Holy Old MacKinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack

by Stewart H. Holbrook

Book by Stewart Holbrook

Genres: Nonfiction, Historical, History

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Stewart Hall Holbrook (1893 - 1964) was an American lumberjack, writer, and popular historian. His writings focused on what he called the "Far Corner" - Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. A self-proclaimed "low-brow" historian, his topics included Ethan Allen, the railroads, the timber industry, the Wobblies, and eccentrics of the Pacific Northwest.

He wrote for The Oregonian for over thirty years, and authored dozens of books. He also produced a number of paintings under the pseudonym of "Mr. Otis."

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for epic tales of burly men who were as tough as the ax handles they swung, men with no fear of death, with no respect for God's creation, always looking for more lumber over the hump - and pissing all their hard-earned money away for a few days each year on liquor and whores - if you are looking for such things, told in the style of campfire lore and tall tales, by a man who was no stranger to lumberjacks - pick up this book and you'll be walking around barefoot on frozen mats of pine needles and swilling rot gut in no time.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is a book about lumberjacks and the hard living men that followed that trade. But it is so much more. It is a history of the way the United States grew and the political background that was true then and is true now. It follows the migration of the timber industry from New England to the midwest to the Pacific Northwest and also shows how the attitude of "endless resources" was unrecognized until too late. Like the fisheries timber was cut first for the expensive stuff, later re-logged for lesser value product. There is a whole lot of history - political history, human history - between the tales of hard work and drunken debauchery. Mr. Holbrook was writing about the human condition.

[Ethan Eklund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that Stewart Hall Holbrook did an excellent job at writing this book. I like the author's interpretations of Jigger Jones and Silver Jack, who are real world timber falling legends! I enjoyed the short stories about things like the Peshtigo Fire, Scandinavian immigrants, and log pirates. Holbrook sounded like a historian who really knew what he was talking about, but was never formal throughout the entirety of the book, which I like. I would have liked to spend more time reading this book, but I am afraid that I just didn't have that much time, maybe I will give it a second read in the future. Mostly I just wish that it would have had more sales, so that more people could read this great book.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this is a book my dad gave me. Says it is really good. TIMBER......

Very interesting, but a bit hard to read. It was written in 1938! I read The Big Burn right before this and it contrasted nicely with that book. This book was about the timber barons and chopping down the forest and Big Burn was about how the timber barons were chopping down the forest and the conservationists were trying to save it. Very good historial perspectives in both.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history of the American lumberjack chuck full of sin and debauchery. Not a sweeping history of American logging, but the tales of hard drinking, fast women, and brute strength speak volumes about how important the logger was in terms of our Nation's culture and ideology.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the greatest book ever written on the history of loggers!

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! Kind of looks like an old-fogey book, but I'm glad I read it---pleasantly surprised! Love local history!