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Lone Wolf
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 12, 2026
Way more political than I would have guessed, which I appreciated as the topic of wolves in Europe is very much a political issue as much as it is an environmental one. You'll learn (or re-discover) a few things about wolves, but this isn't a book about wolves in general, it's a book about one particular wolf and its journey and the impact it made on the people and regions he crossed.
August 14, 2026
On the whole, this is a good book. It’s well researched, covers a lot of ground and is an easy read.
But, it’s held back by clunky writing, used up cliches and loose editing.
The author is clearly a passionate traveller, explorer. But I wanted to learn more about wolves and was less interested in his ‘journey’. The first 100 pages are devoted to his route to Slovenia, how he came to be tracking this wolf, the people he met, etc. I’m sure to him v interesting but to me it was a bit repetitive and boring.
There are phrases such as “even if you could hear it - you, with your vastly inferior ears” like, yes I know a wolfs hearing is good we get it. This goes on throughout. He also uses terms like shit and piss constantly which I found grating. He also recounts every family he stayed with but these stories are all pretty much the same so think could have been shortened. Tighter editing would have been good.
This book sung when it actually talked about wolves. I loved what he had to say on wolf hybrids, wolves in folklore and hearing how farmers were coping. I would have loved more of this. But it very quickly went back to his walk in nature which was less interesting. A lot of these parts could be skimmed meaning you’ll read the book quickly.
I think he was distracted trying to make wider climate and political points in parts too. At one stage he says (or jokes) “I picture her nose and eyes above the waterline…breathing fast and regular, traversing the shipping lanes, alongside a boat of migrants that is bound for the same shore”. It was a clunky intervention to the narrative that left me questioning what his call to action was. No point was landed by these frequent pairings and it made the story difficult to follow at times. I think the point about wolves as interlopers was achieved and didnt need re explaining.
This was an interesting read and the author is clearly very well researched. But I think more time or help was needed in getting his findings down on paper in a pleasing, captivating narrative.
I take books on holiday then take them home for other people to read. I think I’ll be leaving this one here.
But, it’s held back by clunky writing, used up cliches and loose editing.
The author is clearly a passionate traveller, explorer. But I wanted to learn more about wolves and was less interested in his ‘journey’. The first 100 pages are devoted to his route to Slovenia, how he came to be tracking this wolf, the people he met, etc. I’m sure to him v interesting but to me it was a bit repetitive and boring.
There are phrases such as “even if you could hear it - you, with your vastly inferior ears” like, yes I know a wolfs hearing is good we get it. This goes on throughout. He also uses terms like shit and piss constantly which I found grating. He also recounts every family he stayed with but these stories are all pretty much the same so think could have been shortened. Tighter editing would have been good.
This book sung when it actually talked about wolves. I loved what he had to say on wolf hybrids, wolves in folklore and hearing how farmers were coping. I would have loved more of this. But it very quickly went back to his walk in nature which was less interesting. A lot of these parts could be skimmed meaning you’ll read the book quickly.
I think he was distracted trying to make wider climate and political points in parts too. At one stage he says (or jokes) “I picture her nose and eyes above the waterline…breathing fast and regular, traversing the shipping lanes, alongside a boat of migrants that is bound for the same shore”. It was a clunky intervention to the narrative that left me questioning what his call to action was. No point was landed by these frequent pairings and it made the story difficult to follow at times. I think the point about wolves as interlopers was achieved and didnt need re explaining.
This was an interesting read and the author is clearly very well researched. But I think more time or help was needed in getting his findings down on paper in a pleasing, captivating narrative.
I take books on holiday then take them home for other people to read. I think I’ll be leaving this one here.
October 21, 2026
Well written account of a man retracing the path of a wolf named Slavc that left the safety of his pack in Slovenia and travelled to Lessinia in Northern Italy. The book is more political and historical than I expected. This isn’t quite what I was after when I picked it up but I learned a lot. My favourite parts are the author scrabbling up mountain paths and down valleys trying his best to honour the route Slavc took. I also liked reading about the kindness and humanity displayed by many of the locals the author stayed with, even those who held strong opposing views on whether the reintroduction of wolves across the Alps is a good or bad thing.
September 6, 2026
I listened to the audio version of the book & can throughly recommend it. It seemed to me to be an insightful & balanced piece of writing, charting an incredible journey of a lone wolf who managed both to stay alive & prosper against unfathomable odds.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews