Farley: The Life of Farley Mowat

by James King

The Toronto Star recently called Farley Mowat, the author of thirty-eight books that have sold more than fourteen million copies in twenty-four languages over five decades “Canada’s answer to Gerald Durrell crossed with Mark Twain” and “a meaty subject for the biographer.” And at age 82, he is still going strong with yet another new book, High Latitudes (Steerforth, March 2002). He is famous for throwing a spotlight on environmental and animal-rights concerns with such titles as Never Cry Wolf and A Whale for the Killing , for rankling the academy with such works of speculative history as Westviking and The Farfarers , and for attracting young fans with such heartwarming tales as Owls in the Family . He may be equally well known for his outrageous behavior — howling like a wolf at the dinner table and doing strange dances in a kilt while making oinking noises are among his exploits at formal events — and for headline-grabbing predicaments — he was barred for a time from entering the United States.
James King’s Farley is the first biography of this singularly influential man of letters. Margaret Atwood calls Mowat’s books “the spark that struck the tinder that ignited the fire from which many subsequent generations of writers and activists have lit their torches, often ignorant of where that spark came from in the first place.” King gained full access to Mowat’s papers, including all embargoed letters and diaries. But while the book was researched with Mowat’s cooperation, King was free to write whatever he concluded to be the truth. The result is a colorful, energetic work in which biographer and subject are uncommonly well matched.

“King identifies the key relationship in Mowat’s life as that with his difficult, charismatic father Angus. . . . Seldom has a book more carefully charted the manchild’s simultaneous needs to distance himself from and bring himself closer to his begetter.”
--Quill & Quire

Genres: Biography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

There is more than one author in the database with this name. Not all books on this profile belong to the same person.

Reviews

[Mark Geisthardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd stumbled upon the writings of Farley Mowat as I searched for books about the high arctic. That was just over 9 months ago which led me to read through 19 of his 38 published books. I would have read more but I couldn't get them through the local public library... And I enjoyed them all while at the same time being very troubled by what he had to share in some of them, which was of course his objective as he chronicled in some of these books the abuse of the native Inuit people of the high arctic by the Canadian government and the decimation and extinction of a wide variety of species of animals. Just the same I kept reading.

This book, by James King, tells of his life, the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. It is a complex story about a complex man which helps one better understand who he was and in some ways the cost he paid for the writing he shared with us. It is a very good read!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

James King never disappoints. This book recounts the life and writing of Farley Mowat with balance. King neither lionizes Mowat, nor does he vilify him. He is human with all of the flaws and glories that implied.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of this important and colorful Canadian who people either seem to love or hate. King had permission and open access to all of Farley's papers, diaries, journals etc. which makes this a great book covering both Farley's personal and public life.

[Darrell Mowat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read. Good to know more about the author Farley Mowat.

[Caroline Mcphail-Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed getting to know this Canadian writer.

[Jason David` · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really like reading his books.