriptive that it make the readers feel like they were really living in the Canadian plains.
I found this book very fascinating, especially when Mutt learns how to climb ladders, trees, and fences. My favorite section of this book is when Mutt climbed on top of a tree and there was a group of firefighters surrounding the tree. This section of the book is amusing because everyone thought it was a huge monster in the tree. Two people were holding guns and they called the firefighters to this event. It is a book worth reading. It has humorous stories and touching events. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Wonderful Children's Book
I read this book in 4th grade as a follow-up to Owls in the Family - even if you read it just to find out what happens, it's worth it. But the tales of Mowat and his companion are hilarious and even inspire some thought provoking discussions in a classroom setting. A good read for the 10-and-under crowd. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Even landlubbers will laugh 'til they're seasick!
Farley Mowat has been accused of sitting in a Toronto bar while concocting these wonderfully stirring tales of the island rock, Newfoundland. Put your mind at ease, mates, and enjoy the book as a true treasure. I lived in Newfoundland for three years before discovering this book. I can heartily recommend you read it with good appetite! It is a cake mixed with truth skillfully told, covered with a frosting of humor, and served with a piquant flourish.These saltwater tales, revolving around Mowats' titanic struggle to find, refurbish and actually sail a boat determined to sink herself and all hands, are chalk full of laughs, tension, tragedy, and still more laughs. Its truths are better than any fiction.Haul up your anchor and sail away with this master storyteller as he outsalts the famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police, falls into the rummish cluthes of Screech, narrowly escapes icy death, and finds the beautiful maiden."The Boat Who Wouldn't Float" is a worthy vessel in which to sail the seas of leisure time. So fill your cup and drink deeply while the captain spins his tales

The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
Hilarious and Heart-warming! : I first read "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float" as a reading assignment for a literature class in college. That was almost 20 years ago. Since then I have read it over and over again. Each time I have enjoyed it as much as the first. This book will make you fall out of your chair laughing. Farley Mowat has a way of making you feel and imagine what he is going through. I would highly recommend this book to everyone and it is a must for anyone with a sense of adventure.

A Tale of Perserverance and Folly
Farley Mowat is nothing if not persistent. After purchasing the Newfoundland schooner from Hell, badly misnamed as Happy Adventure, he finds he has a boat that leaks constantly, has a compass that doesn't know where magnetic north is, hates to head West, has an engine that works when it feels like it and that is just for starters. Much of the time sailing is in the fog, both real and self imposed. Most sane men would have turned this boat into kindling, but Mowat sailors on, one harrowing experience after another with an assortment of mates and in the process tells us a funny and true story of his adventures as only he can. Written over thirty years ago, the story has lost none of its charm and interest.

Laugh out loud page turner
I have read this book twice and I still laugh when I re-read some of the passages. This book captures the spirit of Canada during Mowat's youth and compiles the voyages (or not so voyages) of his ambitious father. Great book and highly recommended.

An Unexpected Joy
I bought this book for my father, a maritime history enthusiast. I planned to save it for a holiday gift, but I decided to read it myself first. Not being as excited about maritime stories as my father, I didn't have high expectations, but after the first page, I was hooked. My husband could not be in the same room with me because my laughter disturbed his own reading. I was especially enthralled with Mowatt's anectdotes and descriptions of the people residing in the various villages he visited. I felt like I was there with him. This book was sheer delight from beginning to end. I don't think I will be able to wait until Christmas to give this book to my father, I must share this unexpected joy. ... Read more

Book Description

Farley Mowat's youth was charmed and hilarious, and unbelievably free in its access to unspoiled nature through bird-banding expeditions and overnight outings in the dead of winter. The author writes of sleeping in haystacks for survival, and other adventures, with equal shares of Booth Tarkington and Jack London. He also brings back Mutt, the famous hero-dog of his classic THE DOG WHO WOULDN'T BE, and his pet owl Wol, hero of OWLS IN THE FAMILY. The tale of an outrageous and clever boy, BORN NAKED takes its place as the foundation of the Farley Mowat canon. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Born Naked is one of the most amazing books around.
Canadian author Farley Mowat's Born Naked is a must-read glimpse into the author's much self-written about life. It's hilarious, it's poignant and a must for any Mowat fan.

