Last Stand: George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West Paperback – June 9, 2020

This was an amazing book, and the background information and anecdotes were exceptional. All merged together to create a very visual and encompassing story of the terrible demise of these noble beasts, the corruption in Washington (I guess nothing much has changed there, though), the poachers illegally further decimating the herds in disregard for the laws protecting them, and the very interesting and frustrating history of Yellowstone, our first national park.As with most other Americans, I knew that by 1900 our buffalo herd had diminished to a few dozen animals in Yellowstone. In college, I remember reading about people taking trains out west, and almost every open window being occupied by a man shooting out the window at the herds just because "they were there." But Punke's "Last Stand" brings the entire story of the terrible slaughter and the eventual rebuilding of the herd into sharp focus.Robert Bird Grinnell was an amazing person. Well educated and with extraordinary prescience as to the need to protect our resources, he fought long and hard not only for the preservation of the herd, but also for the establishment of Yellowstone as a place that belonged to the "American people and their descendants."During this period in history, the idea of any type of "conservation" was anathema. America was a land rich in resources and they were meant to be exploited. From the robber barons of the late 1800's to the poachers who sometimes killed the buffaloes and took nothing more than their tongues, it was a time of self-indulgence and rape of the land. Grinnell fought with everything he was worth to get it through the mindset of his countrymen that we needed to preserve our lands and resources.I knew that Theodore Roosevelt was one of the founders of the Boone and Crockett Club, but I had no idea that Grinnell was also one of them. Neither did I know that while Congress created Yellowstone National Park and passed laws making it illegal to poach game or fish from within it's borders it failed to pass any laws providing penalties for doing so. Money for rangers to patrol the park was minimal. Consequently, buffaloes were poached to the point of near extinction. To ever imagine something like this happening in this day and age is impossible. We take our national and state parks and all our resources for granted. But we would not have any of this bounty and beauty if it had not been for people like Grinnell and Roosevelt, who realized that without legal protection, the rapaciousness of the railroad barons, who wanted the buffaloes gone so they wouldn't interfere with their rail lines, and the poachers who cared nothing for conservation but only with lining their own pockets would destroy not only the buffalo herd but anything that stood in their path.Included in this book was the plight of the Native Americans, and the story of their eventual decline and consignment to reservations, and how their demise was so tied to the buffalo. Also explained was the terrible indifference of Congress to either animal or Indian when its members pockets were lined by the bribes and influence of those with money.I would definitely recommend this book. It's not only the story of Robert Bird Grinnell and his laudable efforts to bring conservation into the American psyche, but it's also the story of America's growing pains in so many other ways.The author's style of writing was wonderful. Flowing, articulate sentences, with well-structured chapters and a wealth of background information. I had to look up the author as I'd never heard of him before, and I was also hoping that perhaps he'd written more books about the American West as I would surely like to read them. I don't know if his novel, "The Revenant," based on the true story of Hugh Glass would be as interesting a read, but I will surely give it a try.

Every once in a while, you read a book that stays with you long after you have finished the last page and closed the cover. This is one of those books. Of the historical, non-fiction genre, Michael Punke has done a masterful job chronicling a volatile period of mid-19th century American history that is altruistic at its best and shameful at its worst. From the birth of the conservation movement to the near annihilation of the Buffalo to the creation of our National Parks, this book is enlightening in its revelations and haunting in its photographs. The book covers westward expansion, the rampant slaughter of Buffalo for financial gain and in an effort to subjugate the Native American race and eradicate their culture, wholesale greed and corruption, self-serving politicians, rancor within the halls of government, robber barons, thieves, poachers and more. Fortunately, there are also principled heroes of honor, integrity and high ideals who dug in their heels and fought long and hard, often against the odds, to preserve and protect wildlife, natural resources and the future interests of America. (Thank you, Henry Bird Grinnell and Theodore Roosevelt.) BTW, if you are unfamiliar with the name Henry Bird Grinnell, you won't be by the time you finish the book; he features prominently in the story. It is daunting to realize how close we came to having a different American landscape than we enjoy today. Often sad, sometimes ugly chapter in American history spanning some 3 decades and travels from east coast to west. This isn't the stuff they taught you in school. Brilliant.

I found the story fascinating and well-presented. The subject, George Bird Grinnell, lived a life that went from hunting buffalo in the traditional way with Native Americans to being one of the first conservationists who pushed for creation of hunting and fishing laws to ensure survival of species for future generations, creating the first conservation lobbying group that resulted in the saving of the buffalo in Yellowstone (and laws that save all species in all national parks), the creation of the Audobon Society and Glacier National Park, and much more.It's a wonderful legacy, beautifully told, which helps the reader understand the impact of the end of the "wild west" and how important the events surrounding that are to us today and have helped shape the world we currently live in. And how important it is to continue conservation efforts today.Parts of the book read like a great tale of adventure and I couldn't put it down.

So incredibly well researched and documented! I have studied, researched and worked with this time period professionally for 25 years and I learned amazing aspects of the history. It is Very well written. It reads like a great novel. Highly recommend.

I have never found a Michael Punke I didn't love. This book dives super deep into so much cool knowledge you didn't know that you needed to have.

I have to return it. It is missing many pages (just blank, not printed at all). This looks self-published.

An excellent book about a man who almost alone saved the American buffalo and helped to create the first national parks. A lesson for our times.

Yes it was a good read, although somewhat sad at times,

Long winded and endless details but if you like to know exactly where and when and how and by whom and have the patience to persevere it is well researched. No comparison with The Revenant.

History presented as a very readable story. Enjoyed it immensely.