Death in the West: Fatal Stories from America's Last Frontiers

by Chris Becker

Flash floods, avalanches, lightning strikes, cougar attacks--these wilderness dangers give a new meaning to the moniker Wild West. The true, and horrifying, tales recounting the misfortune of both tenderfooted tourists and seasoned adventurers will make anyone who is unprepared think twice before venturing out into the western landscape. Alluring as it is, the West is rife with vagaries that can turn a pleasant outing into a final outing for those...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873588932
• ISBN13: 9780873588935
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Cooper Square Pub
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Adventure for the thrill seeker

Diving into underwater caverns, scaling "unclimbable" mountains, or defying natural consequences of exploration, Americans are attracted to anything that produces a thrill. The adrenaline rush causes our hearts to beat faster and our spirits to soar. Adrenaline junkies are seldom satisfied unless they are defying death. Whatever your vice for an adrenaline rush-do not strap yourself into a lawn chair and tie 45 helium-filled balloons to it. Your intention might be to rise to the top of the trees but you might find yourself spotted by airliners at 16,000 feet instead. Larry Walters, or Lawnchair Larry, as his neighbors in San Pedro came to know him, did just that in 1982. Becker writes of stories such as this in a powerful way to show where the odds catch up to thrill seekers. For every success, a handful of people die. It is unfortunate to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it can also have deadly consequences. Sometimes, the Grim Reaper arrives as the result of really bad choices. If lightning strikes, the best refuge is not in a rock crevice where electricity can jump across side to side and destroy what is between. It is never advisable to hike into unfamiliar territory, without a compass, map, or extra clothing, and not tell someone your anticipated route. Becker's testimony rings clear: take precautions and provisions, or your next trek might be your last. In spite of our best efforts, however, we are totally at the mercy of Planet Earth. Natural calamities abound and chances are, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you might not return. Avalanches bury people, mudslides wipe out entire towns, and destructive fires burn across the landscape with apparent vengeance. Sharks can mistake humans for natural food sources and grizzly bears can attack with little or no provocation. Mountain lions might stalk a hiker down a pathway and then attack for a late night snack. Perhaps our quest for adventure takes humanity too far into the natural habitat of the animal denizens of the planet. A compelling read because Becker usually demonstrates how calamities could have been avoided. Armchair Interviews says: You will enjoy reading this skillful rendition of when the odds catch up with us.

Who knew fatality could be so. . . fun?

I read this on recommendation from a friend who never, EVER reads things like this--she's more of a literary type. But she loved it, so I picked it up. I myself am a big Bill Bryson fan. I particularly love the way he takes uncomfortable topics and uses humor and terrific writing to make them palatable, occasionally even amusing (In a Sunburned Country being a great example). Death in the West runs in the same vein, taking truly awful stories and making them interesting, horrifying, even funny on occasion, but always readable and entertaining. I loved this book. I finished in within three days, spending all my time in between readings counting off the time before I could get back to it. The writing is really good, and just pulls you from story to story with a nice flow. In other words, get yourself a copy!

mayhem,madness,sadness and strange laughs

From being maulled in your sleep by a grizzly to being run over by a drunken native american to getting beaten to death by someone wielding a mounted antelope head...there are many ways to buy the big one out west. This book has a spooky, creepy feeling underling almost every page...the methhead killer being the absolute worst of the evil stories,this one would make hannibal lecture (SP?) vomit and scream in terror !!!!!!!!!!!! CAUTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not for the faint of heart!!!!!