If Only My Childhood Was Like His....
I've been a big fan of Farley Mowat's literary style since I first read Never Cry Wolf back in junior high school. Even as a 9th grade Earth Science teacher, I show the silver screen adaptation of this great novel. Born Naked, however, is of different 'stuff' than Never Cry Wolf. Here is a book written in a light, easy-to-read fashion that highlights his early years in this great world. We, the readers, are along for the ride when he travels to the Arctic on a research mission with his uncle, or when he makes his daily rounds to inspect the nests of local birds in Saskatchewan. This book is written in a truly entrancing style. I had a very difficult time putting it down. There are some questionable portions in it dealing with his discovery of his own sexuality, but they are far outweighed by the sense of awe and discovery he felt as a youngster. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, or anyone that wants to experience the childhood they only dreamed about ... Read more

Book Description

Awasin, a Cree Indian boy, and Jamie, a Canadian orphan living with his uncle, the trapper Angus Macnair, are enchanted by the magic of the great Arctic wastes. They set out on an adventure that proves longer and more dangerous than they could have imagined. Drawing on his knowledge of the ways of the wilderness and the implacable northern elements, Farley Mowat has created a memorable tale of daring and adventure.

When first published in 1956, Lost in the Barrens won the Governor-General’s Award for Juvenile Literature, the Book-of-the-Year Medal of the Canadian Association of Children’s Librarians and the Boys’ Club of America Junior Book Award. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

My favourite childhood book
I remember buying this book at a school book sale when the library sold surplus books. Over the years that I've had it I figure that I've read it in it's entirely several dozen times. That copy still sits on my shelf, barely held together with tape! This is a wonderful story for children (and those who are children at heart) because of it's meaningful story about friendship and cultural (mis)understanding. The story portrays a vivid description of Canada's north and the people who live there. A wonderful read that you'll treasure for generations.

My all-time favorite book as a kid
I probably read this book between 15-20 times as a kid and had constant daydreams about being a part of the grand adventure. When my daughter was about 9, I had to search hard to find it, but she was just as captivated as I. Since we loved it so much, it was then difficult to talk my son into reading it (maybe it was a girly book! - horrors!), but when he finally gave in, he went wild about it, too.

The sense of self-reliance that these boys had to develop does rub off on the reader and help the reader feel that they can overcome any obstacle if they perservere. My son, who is 20, recently gave our copy to an 8 year old boy who loves to read, and I just ordered a replacement. And so, the adventure continues...

Lost in the Barrens or Two Against the North
This is a tale of adventure, growing up, making bad decisions and living with the consequenses, but most of all friendship.
Jamie and Awasin want an adventure into the Arctic, but don't count on having to do it alone. Together they learn from each other how to survive in very brutal conditions. The story contains great descriptions of survival techniques and of the Arctic wilderness and the creatures that survive there.

I first read this book under the title "Two Against the North", back in the 1970's. I found it had been re issued under this current name when I was searching for it for my nephews. If your reader is interested with Gary Paulson(Hatchet,etc) or Jean Craighead George (My Side of the Mountain,etc) They will certainly enjoy this as well.

It was A GOOd Book
I read This Book I read for School. I would Hate any book Asigned to me But this was The Best out Of the two We had to Read. I would Recomend This Story. To people who like adventor and Strugle To survive Stories. AND NEVER READ SUMMER OF THE SWANS! BUT READ LOST IN THE BARRENS!

Made Me Want to Run Away to Canada
I read this book in 1963 at age 14 and was captivated by it. My friends and I were hunters and campers and we read all the books about the northern wilderness that we could find even though North Carolina was a far ways from the frozen tundra. As a kid I ranked this book above "White Fang". I bought a copy for my son several years ago and it helped stimulate his interest in reading. It's about Jamie, a greenhorn kid from the city and his new friend, a Canadian Indian boy named Awasin. They become stranded in the wilderness with winter coming on and have to improvise survival techniques. A classic. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Formidable history of Arctic exploration
This is the second volume of the "Top of the World" trilogy by Canadian writer Farley Mowat. In this formidable historical series, Mowat retraces the steps of the early explorers into Canada's northern realms. Volume one, "Ordeal by Ice" told us of some of the earliest expeditions into Hudson's Bay and of the difficulties faced by inexperienced men in ill-equipped ships. Indeed, those who set out were frequently never heard from again and their stories have been pieced together, often many years later, by the discovery of diaries under rocky cairns and from information gleaned from Eskimos who came across the men at some stage during their struggles. The stories are quite fantastic and there is an atmosphere of outlandish adventure throughout these books, making them difficult to put down. Volume two, "The Polar Passion," recounts the fascination exerted by the idea of reaching the North Pole, and the results of some of the early expeditions. Drawing from primary sources, Mowat lets the expedition members tell the story themselves, as much as possible. He contents himself with drawing them all together and setting them against an historical background that allows us to have a wider perspective of the events. It has obviously been a long labour of love for Mowat and I feel as though a considerable debt is owing to him, for having made this material available to us in such a readable and coherent form. ... Read more

