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American Seasons #4
Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist's Record of a 20,000-Mile Journey Through the North American Winter
In this final volume of his brilliant four-volume cycle, Edwin Way Teale follows winter diagonally across the country in a 20,000-mile journey from Southern California to Northern Maine. Illustrated.
370 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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1200 people want to read
About the author
Edwin Way Teale
55 books54 followersEdwin Way Teale was an American naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Teale's works serve as primary source material documenting environmental conditions across North America from 1930 - 1980. He is perhaps best known for his series The American Seasons, four books documenting over 75,000 miles (121,000 km) of automobile travel across North America following the changing seasons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 16, 2017
I hesitated at paying the $2.50 asking price for this book at a thrift store, but this book is a priceless treasure when it comes to American nature writing. I loved traveling with Teale and his wife Nellie across the country and experiencing all the wonders of winter -- from the gray whale migration off the coast of Baja California to the "sugaring" season in upstate Vermont. Teale's writing is as clear and lucid as a rushing mountain stream, a real pleasure to read, and his descriptions of the flora, fauna, and folks they encounter along their way are vivid and always educational. This is the kind of book that teaches something on every page. I'll definitely seek out other Teale works, eager to take a journey with him again.
March 3, 2018
“Alone among the seasons, winter extends across the boundary line into two calendars. It is the double season. We meet it twice in each twelve months. It embraces the end and the beginning of the year...This fourth season of the year, this final act in the ‘eternal drama’, this time when nights are longer than days, this season means many things to many people.”
So begins “Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist’s Record of a 20,000 Mile Journey Through the North American Winter”. Edwin Way Teale, naturalist and author, along with his wife Nellie, began this journey on the coast of Southern California, and finished on the northernmost coast of Maine. This was the fourth, and final, such seasonal trip for the Teales. After each of their journeys, Mr Teale wrote a book about their travel and sights they saw. For this trip, they started on December 21st, 1961, and reached their final destination on March 20th, 1962. This book, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was published in 1965.
As they traveled the Teales often paused to visit old and new friends, to visit bird sanctuaries, to find places and people that were far off the beaten path. As I read this book, I kept a notebook close at my side, to keep bits and pieces of info-- about whale watching off the coast near San Diego; where the sandhill cranes winter in New Mexico, and the whooping cranes in Texas; about desert flowers, and other wildflowers that grow in different kinds of terrain and climate; that white pelicans do cooperative hunting; that catfish, which grow huge in Oklahoma, have been known in emergencies, to travel over land (they can take in oxygen through their skin); where to find new (to me) hiking trails; about the mammoth and mastodon bones found in Kentucky. I could go on and on, there is so much packed in this book. Reading this only spurred my own, already in high gear, desire to see more of this land, to learn more about migrations of birds and other animals, to see more mountains and rivers—I am ready to hit the road!
This book meets the challenge in A Book for All Seasons, Topic #6, a book about the current equinox/season.
So begins “Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist’s Record of a 20,000 Mile Journey Through the North American Winter”. Edwin Way Teale, naturalist and author, along with his wife Nellie, began this journey on the coast of Southern California, and finished on the northernmost coast of Maine. This was the fourth, and final, such seasonal trip for the Teales. After each of their journeys, Mr Teale wrote a book about their travel and sights they saw. For this trip, they started on December 21st, 1961, and reached their final destination on March 20th, 1962. This book, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was published in 1965.
As they traveled the Teales often paused to visit old and new friends, to visit bird sanctuaries, to find places and people that were far off the beaten path. As I read this book, I kept a notebook close at my side, to keep bits and pieces of info-- about whale watching off the coast near San Diego; where the sandhill cranes winter in New Mexico, and the whooping cranes in Texas; about desert flowers, and other wildflowers that grow in different kinds of terrain and climate; that white pelicans do cooperative hunting; that catfish, which grow huge in Oklahoma, have been known in emergencies, to travel over land (they can take in oxygen through their skin); where to find new (to me) hiking trails; about the mammoth and mastodon bones found in Kentucky. I could go on and on, there is so much packed in this book. Reading this only spurred my own, already in high gear, desire to see more of this land, to learn more about migrations of birds and other animals, to see more mountains and rivers—I am ready to hit the road!
