Our Treadwell
Bio Pick
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Grizzly Maze
by Nick Jans
Who must have this book: Anyone who wants to
know all the details about Timothy Treadwell. Anyone who read
Among Grizzlies.
Who should have this book: Any bear lovers
or people who have seen the movie Grizzly Man.
ISBN: 0525948864
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If
you are look for all the answers to the Timothy Treadwell tragedy
in one place, look no further. This is the one book I feel confident
in saying, this is as close to the truth and whole picture as anyone
is going to get.
Everything about Timothy Treadwell is bathed in conjecture
and it seems everyone has an agenda when talking about him. Nick Jans
has done a good job of staying journalistic in his Treadwell biography
which is high praise for any work on the subject. If you have read
Among Grizzlies by Treadwell
and Jewel Pavolak, you must read this book.
Nick does not completely steer clear of making judgements on Timothy
but he doesn’t seem to bring an agenda to his handling. Like
a true reporter, he shows both sides of the story and tries to report
facts as they stand. For example, he gives the information about both
bears that were killed during the rescue attempt, but he notes that
we will never know which bear killed Timothy Treadwell and Amy Hugenard,
only that it is known that their remains were found in Bear 141’s
stomach.
Overview
The book covers the facts of Timothy’s career and his fated
last days. The book starts with Nicks ill-fated attempt at visiting
Treadwell’s campsite just days after the attack. From there
he tries to piece Treadwell’s life back together from interviews,
documents and other sources.
Jans’ strongest efforts focus on documenting the failed rescue
attempt in which two bears are shot by the hopeful rescuers. Jans
obviously interviewed nearly everyone involved in the attempt and
did his research. From there he tries to piece together the path that
led Treadwell to his meeting with the wrong bear at the wrong time.
At the end of his look into Treadwell, he throws in some good information
about bear attacks in general. Often reflecting how this knowledge
(which Treadwell was aware of) could potentially have saved his life
in the end. Jans quotes liberally from Stephen Hererros book on Bear
Attacks, their Causes and Avoidance. If you are into bears and haven’t
read it, check it out.
I finished this book just hours before the first local showing of
Grizzly Man the movie. That went even further in answer my questions
about Treadwell, but this book did a fine job of telling Treadwell’s
story in a believable and factual way. If you want to read about Timothy
Treadwell, right now this is the book to get.
Author
Nick Jans is a long time Alaskan and an contributing
editor for Alaska magazine. He has written a number of books about
Alaska including The Last Light Breaking, a book about living
among the Inupiats and A Place Beyond. Also he cowrote a
couple of photographic Alaska books; Tracks of the Unseen
and Alaska with Art Wolfe.
Other books by the Author
