
The Golden Spruce
A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed
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Narrated by:
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Edoardo Ballerini
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By:
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John Vaillant
About this listen
A tale of obsession so fierce that a man kills the thing he loves most: The only giant golden spruce on earth.
As vividly as Jon Krakauer put readers on Everest, John Vaillant takes us into the heart of North America's last great forest, where trees grow to eighteen feet in diameter, sunlight never touches the ground, and the chainsaws are always at work.
When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, logger-turned-activist Grant Hadwin had plunged naked into a river in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw. When his night's work was done, a unique Sitka spruce, 165 feet tall and covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump. Two days later it fell.
The tree, a fascinating puzzle to scientists, was sacred to the Haida, a fierce seafaring tribe based in the Queen Charlottes. Vaillant recounts the bloody history of the Haida and the early fur trade, and provides harrowing details of the logging industry, whose omnivorous violence would claim both Hadwin and the golden spruce.
©2005 John Vaillant (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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When We Cease to Understand the World
- By: Benjamin Labatut, Adrian West - translator
- Narrated by: Adam Barr
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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When We Cease to Understand the World is a book about the complicated links between scientific and mathematical discovery, madness, and destruction. Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger - these are some of the luminaries into whose troubled lives Benjamín Labatut thrusts the listener, showing us how they grappled with the most profound questions of existence.
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the true heir w.g. sebald
- By Thomas on 12-23-21
By: Benjamin Labatut, and others
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The River of Doubt
- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.
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This audiobook deserves 6 stars
- By D. Littman on 11-15-05
By: Candice Millard
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The Wide Wide Sea
- Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook
- By: Hampton Sides
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment? Hampton Sides’ bravura account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration.
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Detailed story of third voyage
- By Sammi on 04-18-24
By: Hampton Sides
What listeners say about The Golden Spruce
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- Amanda D
- 02-18-20
Instant favorite
So good I will listen again soon. was excited for my commute for a week just to continue the book. Amazed that this was the author's first book. Flows very well and keeps you engaged. Definitely a book that changes you in positive ways. LISTEN!!
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- Susan
- 05-09-22
Lyrical and Powerful
This was an amazing story told by a master. It is also a difficult, heart-rending tale on so many levels. it was one of those books that causes a lot of internal shifting, since the truths, both on a personal and planetary level, are so consumately and deeply tragic. All this while bathing in language so lyrical that it creates its own teleportation. The perfect narrator. Don't miss it. Be prepared to weep.
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- PugetSoundBookworm
- 08-17-17
Fascinating history
This book stretches out a what seems like a simple story of environmental terrorism by giving a ton of background. Going back not just centuries, but providing events in the context of millennia - weaving the disparate facts, opinions, and myths into one fascinating book. While at times the historical diversions seemed a little long winded, especially in the middle of the climactic act, it didn't annoy me & somehow worked. I really enjoyed the thorough exploration and deep history of the story presented in this book. My one complaint about the audio book performance is the mispronunciation of "Weyerhaeuser" - this was grating, plus there's no excuse because they have commercials on the internet where this can be checked.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Julia R. Christenson
- 01-06-17
excellent story, narrated beautifully
This is an amazing historical piece of work. If you love the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest this is a must-read.
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- Jordyn Warren
- 03-25-20
Vaillant is a master!
Vaillant is one of the greatest writers of his generation! His writing style and rhythm makes is stories an unforgettable experience! I first fell in love with "The Tiger," which is one of my favorite books of all time! I then backed up to his earlier work, "The Golden Spruce" and was able to appreciate his work all over again! Thanks!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Chelsie Sheflo
- 05-22-22
Inspiring book and flawless audio
This is an amazing story and insightful work. The audio conveys the greatest of these words.
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- fanboy
- 11-03-16
One of my all time favorites!
What made the experience of listening to The Golden Spruce the most enjoyable?
I love this audio book! It's easily one of my top 5 favorites. The story is terrific, the writing is wonderful and the performance is a perfect match for the text. This is one of the very few audio books I have listened to 3 times.
What other book might you compare The Golden Spruce to and why?
Boy's in the Boat. Unbroken. Seabiscuit. The Tiger
What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?
His voice is wonderful and he seamlessly takes the listener into the world of the story.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
not quite
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 01-01-20
Terrific
If you are at all attuned to the wonders of the natural world, this is terrific, informative content. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.
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- MW
- 02-04-19
FABULOUS STORY
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND A FASCINATING TRUE STORY. ANY OUTDOOR LOVER WILL RESONATE WITH THE GOLDEN SPRUCE.
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- n.a
- 08-09-24
An excellent dive into a pnw story that was new to me!
I enjoyed the story of the golden spruce. The book gives good background to varying generations of loggers, local tribes and of course the Spruce.
“800 years to grow and 25 minutes to cut down” really puts into perspective how invaluable our wooded resources are. Yet as the book goes into there have been early “environmentalists” publishing such a forecast 100’s of years before.
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