This book meets the challenge in A Book for All Seasons, Topic #6, a book about the current equinox/season.
March 21, 2010
Teale's 'seasons' series combines two of my favorite genre's: 'road stories' and nature writing. Teale and his wife Nellie make epic journeys by car across America to places where interesting natural phenomenon are taking place. This volume was written in the late 50s. Teale down-to-earth midwest sensibility is very enjoyable. At the same time he has a incredible knowledge of natural history and is a tremendous writer. I have read the spring, summer, and winter volumes so far. I really enjoyed all of them, although North with the Spring I thought was the best.
May 7, 2024
This is actually the last book in the series. I did not realize that when I picked it up but it was still a beautiful read.
"The most durable harvest of our lives, in all probability, is our harvest of memories. No depression, no bank failure, no material reserves can rob us of them. They form a mental bank account on which we can draw in the leaner times. Even the simplest of memories can bring to life again some pleasure of the past."
"The most durable harvest of our lives, in all probability, is our harvest of memories. No depression, no bank failure, no material reserves can rob us of them. They form a mental bank account on which we can draw in the leaner times. Even the simplest of memories can bring to life again some pleasure of the past."
December 30, 2020
This is the third Edwin Way Teale book I’ve read and he continues to make me want to read more! Also, imagine my surprise when I’m reading along, minding my own business, and suddenly he’s talking about being in my tiny, rural, southern IL town...and even visiting our library! Lol. This is technically the last of the Seasons Across America series he wrote but I found this one at a used book store and read it before any of the others. If you enjoy reading about nature you should definitely check out Teale!
November 29, 2007
This book is the final volume of a four volume cycle of our four seasons. The three previous are "North with the Spring", "Journey into Summer", and Autumn across America.
The author and his wife lead us on an amazing and informative 20,000 mile journey as they follow winter diagonally across the U.S. from California to Maine. What appealed to me most were the places they visited and the flora and fauna they encountered as the season unfolded before them. Many coincided with my own experiences and brought back fond memories. Endangered California Condors in the Grand Canyon, endangered Whooping Cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, Lake Champlaine in Vermont and Snowy Owls, just to name a few. There was so much more and the birds they saw, the birds!! One of their significant messages was that "the most durable harvest of our lives...is our harvest of memories, no depression, no material reverses can rob us of them...and they form an account upon which to draw in leaner times." Another was that the windswept out-of-doors provide a solution to an instinctive need to all who desire a touch of wildness in their lives, even fleeting contact, with nature untamed. I just then wanted to rush outside, to observe, to feel the warmth of the sun, to listen to silence, to wonder. Certainly, I read this book with glee..........
The author and his wife lead us on an amazing and informative 20,000 mile journey as they follow winter diagonally across the U.S. from California to Maine. What appealed to me most were the places they visited and the flora and fauna they encountered as the season unfolded before them. Many coincided with my own experiences and brought back fond memories. Endangered California Condors in the Grand Canyon, endangered Whooping Cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, Lake Champlaine in Vermont and Snowy Owls, just to name a few. There was so much more and the birds they saw, the birds!! One of their significant messages was that "the most durable harvest of our lives...is our harvest of memories, no depression, no material reverses can rob us of them...and they form an account upon which to draw in leaner times." Another was that the windswept out-of-doors provide a solution to an instinctive need to all who desire a touch of wildness in their lives, even fleeting contact, with nature untamed. I just then wanted to rush outside, to observe, to feel the warmth of the sun, to listen to silence, to wonder. Certainly, I read this book with glee..........
