The Singing Wilderness is unequivocally the best series of essays on the north woods country I have ever read. The Singing Wilderness is Sigurd Olson's first and best-selling book, with over 70,000 copies sold in hardcover since its release in 1956. Now available in paperback for the first time, this volume established Olson as a major writer renowned for the beauty of his prose and the clarity of his vision. It is concerned with the simple joys, the timelessness and perspective found in a way of life that is close to the past. I have heard the singing in many places, but I seem to hear it best in the wilderness.
Silence is part of it, and the sounds of lapping water, bird songs, and wind in the trees.
It is part of the medium through which it floats, the sky, the water, the shores. Olson's insights, sharpened by his knowledge of the natural world and warmed by his passion for the outdoors, challenge the reader to participate in each fulfilling moment. As meaningful today as it was when he wrote it, The Singing Wilderness is an essential antidote to the trials of modern life. This unique volume, beautifully illustrated by Francis Lee Jaques, will be a welcome addition to any nature lover's bookshelf and backpack. For a sample of Olson's writing, please visit The Sigurd F. Olson Web Site .