Yellowstone Notebook Booklist

Listed below are just some of the many interesting books to be found on Yellowstone National Park. If you would like to get a copy of any of these books and have trouble finding one, you can ask your library to do an interlibrary book search or check with your favorite bookstore to see if they can order a copy if it is still in print. You can frequently find out-of-print books through the Web at  abebooks.com,  Alibris, AddALL, Bibliofind, BookFinder.com (used and out of print search), and Barnes & Noble (rare/secondhand/out-of-print), all reputable and user-friendly rare and hard-to-find book searches. It pays to compare prices--some reasonably priced or even bargain priced out-of-print books can be found at these sources.
Yellowstone Booklist: A Few Good Books about Yellowstone
Recommended:
THE YELLOWSTONE STORY by Aubrey L. Haines (University Press of Colorado, Niwot, CO, 1996), Vols. 1 and 2. The definitive history of Yellowstone by the definitive Yellowstone historian. A primary reference source on Yellowstone history. Both volumes are indexed and accompanied with historical photographs.
YELLOWSTONE TREASURES: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park by Janet Chapple (Granite Peak Publications, Providence, RI, 2005 [second edition]). In the tradition of the Haynes Guides, Yellowstone Treasures is a carefully researched guidebook to Yellowstone that provides a complete point-by-point overview of the park. This book is a useful resource for the first-time visitor as well as the seasoned veteran. Included are historical and geological details, Yellowstone travel tips, specifics about  accommodations, and much more. Supplemented with maps, photos, and figures. Now in its second edition, released May 1, 2005. (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF YELLOWSTONE TREASURES, CLICK HERE.)
DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE by Lee H. Whittlesey (Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, CO, 1995). Without becoming unduly morbid or dark, this twenty-five chapter book discusses the many and varied incidents of death in Yellowstone from the park's early years to the present. Written by Yellowstone's park historian Lee Whittlesey, Death in Yellowstone is frequently quoted and often recommended.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE.)
MOUNTAIN TIME: Man Meets Wilderness in Yellowstone by Paul Schullery (Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, CO, 1995).  Entertaining and quite readable account of Paul Schullery's experiences as a Yellowstone employee in the 1970s, with a dose of reflection and philosophy; as told by this author of many enjoyable Yellowstone books.
GUARDIANS OF YELLOWSTONE by Dan R. Sholly with Steven M. Newman (Morrow, New York, 1991). In Guardians of Yellowstone, former chief ranger Dan R. Sholly retells many of his experiences during the eventful years of 1985-1990. Among the incidents discussed are his investigation of a deadly grizzly bear mauling and an account of the author's lead role in the park's handling of the fires of 1988. A riveting book. (317 pages) (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF GUARDIANS OF YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE.)
YELLOWSTONE PLACE NAMES by Lee H. Whittlesey [Montana Historical Society Press, Helena, Montana, 1988; second (revised) edition, Wonderland Publishing Co., 2006]  In Yellowstone Place Names, Yellowstone historian Lee H. Whittlesey gives the story behind the names of hundreds of Yellowstone attractions, ranging from geysers, water falls, streams, and lakes, to mountains, rock formations, valleys, and much more. The sources of these names are often surprising and learning these stories adds to the appreciation of Yellowstone's rich history.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF YELLOWSTONE PLACE NAMES, CLICK HERE)
Novels set in the backdrop of Yellowstone:
YELLOWSTONE HOLIDAY by Richard Bartlett (Minerva Press, London, 1998). Set in the early 1900s, a tale of romance and adventure as a family holiday meets with its share of surprises. Accurate details of early Yellowstone travel as told by this noted historian and author of several books on Yellowstone.  (296 pages)
LETTERS FROM YELLOWSTONE by Diane Smith (Viking, New York, 1999).  In 1898 a young woman medical student joins a Smithsonian-led summer botanical field study in Yellowstone. Told entirely through correspondence, this novel explores relationships among a variety of characters whose paths cross at Yellowstone. When the team's accomplishments are threatened, they are forced to reexamine their perceptions about themselves and one another.  (272 pages)
YELLOWSTONE NIGHTS by Herbert Quick (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1911). In the early 1900s, tourists traveled the park in "coaching parties" of several people, often strangers, who stayed together throughout their tour. Yellowstone Nights was written and takes place at that time, telling the story of a very diverse group of tourists that decides to take turns telling stories each night before the campfire. It is simple, innocent reading from another era, and might not be for everyone, but this fictional work provides a glimpse of Yellowstone travel in the early 1900s. (Currently out of print.)   (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF YELLOWSTONE NIGHTS, CLICK HERE)
FOUR BOYS IN THE YELLOWSTONE: How They Went and What They Did by E. T. Tomlinson (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1906). The "four boys" in this book are actually young college-age men who travel west by rail. The book describes in detail their five-day coaching tour of the park in the company of another party of tourists, including three young women. We see rare glimpses of the Fountain Hotel, Norris Lunch Station, a two-year-old Old Faithful Inn, and more. The Yellowstone described is vintage 1906, and not a second-hand account looking back. The writing is competent and believable, though originally written for a juvenile audience. 399 pages, with four black-and-white illustrations.  (Currently out of print.)  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF FOUR BOYS ON THE YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE.)
