The Golden Spruce: A True Story Of Myth, Madness, And Greed: Amazon.ca: John Vaillant: Books

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing, True Story. A Must-Read Book, Aug 31 2005

By

David Boe (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed (Hardcover)

The amazing and surprisingly gripping tale of the Golden Spruce is one of the best books I've ever read. From the seed of a story about a magnificent and mysterious tree, in a way not unlike the Golden Spruce itself, John Vaillant's story grows into something much more than an interesting and informative book.

To help the reader fully understand the strange sequence of events, Vaillant's book is loaded with historical and factual detail, interwoven into a compelling and vital narrative. Rarely have I learned so much about things around me that have a direct impact on my life while fully enjoying the entire process.

The result is a fascinating and truly important book. And the best investment of my reading time in many, many years.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping-and sad-story...elegantly written., Dec 4 2009

By

orange pippin (Vancouver Island, BC) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed (Paperback)

This book tells the story of the Golden Spruce--and much more. I was expecting a linear account of events leading up to the tragic end of the tree but as I read on I realized that the tale clearly could not be done justice without also relaying the stories of the Queen Charlotte Islands, the Haida people, logging in BC, and the misguided man who was at the centre of the controversy.

Vaillant's writing is elegant and beautifully descriptive; he does an exceptional job of conveying the feeling of a place, a time, a people, and an individual. This book moved me deeply and at times brought me to tears. Perhaps it is Vaillant's portrayal of our relationship--past and present--to our natural resources that invoked my most visceral response.

Not only is this a powerful story, it leaves you questioning your own role in the (ab)use of our forests.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Tree, Destroyed, Feb 28 2012

By

Alison S. Coad (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed (Paperback)

"The Golden Spruce" is a non-fiction book by John Vaillant, about a particular mutated spruce tree located on Haida Gwaii, a series of islands off the west coast of British Columbia that is the home territory of the Haida First Nation (as Natives are called in Canada). This was a tree that was born in around 1700, grew very large and with completely golden needles rather than the usual dark green; it was such an amazing sight that the Haida gave it a name (K'iid K'iyaas, meaning "Elder Spruce Tree") and a story to weave it into their cultural mythology. The book is also the tale of Grant Hadwin, a white logger who was most at home in the old-growth rain forests of BC, who developed a passion for environmental causes and who, in February 1997, singlehandedly destroyed K'iid K'iyaas, by cutting into it in such a way that the next strong wind would blow it down. Why did he do that? To protest the clear-cutting of old-growth forest by an industry of which he was a part; he was, apparently, mad. And then he disappeared.... The story itself is replete with mystery and myth, and the author does a good job of making the reader care about all the various factions involved in the world of which he writes. He describes Haida culture with sensitivity and respect, while also treating the logging ethos with similar respect. One might learn more than one wants to about how trees are felled, logged, transported and ruined, but it's a fascinating journey all the same. My one quibble is that there's no index, which would have been useful when wanting to refer back to certain aspects of the story. It'll make you think again about the amount of wood products in your life, which to my mind is a good thing; the publisher (Vintage Canada) makes a point of noting on the back jacket that "this book is printed on paper that is ancient-forest friendly." Good for them, I say; recommended.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A reason to go to Haida Gwaii
Excellent read and a gifted wordsmith. We just visited the archipelago of Hadia Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of British Columbia and saw the remnant of this... Read more

Published 8 months ago by L. Neish

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and bizarre
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book - even the back jacket precis just seemed too strange. Once I had started the book, though, there was no turning back. Read more

Published on Jan 31 2009 by Jack Blatant