a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a southwestern classic, 24 Aug 1999
this is a story about how the southwest was violated by the atomic age. but that's not what makes it so good. it's strength is the amazing writing style of early abbey. it reminds one of stephan crane and high noon. you can feel the heat in the organ mountains in summer. you can smell the sage brush. read edward abbey at his best!

a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a southwestern classic, 24 Aug 1999
this is a story about how the southwest was violated by the atomic age. but that's not what makes it so good. it's strength is the amazing writing style of early abbey. it reminds one of stephan crane and high noon. you can feel the heat in the organ mountains in summer. you can smell the sage brush. read edward abbey at his best!

Bishop Love dies again..., 29 Jun 2006
I absolutely loved the Monkey Wrench Gang and thought it was well written, funny, well-paced and so satirical and cynical that it put shame to anything previously written. To me, it should've ended as it did, on a cliffhanger... literally.

The sequel is a more virile, hated stab at the failings of Earth First! that was created in Abbey's image and is a much slower-paced book as Abbey has a tendency to wallow in his general irritation by everything. The same characters return, Sarvis, Seldom Seen, Abbzug and of course Hayduke to tackle the GOLIATH carving it's way across Arizona and destroying nature in it's path. However, not a lot really happens except Hadyke trying to round everyone up for a second run and Earth First! (and a hidden "Fuzzy Bookchin" guest appearance!) making a mess of their own chaos. But then again, Abbey wanted a Christ-like organisation in his image and when it didn't live up to his expectations he was a little disenchanted and disillusioned.

Despite the lack of exceptionalism that made "The Monkey Wrench Gang", "Hayduke Lives" does have some exceptional moments, and without trying to give too much away, Bishop Love munching on uranium, getting his ever-so-needed 12th wife and a spy on the gang to make sure they don't get up to no good means that there are some great laughs to be had on the way.

"Hayduke Lives" is a bit of a confused book but doesn't leave to the imagination what the end of "The Monkey Wrench Gang" did and should have done so it drags it's heels at time. That said, I read terrible reviews slating the book, went out and read it anyway and am now slating it - so give it a read anyway to have an opinion about it. It's not Abbey's best work and it's patchy but for the sequence with the GOLIATH at the end it's worth a go.

Rusty Monkey Wrench, 10 Oct 2005
I'm pretty high up in the Edward Abbey disciple stakes. The man's a brilliant writer...a sage...a prophet...a wit...a revolutionary and an inspiration to anyone who shares his green vision.
Furthermore,his political incorrecetness and his determination to plough his own furrow mark him out from the vegan fascists who do so much to damage the cause of envirionmentalism with their po faced fundementalism.
After saying that.'Hayduke Lives' is a disappointment after the wonderfully cinematic vision of 'The Monkey Wrench Gang'. Ed is going through the motions.A contrived and rather silly final excursion for the gang.
Goes to show....quit while your ahead. Thank God Abbey continued to write fine essays-published in various collections- right up to his death.
If you haven't read Abbey yet. Don't start with this novel. It could be your last and his genius doesn't deserve that.

Way Below Ed's Usual Standard, 12 Jun 1999
Much as I enjoy Edward Abbey's work, I was very disappointed by this book. True, the characters are there, but nothing much happens to them. And sure, there is some monkey wrenching in defense of what is really important, but the story itself is barely there at all -- a succession of small and extraordinarily repetitive vignettes. There are humorous moments, mostly when he is poking fun at himself, but they're few and far between. Lots of sexual meandering, natural description of the Four Corners area, the usual avalances of wordplay, and some violence (most corporate, but a final Lone act that seems gratuitous). It's still Ed Abbey, but he's nowhere near his best. Given that it's only available in a pricey trade paperback, I'd skip it. The two stars are relative to his other work, not to books in general.

Excellent sequel to Monkey Wrench Gang, 09 Jun 1998
This book was not as much a continuation of Monkey Wrench Gang as it was a reunion event. The gang gets back together for one final BANG!! Other than that, the novel stands as a wonderful window into the early days of Earth First! This is an essential read for anyone who gives a damn about the wilderness.

a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a southwestern classic, 24 Aug 1999
this is a story about how the southwest was violated by the atomic age. but that's not what makes it so good. it's strength is the amazing writing style of early abbey. it reminds one of stephan crane and high noon. you can feel the heat in the organ mountains in summer. you can smell the sage brush. read edward abbey at his best!

