“Desert Solitaire” published in 1968 is a nonfiction work by Edward Abbey mainly describing his work as a seasonal Park Ranger at Arches National Park in Utah in the 1950’s. It is considered a classic in environmental literature and one of the best books describing the deserts of the southwest. He can wax poetically about the idea of wilderness and the silence of the desert but he is a hell of a story teller as he describes some of the misadventures of the uranium miners and ranchers in the desert and some of his own adventures in the nearby Glen Canyon and Grand Canyon. He lives alone but pines for the company of a “good friendly woman.”

Abbey was not very politically correct and lashes out in all directions. He bashes all the major religions of world including atheism. He is considered anarchists. He is a fellow graduate of the University of New Mexico and was the editor on the school newspaper until he posted a quotation from Louisa May Alcott, “Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” Whereupon he was fired.

I give this book four stars out of five. I bought it for a quarter at the Central Library. It is a quite yellowed paperback. If you want it, you can have it. Just let me know.

As an aside check out the blog Geogypsy by my blog friend Gaelyn. She is a seasonal Park Ranger at the north rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. I don’t think she is an anarchist but she is definitely an environmentalist. Read her blog and find out for yourself what kind of “-ist” she is.