May 7, 2022
From time to rime, I enjoy reading books from earlier in the twentieth century. It is a familiar enough world to be recognizable but different enough to be fascinating, especially when looking back with the foreknowledge of their future and an awareness of the changes we have made or had thrust upon us. Or thrust upon ourselves. It's history told in a personal, intimate way. Edwin Way Teale's Wandering Through Winter was published in 1965. I picked up a copy with a personal library sticker with that year penned on it in a used bookstore in Cumberland, Maryland on my way to the Ozarks in the spring of 2015. It is a lovely combination of natural history and roadtrip literature that was written as the fourth and final book in a four volume set. I have few qualms in saying that the quality of the prose and Teale's attention to the details that matter along a 10,000 plus mile journey he and his wife create beat John Steinbeck's efforts in Travels with Charley hands down. Call me a heretic! I still think I know. For example. How he keeps up with the necessarily fast pace of their journey without making the reader feel rushed or frenetic - even when they cover hundreds of miles a day, they truly do seem to wander at will, somehow making it from the southern California coast to Caribou, Maine between the first and last day of the season. How it slows down as they take time to immerse themselves in a natural setting or in an educational conversation with a friend or colleague they've gone out of their way to visit or with someone interesting they've come across on their way. And how he offers reflections that are insightful but don't slow the pace of the cross-country roadtrip vibe. I'll be looking for more of his writing - especially the other three seasons. Even though it's not my favorite season, Summer looks like the one I'd like to read next, given the route they wander, and hopefully, I'll find it in a used bookstore I pop in on in my travels
September 10, 2015
Pulitzer Non-Fiction 1966- Edwin Teale and his wife, Terry, completed their four trips through America. Each trip was done in a month segment beginning on the first day of the season and ending on the last. Winter was their final trip starting in San Diego through the Desert Southwest up to Indiana and OH and then onto NY and New England as March 21st came upon them. It is a fascinating book on winter in the different parts of the country - from the deserts of New Mexico to the Snows of Maine and how nature and man deals with the elements of that time of year.
Teale is a first class writer that reminds me of David Bryson and John McPhee - he researches his topics and can make the seemingly mundane interesting. I'll be interested to go back and read his other four books.
Teale is a first class writer that reminds me of David Bryson and John McPhee - he researches his topics and can make the seemingly mundane interesting. I'll be interested to go back and read his other four books.
March 20, 2025
Being the last book in Edwin Teale's journey through the American Year, I am sad to see it be finished. Teale's inspiration to hit the road in search of nature will have a lasting impact on my life and psyche, and I will be re-reading this series again in the future, I just know it. Just like the other books in the series, this is a great travel journal, historical journey, and when it might appear to become a little too dry, Teale puts on his poet's cap and magically captures the natural world in prose that will last for ages. Excellent work, and can not recommend enough!
April 19, 2019
The author worked his magic on me by forcing me to slow down and see the wintery world the way he sees it. At first I struggled with the gentle tone and lackadaisical pacing. However, respect and admiration grew as I read further. Besides describing Nature, the author describes regional characters and customs. I wonder which he enjoyed more. In all, a charming book.
Read
January 24, 2025Winter is sneaky wonderful. Pay attention! Be astonished! Tell about it! (s/o Mary).
January 18, 2016
Edwin Way Teale won the Pulitzer Prize for these series of four books (one for each season, beginning with Spring, and ending with "Wandering Through Winter"). These are the travel memoirs of his journeys across the United States with his wife, Nellie. Teale focuses on all aspects of nature in its season, but he has an especially high appreciation for things small, e.g. insects. I truly wish that these books would be brought back into print. They are extremely valuable to educate future generations on the beauty and intricate value of our natural resources. By the way, the last chapter in Winter is a real tear-jerker!
August 21, 2015
A fabulous work. This book was part of a four book series titled The American Seasons. It made the author the first Nature Writer to win the Pulitzer for nonfiction.
March 19, 2020
I loved this book. Over 100 birds mentioned. I learned a lot.
March 10, 2023
Birders are a unique species of human. I found more content that would be of specific interest primarily to avid birders in this book, Wandering Through Winter, than had been apparent in Autumn Across America, those being the only two books of the four that comprise Edwin Way Teale's North American Seasons Series, so far, which I have read. Journey Into Summer has been purchased and is on its way to me. I have yet to find a copy of North With the Spring that meets my requirements. (Since these are books I intend to keep and shelve in our library, they must be vintage hardbacks with good dust covers, for sale at a price I'm good with paying.)