For children and young adults:
CUBBY IN WONDERLAND by Frances Joyce Farnsworth (Homestead Press, Moose, WY, 2000).  An illustrated children's fiction classic, first published in 1932 as part of the National Parks and Monuments Series, and later revised in 1958. Cubby and mama bear take a journey from their cave in the Tetons to Yellowstone. In the park they meet and learn more about other animals and the strange ways of the "two-footed tribe." This is the story of their adventure. (140 pages; illustrated with black and white drawings; reading level for more advanced young readers; can be read to and enjoyed by children of all ages)
DANGEROUS GROUND by Gloria Skurzynski (Bradbury Press, New York, 1989). Dangerous Ground tells of a young teenage girl's struggle with the inevitability of leaving her Wyoming friends behind to move to another state. At the same time, she fears her favorite aunt is succumbing to Alzheimer's disease. When her aunt Hil takes her on an unplanned day trip that ultimately ends up at Yellowstone, the young woman is a helpless witness to her aunt's increasingly bizarre behavior, which results in an unplanned overnight stay and interaction with park authorities. (152 pages; currently out of print)  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF DANGEROUS GROUND, CLICK HERE)
History:
CAMPING AND TRAMPING WITH PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT by John Burroughs (Houghton Mifflin & Company, Boston, 1907) [with subsequent reprint editions] A first-person account of Theodore Roosevelt's spring 1903 trip to Yellowstone as told by one of Roosevelt's companions on that trip, naturalist John Burroughs. Personal anecdotes and observations, written while President Roosevelt was still in office. Accompanying photos of Roosevelt at Yellowstone. (110 pages, large type)
YELLOWSTONE: A Wilderness Besieged by Richard A. Bartlett (The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1989) The title of this book might be a little misleading. Rather than being a commentary as it might suggest, this is actually a one-volume, fact-filled history of Yellowstone, carefully researched and documented by historian Richard A. Bartlett. For the reader who doesn't have the time for Haines'  two-volume The Yellowstone Story, this book will provide a serious, in-depth history of Yellowstone. Those who are already familiar with the park's history will also find much to learn from this enjoyable-to-read book. (436 pages, black-and-white photos, notes to chapters).
WYOMING: A Guide to Its History, Highways and People Writers of the WPA Writers' Program (Oxford University Press, New York, 1941)  [with subsequent reprint editions]  Especially notable in this product of the depression-era WPA project (part of a series done on all states) is its 36-page "tour" of 1930s-era Yellowstone National Park. The tour progresses area by area, and gives a description of the park's natural and man-made attractions as they were 70 years ago. (437 pages; includes black and white photographs; supplementary pull-out map of Wyoming; appendices of facts, figures, and glossary. Though currently out of print, this book can still be found in many public libraries).
