Was It Worth It?, Doug Peacock
Was It Worth It?, Doug Peacock
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Was It Worth It?
A Wilderness Warrior's Long Trail Home

Author: Doug Peacock

Series: Patagonia

Narrator: Doug Peacock

Unabridged: 7 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/25/2022


Synopsis

“If wilderness is outlawed, only outlaws can save wilderness.” Edward Abbey

In a collection of gripping stories of adventure, Doug Peacock, loner, iconoclast, environmentalist, and contemporary of Edward Abbey, reflects on a life lived in the wild, asking the question many ask in their twilight years: “Was It Worth It?”

Recounting sojourns with Abbey, but also Peter Matthiessen, Doug Tompkins, Jim Harrison, Yvon Chouinard and others, Peacock observes that what he calls “solitary walks” were the greatest currency he and his buddies ever shared. He asserts that “solitude is the deepest well I have encountered in this life,” and the introspection it affords has made him who he is: a lifelong protector of the wilderness and its many awe-inspiring inhabitants.

With adventures both close to home (grizzlies in Yellowstone and jaguars in the high Sonoran Desert) and farther afield (tigers in Siberia, jaguars again in Belize, spirit bears in the wilds of British Columbia, all the amazing birds of the Galapagos), Peacock acknowledges that Covid 19 has put “everyone’s mortality in the lens now and it’s not necessarily a telephoto shot.” Peacock recounts these adventures to try to understand and explain his perspective on Nature: That wilderness is the only thing left worth saving.

In the tradition of Peacock’s many best-selling books, Was It Worth It? is both entertaining and thought provoking. It challenges any reader to make certain that the answer to the question for their own life is “Yes!”

About The Author

Author, Vietnam veteran, filmmaker and naturalist Doug Peacock has published widely on wilderness issues: from grizzly bears to buffalo, from the Sierra Madres of the Sonoran Desert to the fjords of British Columbia, from the tigers of Siberia to the blue sheep of Nepal. Peacock was a Green Beret medic and the real-life model for Edward Abbey's George Washington Hayduke in The Monkey Wrench Gang.


Reviews

Goodreads review by John

Doug Peacock is a national treasure. This book is a cache of insight and perspective - past present- on the state of affairs of the world and all of it's denizens. As a life long fan of Edward Abbey the book provides insights and details that only a true insider could reveal about Abbey - his work,......more

Goodreads review by Kristen

Listened to most of this on a long solo day in the mountains—a perfect companion. Had not heard of the author before this booked popped up as an Audible suggestion. I’m a sucker for a good outdoor and/or travel adventure story and a longtime fan of Edward Abbey’s work, so I guess the algorithm worke......more