Bishop Love dies again..., 29 Jun 2006
I absolutely loved the Monkey Wrench Gang and thought it was well written, funny, well-paced and so satirical and cynical that it put shame to anything previously written. To me, it should've ended as it did, on a cliffhanger... literally.

The sequel is a more virile, hated stab at the failings of Earth First! that was created in Abbey's image and is a much slower-paced book as Abbey has a tendency to wallow in his general irritation by everything. The same characters return, Sarvis, Seldom Seen, Abbzug and of course Hayduke to tackle the GOLIATH carving it's way across Arizona and destroying nature in it's path. However, not a lot really happens except Hadyke trying to round everyone up for a second run and Earth First! (and a hidden "Fuzzy Bookchin" guest appearance!) making a mess of their own chaos. But then again, Abbey wanted a Christ-like organisation in his image and when it didn't live up to his expectations he was a little disenchanted and disillusioned.

Despite the lack of exceptionalism that made "The Monkey Wrench Gang", "Hayduke Lives" does have some exceptional moments, and without trying to give too much away, Bishop Love munching on uranium, getting his ever-so-needed 12th wife and a spy on the gang to make sure they don't get up to no good means that there are some great laughs to be had on the way.

"Hayduke Lives" is a bit of a confused book but doesn't leave to the imagination what the end of "The Monkey Wrench Gang" did and should have done so it drags it's heels at time. That said, I read terrible reviews slating the book, went out and read it anyway and am now slating it - so give it a read anyway to have an opinion about it. It's not Abbey's best work and it's patchy but for the sequence with the GOLIATH at the end it's worth a go.

Rusty Monkey Wrench, 10 Oct 2005
I'm pretty high up in the Edward Abbey disciple stakes. The man's a brilliant writer...a sage...a prophet...a wit...a revolutionary and an inspiration to anyone who shares his green vision.
Furthermore,his political incorrecetness and his determination to plough his own furrow mark him out from the vegan fascists who do so much to damage the cause of envirionmentalism with their po faced fundementalism.
After saying that.'Hayduke Lives' is a disappointment after the wonderfully cinematic vision of 'The Monkey Wrench Gang'. Ed is going through the motions.A contrived and rather silly final excursion for the gang.
Goes to show....quit while your ahead. Thank God Abbey continued to write fine essays-published in various collections- right up to his death.
If you haven't read Abbey yet. Don't start with this novel. It could be your last and his genius doesn't deserve that.

Way Below Ed's Usual Standard, 12 Jun 1999
Much as I enjoy Edward Abbey's work, I was very disappointed by this book. True, the characters are there, but nothing much happens to them. And sure, there is some monkey wrenching in defense of what is really important, but the story itself is barely there at all -- a succession of small and extraordinarily repetitive vignettes. There are humorous moments, mostly when he is poking fun at himself, but they're few and far between. Lots of sexual meandering, natural description of the Four Corners area, the usual avalances of wordplay, and some violence (most corporate, but a final Lone act that seems gratuitous). It's still Ed Abbey, but he's nowhere near his best. Given that it's only available in a pricey trade paperback, I'd skip it. The two stars are relative to his other work, not to books in general.

Excellent sequel to Monkey Wrench Gang, 09 Jun 1998
This book was not as much a continuation of Monkey Wrench Gang as it was a reunion event. The gang gets back together for one final BANG!! Other than that, the novel stands as a wonderful window into the early days of Earth First! This is an essential read for anyone who gives a damn about the wilderness.

