by Edward Abbey
1975
Four ecologically-minded misfits – a jack Mormon, a surgeon, a nurse and
a crazed Vietnam vet Green Beret – form a group dedicated to the
destruction of the system that pollutes and destroys their environs, the
West. As their attacks on deserted bulldozers and trains continue, the
law’s net closes in. Written with erudition, flair and down-home wit,
the book’s descriptions ring true (Abbey made the West his home and
practiced wilderness survival).
It’s an enjoyable, funny morality
tale disguised as high adventure. Interestingly, the Gang in some ways
bore little resemblance to what I think of as eco-fanatics – they eat
lots of red meat, drink beer and litter the roadside with cans, drive
big cars, etc. Also, Abbey’s politics are not “bleeding heart,” as he
calls it, attacking Indians as well as whites for their consumerism,
taking jibes at the Sierra Club, etc.
four stars