Book Description

The Black Joke is a rousing sea story in the tradition of the great classic pirate tales. The time is the 1930s. The loot is bootleg liquor, not pirate gold. And the ship is the “Black Joke,” the speediest, nimblest craft on the Newfoundland coast – Jonathon Spence, owner and master. An unwelcome passenger enmeshes the boat and her crew (young Peter and Kye) in danger and near destruction…until the fiercely independent people of the island of Miquelon are caught up in the fate of the “Black Joke” and the cargo aboard her. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gripping boys' yarn, but grating
The style of this novel has not aged well. Written in the bad old days of sex role stereotypes and thoughtless use of insensitive racial epithets (in this case "Frenchies"), I almost put this book down after a few chapters. (The book does treat the French with affection, however.) But I continued reading and it turned into a gripping boys' adventure tale, and provided a glimpse of that bizarre phenomenon, a tiny piece of France on the eastern North American coast (the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland), and an interesting piece of history, these islands' participation in prohibition-era rum-running to the U.S. But the characters are all stock, which, I guess, is only to be expected in a boys' novel of this era, especially the two peripheral female characters. Farley Mowat is for me one of the best writers of our time, as he is not afraid to call a spade a spade when it comes to telling the truth about what is happening and has happened to northern North America in the 20th century, the unbelievable cruelty and and rape of nature and indigenous peoples. This boys' adventure story though is both interesting and irritating.

An inventive novel of Newfoundland and St-Pierre
I think what I like best about "The Black Joke," is that it introduces the reader to a little known corner of North America: Newfoundland and St-Pierre and Miquelon. The other thing I like about it is that it proves that Farley Mowat can write just about anything he sets his mind to.

With an historical background that is not negligible (nor does it matter much to the actual plot), the book Mowat has set out to write is ostensibly for children. It follows a classic "Boys Own" formula of putting the action safely into the hands of a pair of enterprising youngsters who then have to deal as well as they can with the baddies. It is really an excellent story of the sea; readers of maritime literature will love the boat that lends its name to the book, and bewail its apparent fate near the end. I suppose children will also like this book, although it seems so old-fashioned in many ways. Nevertheless, if you can convince a 12-year-old to have a look at it, you may make another convert, both to Mowat and the art of reading. Just don't forget to read it yourself!

Mowat seems to have tried an experiment with this book and I am confounded a bit to know why he didn't try and take it a bit further with other volumes. He had already written one of his Arctic stories for children, "Lost in the Barrens," by the time he wrote this one, and he subsequently wrote a sequel to it. But "The Black Joke" has to stand alone and I suppose all one can say is that, based on his output since its 1962 publication, it has nothing to do with fearing the hard work of writing. Excellent and underrated book. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is a Siberia unheard of in the West. Once the most remote place of exile in all of Russia, Mowat describes it as a burgeoning land of opportunity and growth. Granted extraordinary freedom to visit places rarely seen by any westerner since 1917, Farley Mowat and his wife, Claire, travelled more than 29,000 miles over mountains, steppes, taiga and tundra to meet the people who have chosen to make Siberia their home and livelihood.

