Monarch of Deadman Bay: The Life and Death of a Kodiak Bear

The Monarch Of Deadman Bay is an outstanding story of nature and survival. The format and prose are splendid in this story as it follows the life of a Kodiak Bear. It begins at the time of his conception and follows him through his rise in status as the dominant bear in the Deadman Bay area on the southern coast of Kodiak Island and finally to his death. This is a wildlife story and though there are some references to hunting it doesn't take an anti-hunting or a pro-hunting stance. The story is told from the bear's viewpoint. It's a story of the daily struggle for survival in the wilderness. Told with outstanding and sometimes brutal descriptions of both the various wildlife species and the the harsh environment that they survive in. The story is grand and it is obvious that Roger Caras has a vast knowledge of wildlife habits and habitat. He also clearly understands how harsh and violent life can be in even the most beautiful areas of the vast wilderness areas of the world. If there is one criticism that I have it's that Caras occassionally uses complex terms where simpler words would be just as effective and more readable. A story should flow and be very easy to follow and not be a tribute to the writers vocabulary. My opinion? If you like stories about the environment, raw and natural. Read this one and overlook the "Ten dollar words" (they're not on every page anyway). Enjoy the story for it's own sake.