Cry Of The Panther: Quest Of A Species Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Returning from Vietnam carrying lead in his back and the jungle in his mind, the author disappears into the Florida Everglades, the one place in America most like the jungles of Vietnam. He begins to track the endangered Florida panther to save it--and himself.
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pineapple Press (July 1, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1561641189
ISBN-13: 978-1561641185
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #2,440,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #94 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides > Mammals #2374 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Mammals #2868 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Wildlife
It is no wonder that "Cry of the Panther" by James P. McMullen has been issued in three separate printings since its debut, for it truly is a remarkable book. First pubished in 1984 as a hard cover version by Pineapple Press, it was picked up the next year by McGraw-Hill for the paperback edition, which became a New York Times best seller. Then, in 1996, Pineapple Press reissued "Cry" in soft cover, which developed a whole new following that continues to this day.Perhaps it also no wonder, then, that this outstanding example of poetical true-story telling, which the late James Dickey called genius, would have its imitators; all great artists must suffer that indignity, it seems, if they live long enough. The incredible thing, though, is that a foreign author has curiously taken McMullen's title for a very different, fictional story that actually cries out for a more appropriate appellation. Indeed, the name "Cry of the Panther" seems to have been dragged in by the hind legs; surely, it's a long reach even for a metaphor here.Now, while titles themselves cannot be copyrighted, what would motivate an author/publisher to choose an extant title and an ill-fitting one, at that--book sales by association? Just coincidence, some might allow. But is "Books in Print" unavailable in Scotland?Undoubtedly, author McMullen will take no comfort in the oft-quoted words of Charles Caleb Colton, "Imitation is the sicerest of flattery." For mistaken identity among the book-buying public, especially on the internet, can be harmful to any author. And another hard fact in this computer age of easy access is that we see more and more irresponsible writers "borrowing" other authors' works with impunity, not to mention out-and-out plagiarism. Often, if they are challenged, they merely explain away their behavior with pathetic emanations, like the recent ones we've heard from big-name authors.So just what is it about good books, then, that prompts some writers to appropriate them or their parts with such indifference? Why, it is the same as for any pirate--easy gold. Gold like the 14-karat threads that weave McMullen's odyssey into a most compelling narrataive of good vs. evil. Gold that shines like a beacon, revealing man's clumsy efforts to manage our planet's resources. Gold like the timeliness and timelessness that bind the pages of "Cry of the Panther" into our hearts and minds. Irresistible stuff, indeed--the kind of thing writers wish they'd said themselves, and which some would like to believe they have, if only by some feeble connection.This time, fortunately, it's not that easy; McMullen's book is imcomparable. Set in the great but rapidly shrinking expanse of wilderness known as the Florida Everglades, the story unfolds in brillant depictions of the swamps blended with flashbacks from this Vietnam veteran's mind as he sets out, using his U.S. Marine training and experience, to track the disappearing Florida panther. How can this majestic animal not be surviving? he wonders. So begins this man's hopeful quest for traces of a species, the disappearance of which could be a prescient signal of our own demise. And the cry he hears in that wilderness is surely for all of us.McMullen's book is also about the experience of self-discovery, not only for himself but the reader as well: he takes you with him through the labyrinth of jungle, natural and man-made, over barriers that can hide from us our real purpose for being. If you read James P. McMullen's "Cry of the Panther," you will certainly participate in his epiphany, albeit vicariously. But you can't take it away from him nor make it yours, for it is uniquely his alone. All of it.--H. D. Rudenshiold
I am on my third time reading "Cry of the Panther" and each time I see the Everglades in a new light. McMullen has an uncanny ability of making the reader feel like they are THERE with him whether it be in Viet Nam or in the swamps looking for the elusive cat. "Cry.." also makes you think hard about your part in saving the Everglades and perhaps angry at progress and it's encroachment upon the pristine nature of the Glades. Thank you for allowing me the enjoyment of an incredible book. This is a MUST READ for all Floridians, especially.
I found the story very haunting and important, important because it saved two lives, the cats and Jim Mcmullens. His is more important to me than the Florida cat. I'm sure he has more inside him than the story of the cat. He has family that had to put up with him on his trek into the wilderness and his life in Nam was the breaking point and starting point of the guy I once called "Muck". Really, a gentle person and someone I did not know well enough to call a true friend but well enough to say I knew him and trusted him. His story is real.
I'm fascinated by Felis Concolor (puma, cougar, panther), so this book is in my feline/cat section of my library. It's a first hand account from the military tracker turned conservationist who learned all about the Florida Panthers by observing them in the wild. No staged scenes with Jim Fowler for the TV series "Wild Kingdom", no camera or staff, just James McMullen using his own wits to figure things out in the Florida Everglades. How I wish he had a helmet-camera with him, all the things he described! Armed with only words, he shares the intense experiences that few will ever know. I hope he's still active defending the Florida Panthers from encroachment by real estate developers.
If you love to read, this should be on your "bucket list". Great books--sometimes they must be passed on to nurture another. Such was my signed first-edition copy of "Cry of the Panther", which I owned for many years. I only read it once, when I was younger and more resilient, but I've cherished it all these years for the difference it made in my life. What a remarkable book--it is the beautiful, haunting story of a warrior seeking to restore himself through the quest of this near-mythical cat. I gave my copy away just this spring to a very brave woman I met along the way. It felt like one of those immutably-right things to do.
I read this book to my children all under 12 and it was great. We enjoyed the insight to what vietnam was like after studing the vietnam war this past summer. We also loved the feeling of being on the hunt for the panther. For all outdoors men/women this is a must. It is also a must for anyone who really wants to know what living with vietnam is really like.
I am not finished with this book, but it is well written and compelling. I was very happy with Jenson, the used book dealer.
Excellent condition.
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