With his classic exuberance and wit, Mowat brings to life a place and a people who share the top of the world with us – their hopes and aspirations, their humour, and their dedication to the dramatic awakening of Sibir, the Sleeping land.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mowat's passion for the North knows no bounds
One of his lesser known books, Sibir chronicles the author's experiences during two trips to the Soviet Union during the late 1960s. A lover of the North, Mowat had written passionately and extensively about it from the Canadian perspective, and had now been given the opportunity to see how the peoples of the North faired under Communist rule. Naturally, he found things to be somewhat different, most notably in the manner in which these peoples were (evidently) treated. In general, he observed that the native peoples of Siberia--under the rule of a totalitarian regime--were better treated than those in Canada. But the fact still remains, however, that to a greater degree than in Canada, the Russians had settled Siberia and hence conquered it in the typical western fashion. While critical of such encroachments in a North American context, Mowat is quite clearly impressed by the manner in which it was accomplished in Siberia, and was equally impressed by the resiliant spirit of the newer Siberians. Still, the author is not so easily enamoured by the workings of any authoritarian governmental system, and his contempt for the Soviet politicians does not go unmentioned. Despite this, the book may have played a part in putting him in the bad books of another authoritarian regime, the results of which he chronicles in the slim volume entitled My Discovery of America. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent historical account of Norse exploration of America
Westviking is what I beleive to be the Best historical account of Pre Columbian exploration of North America. Farley Mowat takes accounts from ancient Norse, Native American & Inuvut (Eskimo) & brings them together for the first time in a creative and suspensful reading. Westviking is a must for fans of history, socialogy, or geneology. I give five out five stars.

Mowat rethinks the Norse discovery of America
Canadian author Farley Mowat is perhaps the best-equipped person alive today (1998) to take a look at the remote history of the Norse voyages to North America. Combining the skills of seamanship, navigation and amateur anthropology with those of the historian and trained scientist (he is a biologist), this unique writer has brought a very fine light to bear in this 1965 work which is just as relevant today as it was over 30 years ago.

Amongst the more remarkable attributes of this lengthy examination of the old Icelandic and Norwegian sagas, is the locating of the probable sites for the major voyages of Eric the Red and Leif Ericsson and the well-argued contention that neither of them was the first man to make a documented voyage to the New World. According to Mowat, that honour goes to the little-known Norwegian trader, Barnji Herjolfsson, who probably gave Eric the Red his sailing directions.

Mowat doesn't take kindly to many other conceptions about this period of Norse history and spends considerable time debunking what he believes are myths created by scholars who had no first-hand knowledge of either sailing or the particular coastlines (Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador) involved in the sagas. Indeed, his close examination of the available descriptions serves to point very much to the real sites as they might have been and show that many of the old theories (particularly to do with New England) have no value at all.

Sailing enthusiasts who love to read will come readily aboard this vessel and perhaps pitch their own knowledge against or alongside Mowat and the various Newfoundland schooner captains whom he interviewed to find out their opinions about prevailing winds and currents. All in all, it's a delightful book, not too difficult to read, even for non-nautical types (Mowat chose to create quite a number of appendixes to hold all the very detailed information and make the main text easier to read - they work very well) and anyone even remotely interested in finding out who, as far as we know, actually did discover America (or thinks they may have had Viking ancestors), should pick this up. As an added bonus, if you enjoy this book, there are several more by Mowat on the same theme, and dozens more by him on a wide range of associated subjects (the Arctic, the environment, sailing, whales etc.). ... Read more

Book Description

Central to Farley Mowat's writing is his quest to understand the often-forgotten native people of the vast arctic wilderness. In this moving collection, he allows these people to describe in their own words the adventures they experience as they struggle to survive in an isolated, untamed land. Stories of survival and courage, of superstition and fate, of uncompromising loyalty to family and tribe are presented here; offering a vivid portrait of a people whose existence is often beyond the comprehension of modern man. Inspiration for the major motion picture from Infinity Media and First Look International ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not Mowat's best book
I'm a big fan of Farley Mowat, but this is not a book that I would rank among his best. I just couldn't get into it, although some of the stories were entertaining. Nagging questions about the manner in which he may have embellished the stories dogged me throughout.

A northern light.
Canada's poet-biologist-sociologist, Farley Mowat, is the almost invisible traveler in this journey across the snow swept northern barrens. He illuminates a place which most of us will never know. From its land forms to its creatures to the lives and thoughts of its native peoples. An engrossing collection of storytelling that could only be the product of the writers intimacy with place.
Says Mowat, "The northern people are happy when snow lies heavy on the land. They welcome the first snow in autumn, and often regret its passing in the spring. Snow is their friend. Without it they would have perished or -- almost worse from their point of view -- they would long since have been driven south to join us in our frenetic rush to wherever it is that we are bound."

