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Rating: 
Summary: Missed Opportunities
Review: After reading Hawk's Rest, I found myself wanting to know more about topics such as the declining cutthroat fishery above the lake, the illegal outfitter who "hunts for God", and the attitudes of the hundreds of tourists who pass through the area on guided trips.
I also was thankful that I wouldn't have to read ANOTHER rant against the cowboy culture of the local outfitters. (And I have little love for the outfitting business to begin with...) While this subject is certainly worthy of discussion, there are other numerous topics equally deserving of attention. Unfortunately, Ferguson doesn't give most of them more than a cursory paragraph.
In the end however, despite his obsession with the outfitters, the book is entertaining and informative for those familiar with the area as well as armchair adventurers.
Rating: 
Summary: The Aptly-named Thorofare
Review: Although in his endorsement on the back cover William Kittredge says that this book "...is a long step toward a user's guide to wilderness..." it is in fact largely about long-standing border conflicts and culture clashes in the remote, but by no means inaccessible, southeastern boundary-lands of Yellowstone National Park, especially the Thorofare region. One might better say that it is about threatened ways of life: that of the local outfitters whose living depends upon access to lands protected for them by the government they so resent, and upon the elk herds that prosper there; that of those whose passions wear on it more lightly, and who eschew more conventional lifestyles to live out those passions, and finally, that of the wildlife that inhabits the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now, as always, on tenterhooks. Few people are more qualified than Gary Ferguson to understand the origins and ramifications of the issues for all concerned. The book is clearly written. Interspersed with revelatory passages about man vs. man vs. nature are classic Ferguson paeans to the glory that is Yellowstone, leavened with entertaining contemporary and historical anecdotes.
My only negative comment about this book, a must-read for those seeking a thorough understanding of Yellowstone's precarious place in this world, is that the copy-editing (if any) is astonishingly poor. Some may not be put off by these gaffs, but such sloppiness risks diminishing the author's credibility among other readers, and that does "the cause" no good.
Rating:
Summary: About Yellowstone, about nature, about life
Review: Gary Ferguson's "Hawks Landing" provides readers with a glimpse of life for a summer in the backwoods of Yellowstone, something that many dream about, but few ever do. This book is a marvelous and engaging read. It's easy to lose track of time when you're reading this book. Let's face it, Ferguson is an excellent writer. He has a style of prose that is poetic and understated. It's hard to count the number of times that you find yourself thinking, "Wow, that is described perfectly." Ferguson also manages to pull off something very difficult - the ability to meander from topic to topic without losing the reader or ticking them off. Many travelogues and journal-style books make huge leaps and unrealistic expectations on the readers. Ferguson's texts wanders like a fufilling hike through the backwoods, taking inventory of many different sites and scenes. Most books like this aren't as skillfully written which make them interesting, but not as satisfying as "Hawks Rest." While Ferguson's views on things like grizzly bears, wolves and outfitters are pretty self-evident, he doesn't necessarily foist his views on the reader demanding that they accept them unconditionally. He also seems to give enough information that the reader is allowed to come to their own conclusion. If you like a good journal-style book with lessons in history and biology, then this is a delightful find. Other books may try to describe Yellowstone's geysers, wildlife, mountains or streams, but this book seems to tell more of Yellowstone's soul.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!
Review: I found this book to be a fascinating read. It is beautifully, poetically written, and takes you along on Gary Ferguson's journey to one of our country's most special wilderness areas. Although the story is not always a happy one, I finished the book with a sense of hope. It is a must read if you cherish the backcountry.
Rating:
Summary: Great read - particularly if visiting Yellowstone
Review: I happened to pick this up a few days before a trip to Yellowstone. My timing was perfect. In addition to being a great read, well written and light-hearted, it's also very informative about everything affecting today's Yellowstone environment - I learned lots about wolves, grizzlies (saw both at Park), elk, outfitter dynamics, park politics, and more. Liked his writing so much, have ordered two other books of his (plus have one I forgot about that I bought years ago)
Rating: 
Summary: Hidden Agenda
Review: I was looking for a book that was full of tales about a summer spent in a great part of the world (similar to Peter Fromm's 1993 book Indian Creek Chronicles). Instead, I got a thinly written book with limited character development, yet full of political agenda.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Troubling
Review: If you're looking for nothing more than a happy-go-lucky escape, where Bambi runs free and all is right with the world, don't bother with Hawks Rest. But if you want an honest look at the most remote place left in the lower 48 - both the beauty and the insanity - this is the book. While living in Wyoming I came to this region on several occasions, mostly as a hunter, and I saw first hand the kind of cronyism that exists there: illegal salting, chain saws, and a hatred of wolves that was clear off the charts. The LA Times had it right: Hawks Rest is "an eloquent tribute to a threatened place and its lone protectors."
Rating:
Summary: The real Yellowstone Park
Review: The most remote spot in America: the southeast corner of Yellowstone. Home to wolves, grizzlies, ornery misfits, and -- for a summer -- the experienced naturalist Gary Ferguson. He vividly portrays the landscape (beyond the teeming masses at Old Faithful) that make Yellowstone so beautiful and important. He also investigates some of the fascinating political issues that rule this isolated area. Whether you're planning a trip to Yellowstone or just want an armchair escape, this is a great journey.
Rating:
Summary: A Mixed Season
Review: Yellowstone needs an Ed Abbey, it needs an outspoken and opinionated, brawling, ornery cuss. Someone who will say what is wrong and what is right. Unfortunately, Gary Ferguson isn't that person. His writing is fluid and occasionally graceful and there is no doubt he loves the land. But in this book he is rarely able to truly deliver a sense of wonder or transfer it to the reader. We can never close our eyes and see a grizzly sparring with a wolf pack or a fledgling bald eagle peering down from the nest. Having hiked and hunted in the Thorofare my whole life I was hoping for something more evocative. Although he shines a light on the good-old-boy cronyism that transforms the Teton Wilderness into a collection of outfitter fiefdoms every year, he doesn't really get down and dirty and rake the muck. Sure he throws a few weak jabs here and there at the big commercial guides and their dour hands, but mostly he just steps out of the way of the issue. In the end, the book adds just a bit to our collected knowledge of the Yellowstone ecosystem. More damaging than a few redneck salt licks up a drainage someplace are the trophy home subdivisions encroaching the park on all sides. These developments are grinding up the habitat in ways an outfitter could never accomplish, and they are being built by those who profess to love the country the most. Ferguson takes a brief stroll down that path before turning aside - perhaps in his next book?
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