THE GREAT YELLOWSTONE FIRE

While covering much the same ground as Ekey's Fire! and Patent's Yellowstone Fires, this of the recent books on the subject is the best in putting the 1988 fires into a historical perspective and in its arresting, crisply reproduced color photos (though Patent's book, p. 429/C-79, is a close second). The debate on whether or not to control natural fires is recapitulated intelligently; dramatic incidents as the fires threatened buildings, tourists, and wildlife are recounted without sensationalism; and the process of regeneration is movingly described. Well organized, gracefully written and beautifully produced. No index.