Well crafted prose from a versatile writer
This collection of short stories by the Canadian writer Farley Mowat, is outstanding proof of his versatility. Although many of his best books are almost unplanned, coming to fruition after some sort of initial spontaneous combustion (I'm thinking of "People of the Deer" especially), the fictional elements in "The Snow Walker" indicate a methodical mind capable of forming well crafted prose. All these stories take place in the Arctic, or have to do with it. Many are based on people Mowat met on his travels or heard about from others. They contain the grains of ideas and don't attempt to do more than expand that one notion, as I think short stories should. Hence the stories are focussed and the issue at hand is brought into sharp relief, sometimes in only a few pages. Like a number of Mowat's works, this one has been used in schools for many years, and deservedly so, as it is some of the best Canadian short fiction of its kind (i.e., about the Arctic).

Great Winter's Reading
I loved this book as much as any that I've ever read.I'm not sure where Mr.Mowat found his ideas for these stories,but it sure seems like they are 'true myths' of the North that he has discov- ered through talking to Arctic/Nordic inhabitants. All of these tales are deeply inspiring,and terrific reads.Especially if,like myself,you enjoyed the Jack London Northern Tales.I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates stories about men and animals overcoming tremen- dous obstacles to survive in 'their' climate. ... Read more

Book Description

A PLEA TO STOP THE SLAUGHTER NOW...
When an 80-ton Fin Whale became trapped in a Newfoundland lagoon, conservationist Farley Mowat rejoiced:here was the first chance to study at close range one of the most magnificent animals in creation.Some local villagers thought otherwise.They blasted the whale with rifle fire and hacked open her back with a motorboat propeller.Mowat appealed desperately to the police, to marine biologists, finally to the Canadian press.But it was too late.Ravaged by an infection resulting from her massive wounds, the whale died.

World-renowned for his passionate tales of survival, Farley Mowat wrote his new book to symbolize the plight of all whales preyed on by man for commercial profit.A Whale for the Killing is an urgent, eloquent plea to stop the massacre now...before the entire species is doomed to extinction. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A GREAT BOOK
This is a profoundly moving and important book, and I cannot recommend it too highly. Immensely readable and full of fascinating insights into the other "nations" with which we humans share this planet, it is also one of the very few books I have ever read which changed the direction of my life. For anyone who wants to truly understand this world in which we find ourselves this is one of the "must read" books.

A true story with unexpectedly clear symbolism
"A Whale for the Killing" chronicles the unlikely and you might also say, unseemly doings in a small Newfoundland outport in the 1960s. In what soon proved to be a run of bad luck, one of the largest of the sea mammals, a Fin whale, found itself trapped in a huge body of water near the town of Burgeo. It had managed to just slide over a rocky underwater escarpment and get into the bay, but try as it might it could not get out again.

Farley Mowat's part in the story is rather extraordinary and I won't go into it in detail here, for fear of spoiling it. Suffice it to say that he becomes, as far as such a thing is possible, the trapped whale's guardian and broadcasts the story of its plight throughout the world. His relationship with the mammal develops in conjunction with his relationship with the townspeople of Burgeo and the local and provincial authorities. I would not like to call this a thrilling story, because that seems hardly appropriate, but it is a dramatic one whichever way you look at it. In the process of attempting to rescue the whale, Mowat (and now, through the book, us) learns a great deal more about human nature than he might have imagined he would, beforehand.

Farley Mowat has written innumerable books about wildlife, the environment and the Canadian wilderness in general. This is a book he scarcely planned to write but he brings to it all the skills of the writer who has practised his art over many years. It is a first-rate story about living on Earth in the twentieth century, and it should be widely read for the message it contains about the frailty of all existence.

A painful story that must be told.
This Farley Mowat book, written in the early 1970s, is one that grabs ahold of you. I could not set it down. It's a true story of a trapped whale off the Newfoundland coast and what happens because of the stupidity of humans. Farley Mowat uses the story to tell of the plight of all whales in human hands. Though much has changed since this was written, whales are still threatened and the story will still disturb you.

A touching, honest, beatifully written true story. This is book that you will not forget after reading.

