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The Golden Spruce
- A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
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Publisher's Summary
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD FOR NON-FICTION • WINNER OF THE WRITERS’ TRUST NON-FICTION PRIZE
The spellbinding true story of one man’s obsession and the destruction of a glorious natural wonder.
On a winter night in 1997, a British Columbia timber scout named Grant Hadwin committed an act of shocking violence in the mythic Queen Charlotte Islands. His victim was legendary: a unique 300-year-old Sitka spruce tree, fifty metres tall and covered with luminous golden needles.
In a bizarre environmental protest, Hadwin attacked the tree with a chainsaw. Two days later, it fell, horrifying an entire community. Not only was the golden spruce a scientific marvel and a tourist attraction, it was sacred to the Haida people and beloved by local loggers. Shortly after confessing to the crime, Hadwin disappeared under suspicious circumstances and is missing to this day.
As John Vaillant deftly braids together the strands of this thrilling mystery, he brings to life the ancient beauty of the coastal wilderness, the historical collision of Europeans and the Haida, and the harrowing world of logging—the most dangerous land-based job in North America.
What the critics say
2005, Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award, Non-fiction Book of the Year, Nominated
2005, Governor General's Literary Award - Nonfiction, Winner
2006, Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Non-Fiction Prize, Winner
2006, Kiriyama Prize for Nonfiction, Nominated
"A page-turner as dramatic as a novel.... The story is as majestic as the golden spruce, and we are fortunate to have a writer of Vaillant’s exceptional skill to tell the tale." (Vancouver Sun)
“Balanced and gracefully written. . . .Vaillant explores the subtleties of [Hadwin’s] inner conflicts. . . . Vaillant’s multi-layered book is a rich investigation of all the factors that went into Hadwin’s act of arboreal vandalism.” (Edmonton Journal)
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What listeners say about The Golden Spruce
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Brendan Harris
- 2022-11-25
masterpiece.
Everyone from British Columbia should read or listen to the Golden Spruce. This book perfectly captures the beauty and complexity of our home and dives deeply - and fairly into the paradoxes we live with every day.
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- Alex Young
- 2021-05-17
Okay. Maybe speed up narration.
Narrator sounded a little sleepy. I went at 1.05 speed. Other than that, great story!
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- Helen
- 2022-07-03
Fascinating, brilliant, heartbreaking
One of the best books I have read. Reads like prose. Should be taught and studied in school. Brilliant.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2022-12-04
A must read for all
A riveting historical account of the history of the old growth trees, the timber industry in Western North America and the Native peoples whom were so effected by both. Interwoven with a facing account of the demise of one of the most famous old growth trees, the book shifts your perspective on our relationship with timber in a permanent and unique way.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-12-14
Riveting
Come for the story of the Golden Spruce and stay for the mesmerizing narration of multiple interwoven stories and history.
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- Amanda d
- 2024-04-14
This book has it all
History, education, suspense and intrigue....this story covers it all. Loved every bit of this one.
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- chris j.
- 2021-03-27
such an amazing story
loved every sentence. the story is great. read it for sure. Holy fork great book
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Overall
- James Burton
- 2021-07-31
Hadwin is a hero who understood how to succeed
A book that contains as much about life and the universe as it does about trees. Are myth and legend just that? Or are they really no different than science and fact, but simply misunderstood by modern man?
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- Adrienne L Bennest
- 2023-02-07
Great audiobook
Captivating history of the destruction of native culture and old growth forest in the Pacific Northwest.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-08-04
Narrator did not have correct pronunciations!
I grew up in Haida Gwaii and know many of the places and characters intimately. In the narration, many names were mispronounced, including Haida names. The story was riveting, but the narrator was distracting, dramatizing rather than allowing the reader to sink into the visual and emotional journey. I was continually rewinding for comprehension. I'm glad I listened to the complete story... it was a heartbreak for us all when the Islands lost the Golden Spruce, and now I understand so much more. I think it deserves a new narration to do the place and people names justice.
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