Whittlesey recounts deaths ranging from tragedy to folly-from being caught in a freak avalanche to the goring of a photographer who just got a little too close to a bison. Armchair travelers and park visitors alike will be fascinated by this important book detailing the dangers awaiting in our first national park.

Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
by Lee H. Whittlesey

This was very interesting. It described deaths from way before it was a park. People who were living there before 1900. No Native Americans lived there, they were too smart! There are too many ways to accidentally die!
The ground crumbles, there wasn't any paths back then, steam made vision had to see the trail, gas from the vents, falling in was an almost sure death sentence or slow death.

Besides the many falls, many jumped in not understanding how hot 190 degrees really is! Boiled alive! Or a dog gets lose and they try to rescue the dog. There is always death by other people and a lot of suicide especially in the distant past. Must have been very hard back then because there were so many suicides.

There were fires, drowning, and other odd things too. It was sad but I just kept thinking about how hard it must of been. The newer ones was tragic too because some were kids. The water is pretty and doesn't look like death. One false move is all it takes. ( )

Couldn’t put it down!! ( )

I found this book to be most fascinating and eye opening! When you think of national parks, you think of the animals and scenery, but not of the tragic deaths that have occurred in the parks. This book describes in graphic detail such unfortunate events, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. ( )

Is it weird to say that I thoroughly enjoyed a book about the various ways people die in what is arguably the best National Park? No? Okay, then I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

[b: Death in Yellowstone|432684|Death in Yellowstone Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park|Lee H. Whittlesey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347275303s/432684.jpg|421642] has not only a wonderful title (who doesn't dig the word Foolhardiness?) but also proves to be a very thorough history about the manifold ways people find themselves perishing within this idyllic setting. Everything from bears to lightning, falling to freezing, and stagecoach accidents is covered between these pages. It starts off detailing the ways people died in thermal pools and hot springs (and includes details such as eyes boiling in skulls), and it all just goes downhill (uphill?) from there.

The main takeaway from the book is meant to be to keep the wilderness wild, and respect the wilderness - it can kill you. The book does succeed thoroughly in that task, but one also needs to realize that it thoroughly succeeds in highlighting just how idiotic some visitors to the park can be. Who looks at a bear and thinks "I'll put my baby on top of it, that would make a perfect picture!" Why do so many people hike where they shouldn't? Why are people still skinny dipping in hot springs and thermal pools? The world may never know.

This book could easily have been four or five stars, but the writing was a bit dry now and then. The contents are certainly four or five star worthy, especially the section that Karen copied about small dog owners.

Respect nature people, it can (and judging by this book will) kill you. ( )