A novel only Farley Mowat could write
Farley Mowat has often been criticised for his "embellishments", but while his facts may be suspect his motives are sincere. 'A Whale For the Killing' is a gut-wrenching look at the way we treat our oceans and our world in general. Mowat, always a pleasure to read, made me feel both angry and ashamed in this wonderful book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very Informative!
This book was a great read. The story mainly centers around a youg biologist who is sent into the Arctic to study the behavior of the wolves, and prove that they are the reason why the caribou population has drastically diminished. Of all the lessons this book teaches, I think the most important one is tha that we humans don't know as much about the wilderness as we think we do. While this book at times may be boring to some people, I found it completely entertaining and could not put the book down! Farley Mowat has a great sense of humor and often uses this to poke fun at the government or even his own mistakes. There are many funny parts, such as the native's reaction to when Farley eats mice and when he goes on a 6 mile chase after wolves completely naked. If you are interested in animal behavior, this is definitely the book for you. You learn so much about how they stereotype about wolves could not be further from the truth, that they are gentle, caring creatures not too different from humans. I recommend this for all animal lovers out there. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I really enjoyed the book!
I thought that this book was fabulous. Everything from characterization to the style of writing that Farley Mowat used. I recommend this book to anyone who is adventourous and likes SURPRISES because I can honestly say that there are surprised in this book to be unvealed. ... Read more

Book Description

THEY WERE IN HARMONY WITH THE LAND BUT THEY WERE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Sixty years ago, the Ihalmiut numbered 7,000.When Farely Mowat visited them, their population had dwindled to forty.For two years, Mowat shared their hard life--the bleak winters, the shortages of food, the fervent struggle to withstand the intrusion of white men--and came to understand them.Here, Farely Mowat indicts those who have abused the Ihalmiut.But, foremost, he pays tribute to the last of the People of the Deer--the proud, valiant Eskimos, desperately trying to survive. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Theworst book EVER...
What ever you do, do not waste your precious life reading this book...

Yes! A life-afirming wonderous book!
This book is magic. You will never think about a small band of Indians as statistics again. This book does volumes to make people of our society really feel what goes on in traditional societies. To feel jealous of their solidarity. To feel unloved by our own. It's great! READ IT.

Remarkable first book from promising author!
First published in 1947 and available in a wide variety of editions since then, Farley Mowat's first and most distant book is still remarkably readable in the world of the 21st century.It concerns one of the stranger human sagas of the last century, that of the discovery and destruction of aremote Inuit society, the Ihalmiut, in Canada's north. The setting of thebook is far enough away in time for us to marvel at how little things havechanged since.The contemptuous attitude of European man for the aborigineseems hardly to have altered over the years.We are still hard put tounderstand the needs of the first peoples and how to answer them.

FarleyMowat has combined a fine sensitivity for the natural environment with asharp eye for the details of man's place within it.It must be exceedinglyrare in the history of anthropology that such an inexperienced investigatorhas taken such pains to get to the source of his information.Mowat livedamong the Ihalmiut for over a year to write the book.During that time hewitnessed the rapid deterioration of the small group which remained, andtried to examine the causes of their decline.With very deft prose forsuch a young writer, he points out the difference between the intentionsand the actions of the European discoverers of The People (as they refer tothemselves) and the consequences of such disparity.The Ihalmiut wereexploited in much the same way as any other tribal band found wandering bythe early explorers.However, as Mowat points out, this was an exceptionalgroup which had survived the extreme rigours of a barren land (known to ussimply as The Barrens) for so many generations, only to be felled bycontact with the very race which might have provided them with so muchassistance.

The Ihalmiut are long gone from their homeland but theirstory serves to remind us of our often difficult relationship with the landand the people on it.Perhaps, as a race of city-dwellers, we need toconsider our place in the natural environment more than ever.Mowat's workis a just accounting of where we stand in relationship to nature.Nor doeshe suggest that we should all go and live in the tundra.Yet People of theDeer is a source of considerable inspiration for those now ready to reflecton the unbalancing effect of contemporary values.

People Of The Deer
A truly insightful story of the inland eskimo people of the Canadian Arctic.It details not only their day to day survival in a harsh land, but also tells of their myths, legends, and history.It also tells of thewhiteman's interference with their culture and how that affect mayultimately lead to their extinction.The book sincerely takes the readerinto the lives of the People of the Deer.

A Poignant And Enduring Commentary
Farley Mowat tells how the Ihalmiut people of the Arctic have struggled since their first contact with the white man. This is an enduring reminder to us all of how western civilization remains aloof to the plight of racesit has exploited. Poignant and powerful, it should be mandatory reading inall schools and colleges. ... Read more