A Wilderness Within: The Life of Sigurd F. Olson

This well-balanced assessment of Sigurd Olson (1899-1982) pays as much attention to his spiritual quest as to his activism in defense of America's natural resources with such groups as The Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association. Olson found a sense of completeness while hiking, canoeing, and hunting in the northern Midwest. He conveys these feelings in influential books such as The Singing Wilderness, which inspired a generation of younger nature writers. David Backes, who knew Olson in his later years, captures his personality and evaluates his achievements in lucid prose.