I enjoyed Autumn Across America, and Wandering Through Winter is another very lovely read. Because these days we have the interwebs, I found myself repeatedly googling information of interest that I'd just encountered in the book, whether related to the white squirrels of Olney, Illinois; the great 1962 Cairo, Illinois ice jam on the Mississippi; hibernating birds--the common poorwill--in California's desert country (who'd of thunk it, though apparently the great Samuel Johnson accepted as fact the long winter sleep of swallows; migration was an unknown concept in Johnson's day); the carcass-draped fences of Texas, a macabre decor consisting of dead coyotes, jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, wildcats, antelope, hawks..."(throughout) the dry southwest, the mighty hunters were exhibiting the results of their prowess"; the mid-1700s escape of settler Mary Ingles from her Shawnee captors, and the ordeal of her long wilderness trek back to "civilization"; the true nature of deer yards in deep snow, of which I had, as a child when I read of them, formed a completely unrealistic mental image; the naturalist, Josephine Newman, who is now long dead, but whose name lives on at the Josephine Newman Audubon Sanctuary in Maine; or the plight of the gray whale, who was hunted to the brink of extinction during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Of the gray whale and its relentless killers Teale wrote, "Another chapter seemed to have been written in the long record of public loss for private gain."
I enjoyed Autumn Across America, and Wandering Through Winter is another very lovely read. Because these days we have the interwebs, I found myself repeatedly googling information of interest that I'd just encountered in the book, whether related to the white squirrels of Olney, Illinois; the great 1962 Cairo, Illinois ice jam on the Mississippi; hibernating birds--the common poorwill--in California's desert country (who'd of thunk it, though apparently the great Samuel Johnson accepted as fact the long winter sleep of swallows; migration was an unknown concept in Johnson's day); the carcass-draped fences of Texas, a macabre decor consisting of dead coyotes, jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, wildcats, antelope, hawks..."(throughout) the dry southwest, the mighty hunters were exhibiting the results of their prowess"; the mid-1700s escape of settler Mary Ingles from her Shawnee captors, and the ordeal of her long wilderness trek back to "civilization"; the true nature of deer yards in deep snow, of which I had, as a child when I read of them, formed a completely unrealistic mental image; the naturalist, Josephine Newman, who is now long dead, but whose name lives on at the Josephine Newman Audubon Sanctuary in Maine; or the plight of the gray whale, who was hunted to the brink of extinction during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Of the gray whale and its relentless killers Teale wrote, "Another chapter seemed to have been written in the long record of public loss for private gain."
January 14, 2026
Another brilliant entry in the Teale 'expeditions' across the four seasons of America. Not an expedition quite on the difficulty of early American 19th or 18th century expeditions but it WAS before the Eisenhower Interstate System, the cell phone or Wikipedia! The hardship! Anyway this one stands with the previous two I have now read (Summer and Autumn) as simply superb. It was actually the last one he completed but I got started randomly with the summer volume from a Goodwill find so I will be reading the first one ('North with the Spring') last. This trip was taken in the winter of 1961-62 starting on the Silver Strand in San Diego at the Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 1961 and ending at Caribou, Maine on the Spring Equinox. Their 20,000+ miles take them into the Southwest deserts, the southern Rockies, down through Texas to the Mexican border at Big Bend NP back north through the southern plains, on to the Mississippi River at Alton, IL, through Indiana and Ohio and into Pennsylvania, and finally the far Northeast as winter ends.
Like the other volumes nearly every page is filled with keen observations of nature, interesting people (both professional and amateur naturalists), travel anecdotes (the stuck car in the Missouri mud was harrowing!), historical sidebars (often about early naturalists), astronomy, rivers, terrain, weather (both perfect and inclement-moderate flood stage on the Ohio River at Ashland, OH and hitting the famous March 5-8, 1962 east coast blizzard/coastal storm!) but always returning to the real stars--the wonder of birds, plants, trees, all kinds of critters, insects and how they live and adapt to the seasons and location. All of it told in a deeply respectful but conversational tone of both wonder and awe. This volume earned the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction and I am glad he was so recognized as the entire series is a true American treasure. 5-stars without reservation! Glad I still have the Spring book to look forward to this March 20th!
