American Buffalo Audiobook By Steven Rinella cover art

American Buffalo

In Search of a Lost Icon

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American Buffalo

By: Steven Rinella
Narrated by: Steven Rinella
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About this listen

From the host of the Travel Channel’s The Wild Within.

A hunt for the American buffalo - an adventurous, fascinating examination of an animal that has haunted the American imagination.

In 2005, Steven Rinella won a lottery permit to hunt for a wild buffalo, or American bison, in the Alaskan wilderness. Despite the odds - there’s only a two percent chance of drawing the permit, and fewer than 20 percent of those hunters are successful - Rinella managed to kill a buffalo on a snow-covered mountainside and then raft the meat back to civilization while being trailed by grizzly bears and suffering from hypothermia. Throughout these adventures, Rinella found himself contemplating his own place among the 14,000 years’ worth of buffalo hunters in North America, as well as the buffalo’s place in the American experience. At the time of the Revolutionary War, North America was home to approximately 40 million buffalo, the largest herd of big mammals on the planet, but by the mid-1890s only a few hundred remained. Now that the buffalo is on the verge of a dramatic ecological recovery across the West, Americans are faced with the challenge of how, and if, we can dare to share our land with a beast that is the embodiment of the American wilderness.

American Buffalo is a narrative tale of Rinella’s hunt. But beyond that, it is the story of the many ways in which the buffalo has shaped our national identity. Rinella takes us across the continent in search of the buffalo’s past, present, and future: to the Bering Land Bridge, where scientists search for buffalo bones amid artifacts of the New World’s earliest human inhabitants; to buffalo jumps where Native Americans once ran buffalo over cliffs by the thousands; to the Detroit Carbon works, a “bone charcoal” plant that made fortunes in the late 1800s by turning millions of tons of buffalo bones into bone meal, black dye, and fine china; and even to an abattoir turned fashion mecca in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, where a depressed buffalo named Black Diamond met his fate after serving as the model for the American nickel.

Rinella’s erudition and exuberance, combined with his gift for storytelling, make him the perfect guide for a book that combines outdoor adventure with a quirky blend of facts and observations about history, biology, and the natural world. Both a captivating narrative and a book of environmental and historical significance, American Buffalo tells us as much about ourselves as Americans as it does about the creature who perhaps best of all embodies the American ethos.

©2008, 2009 Steven Rinella (P)2019 Random House Audio
Americas Animals Biological Sciences Ecosystems & Habitats Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science United States Native American Hunting Wilderness Inspiring Funny Alaska

Critic reviews

“This is some of the best writing on our great national beast since George Catlin - and that was in 1841. A real triumph.” (Bill McKibben, author The Bill McKibben Reader)

“This is a big-game hunting story like no other: Steven Rinella is in search of an animal, quite literally. But also historically, existentially, and maybe even spiritually. Follow him on this curious armed quest - and, like him, you will quickly find yourself immersed in the fate of our mightiest and most talismanic beast.” (Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder)

“Moving and downright funny...Rinella writes with authority about the process of turning a living creature into steak, and easily renders an enormous amount of historical and scientific information into a thoroughly engaging narrative.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Masterful Storytelling • Dual Narrative Structure • Vivid Descriptions • Educational Content • Passionate Delivery
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A great meshing if the past and present, Rinella tells the story of the American Buffalo in a way that makes you feel as though it’s a buddy from home.

Without over dramatization, Rinella captures his adventure and the 200+ year adventure of the Buffalo in an engaging and page turning fashion. The use of his hunting/back country analogies gives the story a feel of a great fishing story with the detail and precision of a well read author.

Rinella’s back yard charm shines

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I bought this book in paperback several years ago. As I follow the meat eater show, podcast and read alot of his articles he published, when I saw it was he brought the book to audible I couldn't help myself. listening to smooth jazz that is Steve's voice is like listening to what I could only imagine what velvet would sound like if it had a soumd instead of a feel. I would recommend this book 100% to hunters, buffalo enthusiasts, nonhunters, vegans I mean you name it I'd tell them to read/listen to the book. ita excellently wrote and well narrated. 10/10 would listen, but dont take my word for it listen your self

amazing book!!!

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Rinella not only authors American Buffalo which is to me a spiritual examination of our American past but he manages to bring you into the past & even alongside him on his personal adventures. Amazing & Real!

Rinella & American Buffalo

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There are too many moments to recapture the depth of this book in a synapses. The author narrating his own book truly brought this piece to life. Coupled with well researched history lesson one gets to imagine what it would be like to hunt a wild buffalo in modern and past settings. Expression of so many feelings man faces are exemplified in the scenario of a truly amazing chase! A must read for all who seek a taste of realism and pride in a waning age of proud hunters.

An exhibition of emotions, adventure, and clarity!

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Steven is my favorite "celebrity". the way he narrates is very satisfying to listen to, and he seems to view the world the same way I do. one day, I hope to listen to another book from him that he also decides to narrate himself. 10/10 recommend to anyone who enjoys the wild outdoors/ hunting.

Fantastic Read/Listen

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Great story and written so well. This can be enjoyed by hunters and non hunters alike. Highly recommend!

Love it

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Absolutely amazing. An unbelievable amount of information and detail. Steve does a fantastic job narrating, which makes it that much better. I will be listening to this book again! Beautiful book.

Amazing.

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I haven’t listened to this yet, but 666 reviews just seemed no good for anyone.

Review 667

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This is a brief but informative history and story told with passion and appreciation. Steve has a way of picking your ass up out of your chair and placing you in the boots and moccasins of the people in this book. its like i had a front row seat behind the eyelids of Steve and the people involved in this adventure.

an eye opening step back in time

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An incredible and informing look into the history of America with an emphasis on the American Bison.

Incredible

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