The voice is still echoing, 25 Feb 2004
The voice is silent now, but the echoes will remain. This was Edward Abbey's last book, published the same year that he died. It's a very brief book, containing a short introduction followed by a collection of personal quotes and sayings from the private journal (in 21 volumes) that Abbey had kept since 1948. These fragments, as Abbey calls them, vary in quality from the brilliant to the not quite so insightful. They are divided into 13 chapters: Philosophy, Religion, and So Forth; Good Manners; Government and Politics; Life and Death and All That; On Writing and Writers, Books and Art; Sport; Music; On Women, Love, Sex, Et Cetera; On Nature; Science and Technology; Money, Et Cetera; On Cows and Dogs and Horses; and Places.
For me, the first chapter, on religion and philosophy, contained by far the best material. Chapter three, on government and politics, wasn't bad either, and there were some gems scattered in most of the other chapters as well. One chapter were Abbey's wisdom failed, however, was the one on science and technology. Abbey, like the "desert philosopher" that he was, couldn't, unfortunately, like so many others, see that the only hope for nature and the environment is the continued use of science and the continued development of future technology, so that the need for the exploitation of nature will at some point disappear. People will always be consumers, which is why the "back to nature" idiocy could never work, not to mention that very few sane people would really want to live like animals, in "harmony" with nature, when the going starts getting tough. So the thing to do is to find a way for people to continue being consumers without harming the environment. And this can, and will, be accomplished only through science and future technology.
Back to the book. A Voice Crying is an absolute treasure trove for people looking for Edward Abbey quotes. There are many memorable one-liners, and some longer quotations as well (to about half a page in length). Abbey's atheist and libertarian anarchist opinions make his thoughts all the more enjoyable for those few people in this world who are still sane and rational. Recommended.
The book is illustrated by Andrew Rush.

Vox et Abbey! Fantastic little book!, 01 Dec 1996
After Ed's passing, there were many holes, despite the prolific nature of the self proclaimed bastard. This small book offers a wonderful insight into the man behind the Monkey Wrench. Through his journals, poems and other unpublished work, another ray of desert sunlight falls upon Ed's hulking form. We miss you Abbey, but this eases the emptiness a little!

a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a southwestern classic, 24 Aug 1999
this is a story about how the southwest was violated by the atomic age. but that's not what makes it so good. it's strength is the amazing writing style of early abbey. it reminds one of stephan crane and high noon. you can feel the heat in the organ mountains in summer. you can smell the sage brush. read edward abbey at his best!

Bishop Love dies again..., 29 Jun 2006
I absolutely loved the Monkey Wrench Gang and thought it was well written, funny, well-paced and so satirical and cynical that it put shame to anything previously written. To me, it should've ended as it did, on a cliffhanger... literally.

The sequel is a more virile, hated stab at the failings of Earth First! that was created in Abbey's image and is a much slower-paced book as Abbey has a tendency to wallow in his general irritation by everything. The same characters return, Sarvis, Seldom Seen, Abbzug and of course Hayduke to tackle the GOLIATH carving it's way across Arizona and destroying nature in it's path. However, not a lot really happens except Hadyke trying to round everyone up for a second run and Earth First! (and a hidden "Fuzzy Bookchin" guest appearance!) making a mess of their own chaos. But then again, Abbey wanted a Christ-like organisation in his image and when it didn't live up to his expectations he was a little disenchanted and disillusioned.

Despite the lack of exceptionalism that made "The Monkey Wrench Gang", "Hayduke Lives" does have some exceptional moments, and without trying to give too much away, Bishop Love munching on uranium, getting his ever-so-needed 12th wife and a spy on the gang to make sure they don't get up to no good means that there are some great laughs to be had on the way.

"Hayduke Lives" is a bit of a confused book but doesn't leave to the imagination what the end of "The Monkey Wrench Gang" did and should have done so it drags it's heels at time. That said, I read terrible reviews slating the book, went out and read it anyway and am now slating it - so give it a read anyway to have an opinion about it. It's not Abbey's best work and it's patchy but for the sequence with the GOLIATH at the end it's worth a go.

Rusty Monkey Wrench, 10 Oct 2005
I'm pretty high up in the Edward Abbey disciple stakes. The man's a brilliant writer...a sage...a prophet...a wit...a revolutionary and an inspiration to anyone who shares his green vision.
Furthermore,his political incorrecetness and his determination to plough his own furrow mark him out from the vegan fascists who do so much to damage the cause of envirionmentalism with their po faced fundementalism.
After saying that.'Hayduke Lives' is a disappointment after the wonderfully cinematic vision of 'The Monkey Wrench Gang'. Ed is going through the motions.A contrived and rather silly final excursion for the gang.
Goes to show....quit while your ahead. Thank God Abbey continued to write fine essays-published in various collections- right up to his death.
If you haven't read Abbey yet. Don't start with this novel. It could be your last and his genius doesn't deserve that.