CAMPING OUT IN THE YELLOWSTONE, 1882 by Mary Bradshaw Richards (University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1994), edited by William W. Slaughter. In 1882, Mary Bradshaw Richards and her husband traveled from their home in New York City to Yellowstone for a nine-day camping tour of the park. Her letters to a Boston newspaper formed this pleasant account of the many places they saw and the colorful people they met. This 1994 edition includes helpful background information, annotations, and many historical photos. 187 pps.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF CAMPING OUT IN THE YELLOWSTONE, 1882, CLICK HERE)
THE NIGHT THE MOUNTAIN FELL by Edmund Christopherson (Yellowstone Publications, West Yellowstone, Montana, 1962).
At 11:37PM on the night of Monday August 17, 1959, an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale occurred near West Yellowstone, Montana. In less than a minute, the entire side of a mountain collapsed, sending a deadly landslide into the narrow canyon below, blocking the Madison River, and causing it to form what is now Earthquake Lake. The slide resulted in the burial of several campers at a popular campground, crumbled roads up to and in Yellowstone National Park, and damaged the Old Faithful Inn. In the end, 28 people were killed. The details of this disaster are carefully told in The Night the Mountain Fell by a man who began on-site research for this book within hours of the disaster. 88 pps.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE NIGHT THE MOUNTAIN FELL, CLICK HERE)
OUT OF THE NIGHT: A Story of Tragedy and Hope from a Survivor of the 1959 Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake by Irene Bennett Dunn (Plaudit Press, Sandpoint, ID, 1998).  One of the most dramatic stories of the 1959 Montana-Yellowstone earthquake is that of the Bennett family. Their family of 6 was reduced to 2 on that terrifying night in 1959. In this book Irene Bennett Dunn tells of family life before that night, the terror and devastation of  the earthquake, the sadness of discovering only she and her son Phil had survived the disaster, and their determined effort to put their lives back together.  120 pages, several black and white photos.       (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF OUT OF THE NIGHT, CLICK HERE)
A YELLOWSTONE ALBUM: A Photographic Celebration of the First National Park with commentary by Lee H. Whittlesey and the Yellowstone Staff; Marsha Karle, managing editor (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, Boulder, CO, 1997)  In honor of Yellowstone's 125th anniversary, this compilation of photographs was assembled from the park's museum collections. A Yellowstone Album is described in the introduction as "the foremost photographic celebration of Yellowstone's rich and eventful history ever published."  Each page is filled with black and white photographs, many not commonly seen in previous publications. Accompanying each photograph is a descriptive paragraph.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF A YELLOWSTONE ALBUM, CLICK HERE)
THE GREAT DIVIDE: Travels in the Upper Yellowstone in the Summer of 1874 by the Earl of Dunraven (Scribner, Welford, and Armstrong, New York, 2002)  Beautifully written, this travelog by one of England's more adventurous young aristocrats is surprisingly down to earth. The Earl of Dunraven's tour of the American West included encampment with Native Americans and crossing paths with Buffalo Bill, Texas Jack, the Bottler Brothers, and other notables of the era. Through his writing, it is obvious Dunraven enjoyed Yellowstone for its beauty and adventure. One of his favorite camping spots was in the area of what is now known as Dunraven Pass. (Illustrated with original etchings; 377 pages)
OLD YELLOWSTONE VIEWS by John F. Barber (Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana, 1987) As its title suggests, this book is filled with black-and-white photographs of Yellowstone from days of the early explorers up to around 1936. Photos on all pages--many full page, with descriptive text and quotes throughout. Includes photos of Fort Yellowstone, Wylie camps, park hotels, early automobiles, tourists, rangers, and more. (95 pages; 10' wide by 8' high)
OLD FAITHFUL INN at Yellowstone National Park: An Illustrated History by Christine Barnes (W.W.West, Inc., Bend, Oregon, 2001) This relatively small book is filled with many interesting facts about the Old Faithful Inn, including its more recent history. Also includes brief park history leading up to construction of the Inn, and mention of some of Yellowstone's other structures.  Crisp color photos throughout, mostly of the park and the present-day Inn, with some historic photos.  (64 pages; 7-1/4' X 7-1/4').