Like the other volumes nearly every page is filled with keen observations of nature, interesting people (both professional and amateur naturalists), travel anecdotes (the stuck car in the Missouri mud was harrowing!), historical sidebars (often about early naturalists), astronomy, rivers, terrain, weather (both perfect and inclement-moderate flood stage on the Ohio River at Ashland, OH and hitting the famous March 5-8, 1962 east coast blizzard/coastal storm!) but always returning to the real stars--the wonder of birds, plants, trees, all kinds of critters, insects and how they live and adapt to the seasons and location. All of it told in a deeply respectful but conversational tone of both wonder and awe. This volume earned the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction and I am glad he was so recognized as the entire series is a true American treasure. 5-stars without reservation! Glad I still have the Spring book to look forward to this March 20th!
January 19, 2023
📚Why I picked: Pullitzer Prize Winner & looking for something to help me appreciate winter more
📕Medium: Physical Copy from Library
☀️Days it took to read: 28
❄️In another life time (or maybe later in this one!) I want to be a naturalist, a park ranger, an avid bird watcher, a knower of plants, animals, and rocks, or a professional hiker or SOMETHING. Teale certainly cemented this desire in me by sharing his pure wonder and joy of the natural world with us all. He makes me want to travel to all of these places too which is impressive! It takes a talented author to make me want to travel to Indiana. Teale truly makes you feel like his travel companion which is so lovely.
⛄Since I'm reading this 6 decades after it was written, there are a lot of outdated facts and statistics as well as a lot of things that he says are "mysteries" that probably aren't anymore. On many occasions, I was too afraid to look up current numbers when talking about endangered species or dwindling natural resources, but sometimes I did and was pleasantly surprised. For example, at the time of print, there were only 42 wild whooping cranes in the world. Now, there are about 440!
🦊One last thing, I wish they would have spent more time in the Northern part of the country for these travels since we didn't really get to colder/snowy climates until after the half-way point. But when they did get to snowy northern climates, it was wonderful 😊!
📕Medium: Physical Copy from Library
☀️Days it took to read: 28
❄️In another life time (or maybe later in this one!) I want to be a naturalist, a park ranger, an avid bird watcher, a knower of plants, animals, and rocks, or a professional hiker or SOMETHING. Teale certainly cemented this desire in me by sharing his pure wonder and joy of the natural world with us all. He makes me want to travel to all of these places too which is impressive! It takes a talented author to make me want to travel to Indiana. Teale truly makes you feel like his travel companion which is so lovely.
⛄Since I'm reading this 6 decades after it was written, there are a lot of outdated facts and statistics as well as a lot of things that he says are "mysteries" that probably aren't anymore. On many occasions, I was too afraid to look up current numbers when talking about endangered species or dwindling natural resources, but sometimes I did and was pleasantly surprised. For example, at the time of print, there were only 42 wild whooping cranes in the world. Now, there are about 440!
🦊One last thing, I wish they would have spent more time in the Northern part of the country for these travels since we didn't really get to colder/snowy climates until after the half-way point. But when they did get to snowy northern climates, it was wonderful 😊!
April 5, 2023
Teale and his wife drove around various parts of the United States throughout the winter season. He shares what they saw as well as lots of informational bits about various places, animals, and scientific pieces of interest. Especially memorable stops: southern Texas which is amazing for birding, the California/Nevada desert which almost seems alien, and northern Maine, where they drove on top of snow fields to see deer yards (areas where the deer have packed down the snow for easier transport and sleeping). There's also a hilarious (to me) scene where he gets stuck in the mud in Missouri--not far from where Alex's family comes from so I could picture it. Also I want to know more about the albino squirrels in Illinois!
These books (there's one for every season) are episodic so it's especially easy to pick them up and put them down. Teale's delight in the natural world is fun and infectious, and his descriptions are really, really vivid. It's a bit of an interesting experience because any book written like this today would be full of high-def color pictures, whereas this only has a few B&Ws, so one has to exercise the imagination.