Way Below Ed's Usual Standard, 12 Jun 1999
Much as I enjoy Edward Abbey's work, I was very disappointed by this book. True, the characters are there, but nothing much happens to them. And sure, there is some monkey wrenching in defense of what is really important, but the story itself is barely there at all -- a succession of small and extraordinarily repetitive vignettes. There are humorous moments, mostly when he is poking fun at himself, but they're few and far between. Lots of sexual meandering, natural description of the Four Corners area, the usual avalances of wordplay, and some violence (most corporate, but a final Lone act that seems gratuitous). It's still Ed Abbey, but he's nowhere near his best. Given that it's only available in a pricey trade paperback, I'd skip it. The two stars are relative to his other work, not to books in general.

Excellent sequel to Monkey Wrench Gang, 09 Jun 1998
This book was not as much a continuation of Monkey Wrench Gang as it was a reunion event. The gang gets back together for one final BANG!! Other than that, the novel stands as a wonderful window into the early days of Earth First! This is an essential read for anyone who gives a damn about the wilderness.

The voice is still echoing, 25 Feb 2004
The voice is silent now, but the echoes will remain. This was Edward Abbey's last book, published the same year that he died. It's a very brief book, containing a short introduction followed by a collection of personal quotes and sayings from the private journal (in 21 volumes) that Abbey had kept since 1948. These fragments, as Abbey calls them, vary in quality from the brilliant to the not quite so insightful. They are divided into 13 chapters: Philosophy, Religion, and So Forth; Good Manners; Government and Politics; Life and Death and All That; On Writing and Writers, Books and Art; Sport; Music; On Women, Love, Sex, Et Cetera; On Nature; Science and Technology; Money, Et Cetera; On Cows and Dogs and Horses; and Places.
For me, the first chapter, on religion and philosophy, contained by far the best material. Chapter three, on government and politics, wasn't bad either, and there were some gems scattered in most of the other chapters as well. One chapter were Abbey's wisdom failed, however, was the one on science and technology. Abbey, like the "desert philosopher" that he was, couldn't, unfortunately, like so many others, see that the only hope for nature and the environment is the continued use of science and the continued development of future technology, so that the need for the exploitation of nature will at some point disappear. People will always be consumers, which is why the "back to nature" idiocy could never work, not to mention that very few sane people would really want to live like animals, in "harmony" with nature, when the going starts getting tough. So the thing to do is to find a way for people to continue being consumers without harming the environment. And this can, and will, be accomplished only through science and future technology.
Back to the book. A Voice Crying is an absolute treasure trove for people looking for Edward Abbey quotes. There are many memorable one-liners, and some longer quotations as well (to about half a page in length). Abbey's atheist and libertarian anarchist opinions make his thoughts all the more enjoyable for those few people in this world who are still sane and rational. Recommended.
The book is illustrated by Andrew Rush.

Vox et Abbey! Fantastic little book!, 01 Dec 1996
After Ed's passing, there were many holes, despite the prolific nature of the self proclaimed bastard. This small book offers a wonderful insight into the man behind the Monkey Wrench. Through his journals, poems and other unpublished work, another ray of desert sunlight falls upon Ed's hulking form. We miss you Abbey, but this eases the emptiness a little!

Abbey is great, but this collection is not his best, 14 Jul 1999
Do not let this book be your introduction to Edward Abbey. There is plenty of brilliance here, but an established fan will be able to appreciate that brilliance best.

A disappointing first introduction to Ed Abbey, 02 Apr 1998
This was my first introduction to the well known author, Edward Abbey. My impression was that Abbey wrote with a strong environmental voice and was an advocate of wildlands. Instead, I read about a man who kicks animals that don't get out of his way, who drags trashed cars through the Australian outback, who tosses his empty wine bottles into remote canyons,and who expresses a superior attitude to just about everybody. His writing style is highly variable, ranging from sophomoric (usually) to pure Americana (very occasionally). When he hits the latter, he can rival Mark Twain, which is probably why he enjoys the reputation he does. However, this reputation obviously wasn't made with the essays contained in this anthology. Folks looking for an introduction to Abbey are advised to try another book.

