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	• Death, Daring, & Disaster - Search and Rescue in the National Parks (Revised Edition) Charles R. "Butch" Farabee Jr. Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005 - 576 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Compelling Gathering of Varied Narratives

As the NPS's Chief National Emergency Services Coordinator the author spent many years in the search and rescue business. In the course of his career he had access to the original records and was able to select most dramatic and cautionary stories. Each covers at most a few pages but the reader will want to keep reading. Very hard to put down and a substantial amount of research and good writing.
Most emphasis is on the post 1940 period since WW II when the development of modern aerial search and rescue techniques, as pioneered in the armed services, influenced the postwar organization and methods. The Air Force became responsible for inland activities and the Coast Guard for the sea margins. Ground based searches remained the primary responsiblity of the big land management agencies such as the Park Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.

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Comprehensive, if dry

This is a very comprehensive and thorough book that reads more like a detailed collection of reports and commentary on almost every search and rescue operation in the National Parks (and some outside of them) over the last century.

Where the book may fall short to many is that it's very straight-forward, almost dry reading. Very little effort is put into dramatizing the stories or analyzing character, motivation or emotions of those involved. So if you're looking for a dramatic book on survival stories, this isn't it.

I can however easily see someone buying this and having it on a shelf for reference, and if you're the kind of person who really wants all the details at your fingertips, this book is for you.

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Get an inside story on what recently went wrong in Oregon

A somewhat dry accounting, using newspaper clippings whenever available, of mishaps that casual (and quite often very experienced)hikers encounter in what commonly is believed to be safe National Parks. A very quick education in being prepared for the underestimated dangers of dehydration, hypothermia, and heat stress. It is not quite as good as "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon"or "Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park", both of which manage to get the message of being careful across in a much more narrative style. If you enjoy "Weather stories" on TV, these will all make for fascinating reading.
PS In the Oregon reference I am talking about the death of CNET editor James Kim, who left the relative safety of his car trying to get help for his family, and the three climbers on Mt Hood that perished shortly after. You will learn of countless expeditions that people insisted on undertaking because they were already there, even though the weather has changed drastically.

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Reality check for the Great Outdoors

This book is a fine overview of the history of search and rescue in the parks from one of the professionals in the field. In addition to lots of historical information, it provides plenty of food for thought for anybody planning an outdoor trip. There are lots of lessons to be learned from the mistakes of others.

Left me wanting to know more

If you are interested in the subject matter, it would be hard not to enjoy this book. I was amazed at the number of bodies that had to be left in the parks because they couldn't be retreived for one reason or another. I was also surprised to learn how many planes had crashed onto the lands or into the mountains of national parks. There are also the things you would expect, such as falls from mountain climbing and people who get lost while hiking. It was sad to read about the rangers who risked their lives and became heroes to save others, only to read about some of them succumbing to the dangers of the park themselves later on in the book. Many of the stories made me wish there was additional information, because I wanted to know more about what happened to these people. Overall a very engrossing book.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Updated to include the most notable incidents through the summer of 2004, the new edition features recent rescues and rescue attempts from the icy slopes of Mount Rainier to the seas off of Acadia National Park.

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