Paul posted:
I was browsing through the books that Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers
had for sale and came
across "Meteorite Hunter: the Search for Siberian Meteorite Craters .
. . Is this book worth buying for 5.95 dollars?
Dear Paul:
A bargain at twice the price.
This is a terrific book by a great gentleman adventurer, author, and
astronomer. Roy's meteorite articles go back to the very first issue of
"Meteorite" magazine. We discussed his book some months back, here on
the M-List and I am attaching my post made at that time. I hope you
find it helpful. Apologies to those who read this first time around.
********************
Dear Listees:
Since we were on the topic, and since the August, 2002 issue of
"Meteorite" is long out-of-print, I pulled the review of "Meteorite
Hunter" from my archives and post it here for those who might not be
familiar with the book. It's a great read, especially the adventures at
Sikhote-Alin, Chinga, and Tunguska, and is pretty easy to get hold of.
Geoff N.
*********************
Meteorite Hunter: The Search for Siberian Meteorite Craters
Roy A. Gallant
McGraw-Hill London
2002, 237 pp. ISBN 0-07-137224-5
Veteran "Meteorite" magazine readers will already be familiar with the
work of author, astronomer, and adventurer Roy A. Gallant — often
described as “The Indiana Jones of Astronomy.” A frequent contributor
since the magazine’s inception, Roy’s account of his journey to
Tunguska was the cover story for the very first issue in 1995. With
back issues of the magazine now largely out-of-print and sought-after
by collectors, Roy’s latest book: "Meteorite Hunter: The Search for
Siberian Meteorite Craters," is a welcome arrival. Its eight chapters
consist, in large part, of expanded versions of Roy’s previously
published articles.
A consummate writer/adventurer, Roy ranges across the magnificent
expanse of Siberia, examining vast impact craters and forgotten strewn
fields, pulling iron meteorites out of freezing mountain streams, and
peppering it all with his observations of, and commentary upon, the
land, its people, and its history. I was lucky enough to participate in
Roy’s 1999 expedition to the Pogigai crater in Siberia (recounted in
Chapter 6), and observed his enthusiasm and relentless energy first
hand — two traits with which his writing is infused.
The colorful characters who accompany Roy on his missions: Chief of
Staff and translator Katya Rossovskaya, and eminent Russian astronomer
and meteorite hunter Valentin Tsvetkov, for example, are well
described. Along with them, we encounter a cavalcade of wandering
geologists, Russian soldiers, hardened farmers and loggers eking out a
living on the Tundra, nomadic Tungus who still relate folk tales of the
1908 explosion, a voracious dog named Bill Clinton, and the Mayor of
Kulcheck who is astonished by the arrival of an American in “his
territory” — the first such visitor in living memory.
Roy works details of rural life into the stories, but also finds time
to comment upon Chekhov, Pliny, physicist Ernst Chladni, and where to
get the best deal on red caviar. However, it’s in the descriptions of
the actual hunt that the book really shines. During arduous forays to
Chinge, Sikhote-Alin, Tsarev, and other sites, a combination of good
research, luck, and perseverance pays off with some impressive
meteorite finds, but harsh weather, wild animals, and rough terrain
must be dealt with, as well as other unexpected encounters:
“ ‘This has to be the end of the world,’ I say to Katya as I climb down
onto our damp oasis. ‘I want to see the tiger,’ she says peering
through the trees. Moments later we are greeted by a Russian man and
woman who are startled to see us. The night before, Alexander told us
that a party of seven meteorite ‘pirates’ was at the site
[Sikhote-Alin] and had been there for three weeks. The woman cook
quickly begins banging on an anvil that resounds through the forest.
One by one, the other ‘pirates’ appear and eye us silently and
suspiciously. They are dressed mostly in military garb, and each
carries a heavy and cumbersome metal detector.”
A discussion of advances in the understanding of strewn fields —
through the work of Krinov and Tsvetkov at Sikhote-Alin — will be of
interest to the specialist, while an introduction to the main types of
meteorites is illuminating for the casual reader. Fellow adventurers,
as well as those who prefer the comfort of their homes to the buzz of
angry Siberian mosquitoes, will enjoy this fine addition to both the
literature of meteorite history, and adventure travel.
Geoffrey Notkin
This article is © 2002 by Meteorite Magazine and Pallasite Press, New
Zealand
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