Winner, National Indie Excellence Book Awards for Nature (2011); Finalist, National Indie Excellence Book Awards for Adventure (2011).
An extraordinary portrait of the lives of wolves, the researchers who study them, and the rustic highlanders who share their landscape in the mysterious wilds of Transylvania. Here we take an enchanting journey, tracking wolves through the deep snows and dense forests of Romania, where "Old Europe" still hangs on, hardly touched by modern trends or discovered by western travelers. Guided with humor, insight, and vivid description, we fend off belligerent shepherd dogs and foul weather to discover not only wolf behavior and ecology but also human history, culture, and myth: ancient "wolf-warriors" (Dacians), colorful Romani (Gypsies), legendary vampires (Dracula) and more. And as we contemplate the benefits of wilderness, the joys of self-discovery, and the nature of time and consciousness, we are entertained with 32 pages of informative and beautiful color photographs.
[Provides] rare insight into the behavior of wolves, as well as a close-up look at life in the backcountry and small towns of the Carpathian Mountains. The author’s experiences tracking wolves, combined with the people he meets and his descriptions of the locale, make for a compelling and invigorating story. Sparks writes well, even eloquently at times… A thoroughly enjoyable read for animal lovers and explorers alike.
This is indeed [a] book written by an incredible observer of character and landscape, a sensitive listener and ultimately a passionate conservationist… Buy it, read it carefully. It's a book I will not be letting anyone borrow. It has a heart and a very powerful one...
