Tom Turner (1)

This "authorized" biography is written by someone who worked closely for years with David Brower. Such a book runs the risk of doing nothing but singing the praises of the subject, but Turner does a creditable job of presenting Brower warts and all.
The author covers the many battles Brower fought, both on behalf of the environment and against his fellow conservationists (as they were better known back in the day). Turner provides deep coverage of the most significant fights, but I found show more myself wishing for a bit more detail on some of the lesser known battles. This is mainly because I had been aware of (and cared about) them as they occurred. Of course, this would have made the book absurdly long, so I confess this is a bit of a quibble.
All in all, I do recommend this book as an excellent summation of the life of the most important environmental figure since John Muir. It is far superior to the gossipy "Man who Built the Sierra Club." show less

Tom Turner worked with David Brower for years, and here he brings you Brower's life story, along the the stories of the organizations he's associated with -- The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. (I read the book because I know the author.) He's a brisk portrait of this singular man, and the various environmental battles he fought over 50 years or so. I knew some of the environmental stories, but next to nothing about Brower, but this book tells the stories well, and paints a very show more compelling portrait of him. show less