Wistfully Abbey's best desert writing outside USA, 26 Jun 1996
This wistful collection of essays captures the spirit, the essence of the great deserts of Australia and Mexico. There is a yearning for all that is wild in the great Australian outback which captures the reader's inner core. Abbey makes clear that though Australia is his kind of place he is obliged to return to his mother country. He captures the spirit of place by describing the weird smells emanating from gedgi trees, the bitter taste of Aussie Black Swan lager, the distant and near views of Ayers Rock, his longing for an Aussie barmaid who almost accepts his invitation to travel with him in a rented 2-wheel drive vehicle across the impenetrable western desert. He captures the Australian or Strine vernacular and the desperation of the modern aborigine. This yearning of Abbey carries over onto a desert isle off the coast of Mexico where there's not much but isolation, scarce water, no women, and beans for dinner. That's pure Abbey.

a rip-roaring adventure, 07 Oct 2007
This is one of those books that takes over your life for the days that you read it, getting time to spend with this book will be a priority.

Although written in 1975 it doesn't seem dated, in fact far from it as Abbey's attitude to environmental concerns isn't very PC and so refreshing from that point of view. He is able to describe the feelings of the desert with a rare clarity and mix that with the horrors of industrial exploitation of the landscape.

It may have an environmental theme, but the main thrust of the story is a high octane adventure, made appealing because the protagonists are such an odd ball collection of characters.

The best film never made, 16 Oct 2005
Forget Indiana Jones....The Monkey Wrench Gang would make any of the Speilberg/Ford IJ franchise films look like earnest Chekov plays if it ever made it onto the silver screen.
Abbey writes a cinematic epic charged with humour,passion and love.
The love of wilderness and the loathing of capitalist 'progress' which sees the great canyons and deserts of the American South West raped in the name of commerce.
Abbey's hostility towards the corporate/government sponsored eco vandals and his direct action response articulated in the pages of TMWG, inspired those who shared his vision to create a powerful environmental group 'Earth First'.
Now... How many books can claim to have started a green revolution !

Stark for grown-ups, 18 Jun 2002
The Green political movement does not have its equivalent of the Communist Manifesto, possibly because it does not have a single ideological strain. What it does have is The Monkey Wrench Gang for inspiration, to return to when campaigning and personality politics has left you jaded.

Telling the tale of an odd-ball quartet of radical environmentalists (monkey-wrenchers, so-called because they stick a literal and metaphorical monkey-wrench into the machinery of environmental degradation) as they look for ever more effective and devastating ways of preventing the rape of the American wilderness.

Accusations of racism and sexism would not be completely unfounded but Abbey was exploring new political terrain...

A funny but very stimulating view of environemtal issues, 01 Nov 1999
I first encountered this book whilst travelling in Utah and Arizona many years ago. However, it remains a firm favorite and is a book I have recommended to many friends. Edward Abbey paints a picture of how we are destroying our environment with little regard for anything but monetary value. However. he wraps this message in a exciting story that is a is so much more than just a campaign gimmick. It is far from a 'heavy' read but underneath it packs a powerful punch.

a southwestern classic, 24 Aug 1999
this is a story about how the southwest was violated by the atomic age. but that's not what makes it so good. it's strength is the amazing writing style of early abbey. it reminds one of stephan crane and high noon. you can feel the heat in the organ mountains in summer. you can smell the sage brush. read edward abbey at his best!

Bishop Love dies again..., 29 Jun 2006
I absolutely loved the Monkey Wrench Gang and thought it was well written, funny, well-paced and so satirical and cynical that it put shame to anything previously written. To me, it should've ended as it did, on a cliffhanger... literally.

