"We have doomed the wolf not for what it is, but for what we deliberately and mistakenly perceive it to be – the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer – which is, in reality, no more than the reflected image of ourself." —from the Preface

Never Cry Wolf is a brilliant narrative on the myth and magic of wild wolves and man's true place among the creatures of nature.

Hordes of bloodthirsty wolves are slaughtering the arctic caribou, and the government's Wildlife Service assigns naturalist Farley Mowat to investigate. Mowat is dropped alone onto the frozen tundra, where he begins his mission to live among the howling wolf packs and study their ways. Contact with his quarry comes quickly, and Mowat discovers not a den of marauding killers but a courageous family of skillful providers and devoted protectors of their young. As Mowat comes closer to the wolf world, he comes to fear with them the onslaught of bounty hunters and government exterminators out to erase the noble wolf community from the Arctic.

Farley Mowat was born in Belleville, Ontario, in 1921. He began writing upon his return from serving in World War II, and has since written 44 books. He spent much of his youth in Saskatoon, and has lived in Ontario, Cape Breton and Newfoundland, while travelling frequently to Canada's far north. Throughout, Mowat has remained a determined environmentalist, despairing at the ceaseless work of human cruelty. Yet his ability to capture the tragic comedy of human life on earth has made him a national treasure in Canada, and a beloved storyteller to readers around the world. His internationally celebrated books include People of the Deer, The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, Sea of Slaughter, and The Boat Who Wouldn't Float.

Farley Mowat's profile page

"Never Cry Wolf is a pioneering book in restoring the good name of that maligned creature. . . . Mowat is so enjoyable to read." —Edmund Fuller, Wall Street Journal
"Mowat’s writing mixes self-deprecating humor, outrage over man’s understanding and misuse of the wilds, and a sense of self-discovery." —Time
"By writing Never Cry Wolf, Mowat almost single-handedly reversed the public’s image of the wolf from feared vermin to romantic symbol of the wilderness." —Los Angeles Times Book Review
"An engaging book. . . . Written with grace and skill. . . . Fascinating." —New York Times
". . . splendid and satisfying book." —William French, The Globe and Mail