Yellowstone Memoirs:
A YELLOWSTONE SAVAGE: Life in Nature's Wonderland by Joyce B. Lohse (J. D. Charles Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO, 1988).  This is an account of the author's experiences as an employee at Yellowstone during the summer of 1973. Included is the social side of life in Yellowstone, the excitement of discovering a new trail or any of the countless other wonders of Yellowstone, the reward of making new friends, and the sadness of parting at the end of the season. (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF A YELLOWSTONE SAVAGE, CLICK HERE)
MY YELLOWSTONE YEARS by Donald C. Stewart (Wilderness Adventure Books, Fowlerville, Michigan, 1989). Written almost thirty years after the author's working years in Yellowstone, this book recalls anecdotes, people, and places as fondly as if he had just returned home at the close of the season. Stewart began his Yellowstone working experience as a cafeteria worker in the early 1950s and became an interpretive park ranger the next year. At Yellowstone he met his wife, and they both returned for several summers, rangering at the Madison Museum, where they were witnesses to the deadly Yellowstone earthquake of 1959.
(FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF MY YELLOWSTONE YEARS, CLICK HERE)
Reference:
THE GEYSERS OF YELLOWSTONE by T. Scott Bryan (University Press of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 2001). This is the definitive work on the hundreds of geysers of Yellowstone and has been called the "geyser Bible" by the Billings Gazette. Geysers are grouped according to geyser basins, each basin having its own chapter. The major geysers of each basin are then described in detail, including historical background as well as height, duration, and frequency of eruption. Includes photos. 472 pps, 3rd ed.
(FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE GEYSERS OF YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE)
THE GUIDE TO YELLOWSTONE WATERFALLS AND THEIR DISCOVERY by Paul Rubinstein, Lee H. Whittlesey, and Mike Stevens (Westcliffe Publishers, Englewood, CO, 2000). A recent contribution to Yellowstone literature and research, The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery identifies over 200  Yellowstone waterfalls that had not been formally documented, in addition to the 50 or so that were widely known previously. Each waterfall is given a summary description, along with an idea of how difficult it is to reach.  Though there is some disagreement among those familiar with Yellowstone and its backcountry whether many of these waterfalls could actually be termed newly  "discovered", the book has undisputable merit in cataloging Yellowstone's diverse waterfalls for the first time in such a comprehensive manner. 295 pps; maps; color photographs.
Miscellaneous Yellowstone:
SEARCHING FOR YELLOWSTONE by Paul Schullery (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1997; updated 2005) Paul Schullery, respected Yellowstone author and editor, has written an "environmental history" of Yellowstone. This book carefully explains the complexities of many of the issues that have surrounded Yellowstone since its beginning. Among the many topics presented, the book discusses the controversies surrounding Yellowstone's elk and buffalo herds, its bear population, the fires of 1988, reintroduction of the wolf, the introduction of nonnative species, and the problems of being a park whose increasing popularity threatens its well being.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF SEARCHING FOR YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE)
ONCE AROUND THE SUN IN YELLOWSTONE by Doug Dance (Doug Dance Nature Photography, Winnipeg, Canada, 2005)
Although at first glance this book appears to be primarily a collection of mostly wildlife photos, it is a pleasant surprise to find interesting and relevant accompanying text. The author describes the intent of Once Around the Sun in Yellowstone as "...a patchwork of stories and images from the fabric of the living story of Yellowstone” and "accounts of events in the lives of the wild creatures that live in the park over the course of a calendar year [2003]." We find in the photos and text an insight that comes from one who has taken the time to observe wildlife on their terms. (190 pages long, illustrated throughout with color photographs)
(FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF ONCE AROUND THE SUN IN YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE)
WITH GOD IN THE YELLOWSTONE by Alma White (Pillar of Fire Books, Zarephath, New Jersey, 1920). Although it might appeal to a limited number of readers, this book is included here because it might interest some (as it did this reviewer) with its description of a 5-day package coach tour of Yellowstone in 1919, and because of the author's unique interpretation of what Yellowstone meant to her, as well as inclusion of a few things she didn't like about the trip. With God in the Yellowstone is a fairly quick-reading small volume, 137 pages long and supplemented with dozens of black and white photos, mostly by Haynes.  (FOR A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF WITH GOD IN THE YELLOWSTONE, CLICK HERE)
All reviews (c) 2000-2006 by F. Markley
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