These books (there's one for every season) are episodic so it's especially easy to pick them up and put them down. Teale's delight in the natural world is fun and infectious, and his descriptions are really, really vivid. It's a bit of an interesting experience because any book written like this today would be full of high-def color pictures, whereas this only has a few B&Ws, so one has to exercise the imagination.
March 20, 2019
I loved all the information, both scenic and historic, about natural America in this true armchair road trip that I read over the course of this past winter. The time - 1965 - was unique for me, as I read few books written during that period, and many aspects of the old times were still alive in our country, even as highways and industry were taking over more of the land. Occasional reference to evolution was unfortunate, but to a believing reader, the Creator can be seen behind the wonders of this land that are so interestingly described. The section on Big Bone Lick was especially interesting.
March 30, 2024
2024 - I finally finished this at the end of February, after reading snippets of it over the previous two winters. I find it's the best kind of book to read through slowly in that manner.
What a love for the beauty and uniqueness and mystery of nature are expressed in these pages! I learned many things and heard of places in our country previously unknown to me. I am thankful to the author and his wife for taking me along on their journey through winter!
What a love for the beauty and uniqueness and mystery of nature are expressed in these pages! I learned many things and heard of places in our country previously unknown to me. I am thankful to the author and his wife for taking me along on their journey through winter!
February 11, 2018
Very beautifully written, but I couldn’t get in to it. Pretty but...boring in my opinion. If you liked Walden though, this book is for you.
February 19, 2020
Very dated but a wonderful concept to drive across the country through a season.
October 25, 2023
Stupendous. I cannot recommend this series highly enough, and this may just be one of the best individual books I’ve ever read.
March 22, 2025
I have a renewed appreciation for birds 🤗
July 6, 2024
A gentle, beautifully-observed, bighearted book, with rich, thoughtful prose. Teale's love for the landscape, and for the people who guide him through it, is evident on every page.
May 18, 2022
Teale's 'seasons' series combines two of my favorite genre's: 'road stories' and nature writing. Teale and his wife Nellie make epic journeys by car across America to places where interesting natural phenomenon are taking place. Teale down-to-earth tone is very enjoyable. At the same time he has a incredible knowledge of natural history and is a wonderful writer.
Teale and his wife travel through places that I have worked at in my career as a Park Ranger, and his descriptions of the landscapes were a joy to read and brought back memories and also helped me see the lands before I worked at the units. I also have traveled across the country in my job and visited many of the places that Teale visited which brought back some fond memories.
Teale and his wife travel through places that I have worked at in my career as a Park Ranger, and his descriptions of the landscapes were a joy to read and brought back memories and also helped me see the lands before I worked at the units. I also have traveled across the country in my job and visited many of the places that Teale visited which brought back some fond memories.
June 18, 2016
Received this book from a friend while putting together a PCT hike.
However, this book is not about hiking but rather the various birds and plant life to be found during winter in the U.S.A.
The way Teale presents this information makes what could have been a bland scientific study a beautiful and easy read.
I especially appreciate the detailed Index of animals, birds, plant life and locations which is included in this edition of the book.
This Index makes it easy to use this book as a reference for further birding or winter excursions.
However, this book is not about hiking but rather the various birds and plant life to be found during winter in the U.S.A.
The way Teale presents this information makes what could have been a bland scientific study a beautiful and easy read.
I especially appreciate the detailed Index of animals, birds, plant life and locations which is included in this edition of the book.
This Index makes it easy to use this book as a reference for further birding or winter excursions.
March 15, 2014
The writing in these books improved over time. This last one was the best of all. Such beautiful imagery and I learned so much.
February 24, 2023
在冬日的长流里，以不同形态潜伏在积雪之下、结冰的河流里、冻得僵硬的泥土中的生命，依旧充满信心地等待，不知失望为何物，生的活动只是暂时停止。冬所表现出的静止和死态也只是一种幻象。……春夏秋冬的时序变幻，总能带来别样的欢欣，更多的欢欣还在于日后的回忆，那是生命中最持久的收获。对大自然的领略，就好比是给精神心灵上的存款，在我们感觉贫乏时，就可以提出来享用……
December 23, 2016
A great read when you are ready to stop and smell the roses.
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