Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park, 2nd Edition

A detailed account of Yellowstone and the tragic, stupid, and spiteful deaths. Whittlesey does a good job at describing the dangers inherent to the more untamed side of nature and the more violent urges of the people who inhabit it.

Chronologically written by manner of death, starting with hot springs. Easy to read, sprinkled with events, lawsuits and park management, it's got a little bit for everyone. Not a horror novel - its blatent and factual. A little humor, such as one visitor asking if the dangerous sign was the name of the geyser.The huge issue is the horrible print quality. The two inches on each outer edge of the pages is printed in grey, not black, as show in the photos. Definitely a book that will make your eyes hurt.

Although well-researched, I found this book difficult to follow at times and thought the storytelling could be improved. It could use better editing. For example, a new paragraph begins, “Both of these explosions were unusual incidents. In a similar vein, structural fires have occurred in Yellowstone Park buildings since earliest days.”This sort of transition happened often and prompts the reader to re read to confirm whether explosions were or were not usual since “in a similar vein” is used to indicate fires happening since the park’s inception. I also want to know why the explosions were unusual if fires were so prevalent. Or maybe they aren’t prevalent and have just happened sporadically but regularly over time? Either way, the author could do a better job of connecting ideas or unpacking conclusions.I read Death in the Grand Canyon and that was more interesting and comprehensive. This is probably attributable to better writing/story telling in terms of setting the scene and giving readers useful context because I have read the list of Wikipedia deaths by bear mauling and found those lists more compelling than the chapter on bear fatalities in this book. I also wanted to know more about the park and small towns surrounding it as I read.It does seem after reading this book that park employees have a pretty high fatality rate. I’d also be interested in percentages of death in winter vs summer. At one point the author contemplated whether winter contributed to more deaths in the park due to winter depression, etc, but didn’t actually give us the number comparisons (and included a July death by suicide in the narrative setting up that speculation so that didn’t feel like it held up well).

As our society becomes ever "safer" and more sanitized, people will naturally have a harder time understanding - or even believing - that wild places such as Yellowstone still exist in the world. They assume that if there is a road - it will have guardrails. If there is a trail - it will have railings and will not approach dangerous cliffs. If there is an animal walking through a parking lot - that it is a "tame pet" brought there to create a sense of wonder and entertainment. They live in a strange world of disbelief and naivety. They see bottomless pits of boiling spring water... and wonder "how hot is it really?" They see a bison laying in a field... and think "what a great selfie this would be." They look over the edge of the Lower Falls and think "I bet I could stand on the edge and get an even better view." And they die.This book chronicles the numerous and unique ways people have died (and continue to die) in Yellowstone. Some are freak accidents, but all too often the deaths are the result of extremely poor decisions on the part of visitors - a combination of ignorance and hubris that have cost people their lives. Having just visited Yellowstone in the last week, I personally observed behavior on the part of visitors that had, in the past, killed people. The visitors had no clue.Some common criticisms of this book is that it felt (to some people) a little dry. I did not find it so, but I also understand that the subject matter is a sensitive one. This is not written like an Internet list of "Darwin awards" (though it could be), but the stories are treated with respect and as serious history. They are thoroughly researched, and in cases where there are conflicting points of view, the different views are presented to give as complete and accurate coverage as possible.I did not find the book depressing, but it did give me a different perspective on the park. I believe it also made me a better park visitor by removing the false sense of security that comes from crowds of people, parking lots, and railings. It is only too easy to develop a crowd mentality when you are surrounded by other people, and not be aware of your surroundings, responsible for watching your children closely, or approaching too closely to wildlife or natural features - just because you see others doing so. Yellowstone is wild and is kept intentionally so. Read this book, and you will have a better appreciation for just how "wild" it can be. Doing so will make you a better visitor, and will increase your level of respect for the park and its attractions. My opinion of Yellowstone has improved because of it.

Death in Yellowstone could have also been titled “Darwin Award Winners in Yellowstone.” It seems unkind to criticize the dead but people who intentionally dive into 200 degree hot springs, who try to photograph bison from a distance of ten feet, and like to run their unleashed dog in bear country deserve Darwin Awards. Not at all surprising is the attitude that a wild land park should be a risk free amusement park. Bison, bears, and boiling hot springs have no regard for entitlement or gross ignorance. One of the takeaways is that quite a few careless people survive encounters much like a drunk staggering through a mine field at night. The metaphor is apt because drunks have staggered around the hot springs at night with unpleasant results. This book is the perfect companion to Laurence Gonzales’ Deep Survival. A book that I will not loan because borrowers may not return it.

The author does a beautiful job of transporting the reader to that time and place. An amazing book for anyone who loves Yellowstone

Very fascinating. I love the authors dry humor

bought this book after reading the excellent 'over the edge' death in grand canyon. after visiting both yellowstone park & grand canyon you can actually visualise how these stupid accidents happen, while i was in grand canyon i actually watched children climb over the safety barrier while there parents where either on there mobile or taking pictures, its the mentality of 'it won't happen to us '. brilliant books the both of them, people are stupid & you can see why these books are necessary, such wonderful places & so many silly mistakes made by people that could be avoided, some deaths couldn't be avoided & that makes it all the more very sad, i would recommend these two books to everyone, couldn't put them down,these will stay in my 'library' no charity shops for these.

Despite living in the UK I've always been interested in America's national parks and this is an absolute treasure trove of interesting accounts. Incredibly well written in a factual style but still with enough human detail to elicit empathy. Superb.

Easy read and easy to jump in and out of. Very interesting and factual

Entertaining and interesting anecdotes about deaths in Yellowstone NP during its history, mainly about how foolish people can be, but also salutary reminders that it's a good idea to respect wilderness. I purchased this just before visiting Yellowstone and as I flew into Jackson Hole got to the bit about airplane related deaths!

Nature can be unforgiving. The unprepared, the uneducated, the unthinking and the inattentive can all be found in this book. There are those who think the park is a tamed wilderness or that if there is no specific warning, it is safe. This book proves that vigilance and knowledge along with following the rules of the park go a long way toward a safe and enjoyable Yellowstone experience.