Rating: 
Summary: Good Reminders.
Review: This book is divided into two parts: Death by Nature (124 pages) and Death by Man (67 pages). I thought the "Death by Nature" section was the most entertaining and interesting. Although some incidents were brought on by people's stupidity, other incidents served as good learning experiences--things to watch out for when enjoying the outdoors. The author chronicles over 300 deaths which took place between 1839-1993.
Rating: 
Summary: Danger in Paradise!!!!
Review: This book reminds you exactly how dangerous paradise can be. A must have for Yellowstone historians. If you like this book, you must also check out Lee's other books. At this time, I believe he is the number one authority on Yellowstone history in the world!
Rating: 
Summary: A dissapointing book
Review: This book seemed so interesting on the shelf...but it wasn't. Instead of telling good stories - the author just chronicles the "stupid" deaths in Yellowstone National Park over the years. Yes, some of these are truly astonishing, but most of them are rather unremarkable. Whittlesey loses his way and the book becomes merely a listing of the deaths. It is so exhaustive that he fails to ever go anywhere with his material. If you are looking for a comprehensive listing of foolhardy deaths in a National Park with no overarching narrative, that reads like a dictionary at times, then you've found it. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book! Can't put it down!
Review: This is such a fascinating book, it's hard to put down. I just picked it up again after having read it about 2 years ago and got caught up again. It is a must-read for anyone going to the park. Having lived in Yellowsone for two summers, I don't find it hard to believe some of the stories. You would not believe some of the things visitors do. There are actually many people that believe all the animals are tame or they would have them in cages. After reading these stories, I'll think carefully when in the park. We used to keep a tally of all the bison gorings each summer -- there are that many! We had about 5 my first summer plus one car was gored. Books like this are great to educate people on the dangers, not just in Yellowstone, but in all wilderness.
Rating: 
Summary: Death in Yellowstone: Accidents & Foolhardiness
Review: This pales after you've read OVER THE EDGE: DEATH IN THE GRAND CANYON. A fact is given but not details. The author cannot just say someone died falling in the pool when they got got off the path and not fill in the facts. A person was killed by a bear. Where is the rest of the story? I put the book down & maybe I'll finish it, someday.
Rating:
Summary: A chilling look at Yellowstone
Review: This Yellowstone cult favorite is both chilling and engrossing. Each chapter covers a different cause of death: There's death from poison gas, wildlife, tumbling over cliffs, hot springs and just about any other fatal turn one can imagine. Each death is covered in a careful, detached style that provides enough details for the reader to draw the very important conclusion that the wilderness is not always kind. Of course that, in itself, is part of its allure.
Rating:
Summary: Good read!
Review: Very interesting, especially the chapters on hot springs and wild animals. Having never been to Yellowstone (going Sept 2005) this book really opened my eyes to the potential danger and care that should be taken in the "park"! Although it does seem that a lot of the deaths were a result of the person's stupidity or carelessness, I do agree with an earlier review that the author has an annoying habit of always blaming the deceased - even when there were no witnesses! The later chapters were pretty boring.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Historical Account!
Review: Whenever I mention this book to anyone, they are horrified by the title. It is not a "Faces of Death" book of gore. Obviously, the book chronicles deaths within the Park and is therefore not exactly light reading. But, Mr. Whittlesley (the official NPS Yellowstone archivist) tells the stories of the deaths with a historian's tact. There are few - if any - people on earth that know as much about the park as Whittlesley. One version of his "Yellowstone Place Names" (the longer version of the one sold in tourist stores and on Amazon.com)is so comprehensive it is (only?) available on microfiche! Having lived in the Park, I know it's a very different world. (The story noted by Rhonda, another reviewer, about the bison goring a car - a Lake Lodge employee's Geo Metro in 1991 - is actually quite true.) Many of the deaths are from things you might think of - like climbing falls, eating poisonous plants, and hot pot incidents. Even as I am writing this, another Old Faithful employee died yesterday (8/22/00) in the Park after falling into Cavern Spring in Lower Geyser basin (see Idaho Statesman, 8/23/00, p.2A). But, the book is also full of deaths of the kind you find everywhere else in the world - like heart attacks, suicide, murders (yes, several!), car accidents, plane crashes (six of them - one site of which I've visited - with 20 deaths!), etc. The earliest chronicled deaths are in 1839 and continue through 1994. Some of the over 300 incidents are briefly related as the facts are slim. Others are told in great detail with quotes, newspaper stories, cemetery inscriptions and exact place names. The simple chronology takes up 5 pages, while the meat of the text takes 198 pages! If you are expecting John Grisham's spellbinding fiction and twists and conspiracy, then this book is not for you. If you want a very well told, fascinating historical look at Yellowstone from a different point of view, then this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Historical Account!
Review: Whenever I mention this book to anyone, they are horrified by the title. It is not a "Faces of Death" book of gore. Obviously, the book chronicles deaths within the Park and is therefore not exactly light reading. But, Mr. Whittlesley (the official NPS Yellowstone archivist) tells the stories of the deaths with a historian's tact. There are few - if any - people on earth that know as much about the park as Whittlesley. One version of his "Yellowstone Place Names" (the longer version of the one sold in tourist stores and on Amazon.com)is so comprehensive it is (only?) available on microfiche! Having lived in the Park, I know it's a very different world. (The story noted by Rhonda, another reviewer, about the bison goring a car - a Lake Lodge employee's Geo Metro in 1991 - is actually quite true.) Many of the deaths are from things you might think of - like climbing falls, eating poisonous plants, and hot pot incidents. Even as I am writing this, another Old Faithful employee died yesterday (8/22/00) in the Park after falling into Cavern Spring in Lower Geyser basin (see Idaho Statesman, 8/23/00, p.2A). But, the book is also full of deaths of the kind you find everywhere else in the world - like heart attacks, suicide, murders (yes, several!), car accidents, plane crashes (six of them - one site of which I've visited - with 20 deaths!), etc. The earliest chronicled deaths are in 1839 and continue through 1994. Some of the over 300 incidents are briefly related as the facts are slim. Others are told in great detail with quotes, newspaper stories, cemetery inscriptions and exact place names. The simple chronology takes up 5 pages, while the meat of the text takes 198 pages! If you are expecting John Grisham's spellbinding fiction and twists and conspiracy, then this book is not for you. If you want a very well told, fascinating historical look at Yellowstone from a different point of view, then this is the book for you.
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