Reading Material for the Desert

[mm84321]

Aside from books with information on the park, can anyone recommend some good reads appropriate for an extended stay in the desert? I usually like reading non-fiction, but a novel might be fun for my time at Big Bend.

[chisos muse]

Edward Abbey would be most appropriate...

[Goldilocks]

Edward Abbey would be most appropriate...

Agreed.

[Quatro]

Pick up a copy of Beneath the Window at the hotel office in the Basin.  Great stories about life in the park area before it was a park.  Then go visit the places described in the book.

[jeffblaylock]

Another vote for Abbey.

There's a whole section of the Forum devoted to books about Big Bend, most of which will be available at the ranger stations.

[sleepy]

Yeah, Abbey.  I think the only one they will sell in parks is "Desert Solitude"  Craig Childs "Secret Knowledge of Water" and "Soul of Nowhere" would be good, as well. 

You might want to stay away from "Into the Wild".  Story about an inexperienced 19 year old blindly setting out for adventure and ending up dead from his easily avoided mistakes. 

[Cookie]

One of my favorite books is "The Stand" by Stephen King. The epic battle of good vs. evil after 99.9% of the population is wiped out. when you are out in the desert alone, you could almost believe you are one of the last people left on earth. The desert is an amazing place to "be still and listen".
I also liked "Beneath the Window" if you want something BiBe related.

~Cookie

[Hikerphotographer]

I was introduced to Craig Child's The Secret Knowledge of Water: The Essence of the American Desert by a volunteer docent at the visitor center near the 385 entrance to the park in 2006.  I found it to be a fascinating read.

[Schooler]

Death in Big Bend is a new one you can pick up in the park.  It is about death in big bend (obviously) and although not the best writing, it has great stories about people who did not make it.

I am currently reading Desert Survival by David Alloway and if you are into that sort of stuff, it is a great read.  (David Alloway used to work for the State Park so this is one of the only, if not the only, book to deal with desert survival in the Chihuahuan desert.)

The two books would go well together

[Homer67]

Back during the last week of last September I received Death in Big Bend as well as Hiking Big Bend for a birthday gift from a friend.  The hiking book is great, and Death is also a good book.  But when my wife read Death for bedtime stories it really gave me a morbid feeling, especially as one story occurred on the very trail we were on.  Perhaps this speaks to the efficacy of this book...

I would recommend I'll Gather My Geese by Hallie Stillwell, or Lizards on the Mantel, Burros at the Door by Etta Koch and June Cooper Price.   

If you are into history, I would recommend The Big Bend: A History of the Last Texas Frontier by Ron Tyler. I found this book fascinating and could not put it down!  I read it in four reading sessions over a few days.

If you would like to read on the flora, animals, insects and some geology then I would recommend Naturalist's Big Bend by Roland Wauer and Carl Fleming.  This is sort of a field manual which is Big Bend specific. 

Have a good time!  I myself will have to purchase a new book at PJ for an upcoming trip the last week of this month (just got back on the 2nd from 7 days in the park last month; this will be my 4th trip in 10 months!)  I am thinking a book on the Jumanos or some other on what is known on the ancient inhabitants of BBNP and the surrounding area.

[mm84321]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. So far I have Laurence Parent's Death in Big Bend and Hiking Big Bend National Park. I just ordered Naturalist's Big Bend based on the above recommendation. I'll look for some of the other books you suggested by Edward Abbey at the bookstores when I'm there.

I actually was planning on watching Into the Wild tonight, haha.