DESERT SOLITAIRE is the story of the author's experiences during three seasons as ranger in charge of the Arches National Monument, a 33,000 acre preserve in Utah's high desert.
Like Thoreau before him, Abbey reflects on the happiness a man can find within himself, particularly when alone in the wild. Unlike WALDEN, Abbey's book is concerned with wilderness preservation, and he goes after the spoilers with energy.
With language as colorful as a Canyonlands sunset and a perspective as pointed as a prickly pear, Cactus Ed captures the heat, mystery, and surprising bounty of desert life. Desert Solitaire is a meditation on the stark landscapes of the red-rock West, a passionate vote for wilderness, and a howling lament for the commercialization of the American outback.