The sequel is a more virile, hated stab at the failings of Earth First! that was created in Abbey's image and is a much slower-paced book as Abbey has a tendency to wallow in his general irritation by everything. The same characters return, Sarvis, Seldom Seen, Abbzug and of course Hayduke to tackle the GOLIATH carving it's way across Arizona and destroying nature in it's path. However, not a lot really happens except Hadyke trying to round everyone up for a second run and Earth First! (and a hidden "Fuzzy Bookchin" guest appearance!) making a mess of their own chaos. But then again, Abbey wanted a Christ-like organisation in his image and when it didn't live up to his expectations he was a little disenchanted and disillusioned.

Despite the lack of exceptionalism that made "The Monkey Wrench Gang", "Hayduke Lives" does have some exceptional moments, and without trying to give too much away, Bishop Love munching on uranium, getting his ever-so-needed 12th wife and a spy on the gang to make sure they don't get up to no good means that there are some great laughs to be had on the way.

"Hayduke Lives" is a bit of a confused book but doesn't leave to the imagination what the end of "The Monkey Wrench Gang" did and should have done so it drags it's heels at time. That said, I read terrible reviews slating the book, went out and read it anyway and am now slating it - so give it a read anyway to have an opinion about it. It's not Abbey's best work and it's patchy but for the sequence with the GOLIATH at the end it's worth a go.

Rusty Monkey Wrench, 10 Oct 2005
I'm pretty high up in the Edward Abbey disciple stakes. The man's a brilliant writer...a sage...a prophet...a wit...a revolutionary and an inspiration to anyone who shares his green vision.
Furthermore,his political incorrecetness and his determination to plough his own furrow mark him out from the vegan fascists who do so much to damage the cause of envirionmentalism with their po faced fundementalism.
After saying that.'Hayduke Lives' is a disappointment after the wonderfully cinematic vision of 'The Monkey Wrench Gang'. Ed is going through the motions.A contrived and rather silly final excursion for the gang.
Goes to show....quit while your ahead. Thank God Abbey continued to write fine essays-published in various collections- right up to his death.
If you haven't read Abbey yet. Don't start with this novel. It could be your last and his genius doesn't deserve that.

Way Below Ed's Usual Standard, 12 Jun 1999
Much as I enjoy Edward Abbey's work, I was very disappointed by this book. True, the characters are there, but nothing much happens to them. And sure, there is some monkey wrenching in defense of what is really important, but the story itself is barely there at all -- a succession of small and extraordinarily repetitive vignettes. There are humorous moments, mostly when he is poking fun at himself, but they're few and far between. Lots of sexual meandering, natural description of the Four Corners area, the usual avalances of wordplay, and some violence (most corporate, but a final Lone act that seems gratuitous). It's still Ed Abbey, but he's nowhere near his best. Given that it's only available in a pricey trade paperback, I'd skip it. The two stars are relative to his other work, not to books in general.

Excellent sequel to Monkey Wrench Gang, 09 Jun 1998
This book was not as much a continuation of Monkey Wrench Gang as it was a reunion event. The gang gets back together for one final BANG!! Other than that, the novel stands as a wonderful window into the early days of Earth First! This is an essential read for anyone who gives a damn about the wilderness.

The voice is still echoing, 25 Feb 2004
The voice is silent now, but the echoes will remain. This was Edward Abbey's last book, published the same year that he died. It's a very brief book, containing a short introduction followed by a collection of personal quotes and sayings from the private journal (in 21 volumes) that Abbey had kept since 1948. These fragments, as Abbey calls them, vary in quality from the brilliant to the not quite so insightful. They are divided into 13 chapters: Philosophy, Religion, and So Forth; Good Manners; Government and Politics; Life and Death and All That; On Writing and Writers, Books and Art; Sport; Music; On Women, Love, Sex, Et Cetera; On Nature; Science and Technology; Money, Et Cetera; On Cows and Dogs and Horses; and Places.
For me, the first chapter, on religion and philosophy, contained by far the best material. Chapter three, on government and politics, wasn't bad either, and there were some gems scattered in most of the other chapters as well. One chapter were Abbey's wisdom failed, however, was the one on science and technology. Abbey, like the "desert philosopher" that he was, couldn't, unfortunately, like so many others, see that the only hope for nature and the environment is the continued use of science and the continued development of future technology, so that the need for the exploitation of nature will at some point disappear. People will always be consumers, which is why the "back to nature" idiocy could never work, not to mention that very few sane people would really want to live like animals, in "harmony" with nature, when the going starts getting tough. So the thing to do is to find a way for people to continue being consumers without harming the environment. And this can, and will, be accomplished only through science and future technology.
Back to the book. A Voice Crying is an absolute treasure trove for people looking for Edward Abbey quotes. There are many memorable one-liners, and some longer quotations as well (to about half a page in length). Abbey's atheist and libertarian anarchist opinions make his thoughts all the more enjoyable for those few people in this world who are still sane and rational. Recommended.
The book is illustrated by Andrew Rush.

