Thank you for this review of Peter’s latest book (Dec. 4). It contains many titles and authors new to me, in spite of living most of my adult life in Washington State.

In 1957 the excellent librarian at the UW’s College of Forestry put me in touch with many definitive works, such as “Smoke Over Sikanaska” by Gowland, documenting his adventures as a ranger in the Canadian Rockies before World War II. It proved to be a preview of my own career as a national park and wilderness ranger.

I met Peter Donahue at the Shaffer Museum here in Winthrop, at a historical presentation. I’d just...