Vox et Abbey! Fantastic little book!, 01 Dec 1996
After Ed's passing, there were many holes, despite the prolific nature of the self proclaimed bastard. This small book offers a wonderful insight into the man behind the Monkey Wrench. Through his journals, poems and other unpublished work, another ray of desert sunlight falls upon Ed's hulking form. We miss you Abbey, but this eases the emptiness a little!

Abbey is great, but this collection is not his best, 14 Jul 1999
Do not let this book be your introduction to Edward Abbey. There is plenty of brilliance here, but an established fan will be able to appreciate that brilliance best.

A disappointing first introduction to Ed Abbey, 02 Apr 1998
This was my first introduction to the well known author, Edward Abbey. My impression was that Abbey wrote with a strong environmental voice and was an advocate of wildlands. Instead, I read about a man who kicks animals that don't get out of his way, who drags trashed cars through the Australian outback, who tosses his empty wine bottles into remote canyons,and who expresses a superior attitude to just about everybody. His writing style is highly variable, ranging from sophomoric (usually) to pure Americana (very occasionally). When he hits the latter, he can rival Mark Twain, which is probably why he enjoys the reputation he does. However, this reputation obviously wasn't made with the essays contained in this anthology. Folks looking for an introduction to Abbey are advised to try another book.

Wistfully Abbey's best desert writing outside USA, 26 Jun 1996
This wistful collection of essays captures the spirit, the essence of the great deserts of Australia and Mexico. There is a yearning for all that is wild in the great Australian outback which captures the reader's inner core. Abbey makes clear that though Australia is his kind of place he is obliged to return to his mother country. He captures the spirit of place by describing the weird smells emanating from gedgi trees, the bitter taste of Aussie Black Swan lager, the distant and near views of Ayers Rock, his longing for an Aussie barmaid who almost accepts his invitation to travel with him in a rented 2-wheel drive vehicle across the impenetrable western desert. He captures the Australian or Strine vernacular and the desperation of the modern aborigine. This yearning of Abbey carries over onto a desert isle off the coast of Mexico where there's not much but isolation, scarce water, no women, and beans for dinner. That's pure Abbey.

An excellent introduction to Edward Abbey's work, 23 May 1998
After reading this collection, which serves as a retrospective of the writin career of one of the better SW writers, I was left with a feeling that the selection could have been better, but this probably reflects my own eclectic readings of his work. Abbey's writings always seemed uneven, particularly in his fiction. His comments about the role of the independent writer versus that of the commercial hired of the establishment press seems right on. In spite of his many years of part-time non-writing service to various agencies he still managed to maintain his freedom to say what he wished about the rot he saw in the management of public lands. I suspect that he was always a bit shocked about how cheaply managers of public linds could be bought off. As a review of his lifetime of writing the book is excellent. McCrae includes some of his fiction, both the excellent ("The Brave Cowboy") and only fair (The Monkey Wrench Gang"). The sampling from his writings might be occasionally dated, but are still mostly relevant to the problems of the SW. His polemic about the cowboy ("Free Speech - The cowboy ans his cow") clearly points to the problems of allowing anything like an unrestricted use of and romanticism about what can easily become an extractive industry. At the same time Abbey's followers should have a difficult time justapositionng his sense of anarchy with this complaints about the institutional anarchy of commercial capitalism. To finish. A good read and certainly worthwhile for someone new to Abbey's work while being a fair sample of his writings for a person with only a passing acquaintance with the writings of one of the West's best essayist. The closing comments in Wendell Berry's poem about his friend are most appropriate.