Book Review: Hunt for the Shadow Wolf by Derek Gow*

[Ad-gifted] Colette Warbrook has long been fascinated by wolves, so Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, by Derek Gow, was an obvious choice for her next read. Published by Chelsea Green, the book is the author’s quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent and much-maligned creature.

Renowned rewilder, Derek Gow, has a dream: that we’ll one day see the return of the wolf to Britain as it has already returned elsewhere.

As he worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with this creature grew.

With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred – and domination.

Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is the author’s search for this elusive creature through time and place.

What I thought of the book

Like Derek Gow, I’m intrigued by wolves, but mine is more of a mild interest, whereas Derek has detailed his adventure to uncover the mythology, mystery and lost history of wolves in Britain.

My own curiosity was aroused by the fairytales and folk tales that I first came across in my childhood and then later, at university, when I studied the genre as part of my English degree. In most of these stories the wolf is portrayed as the villain, especially in the most famous of all these tales, Little Red Riding Hood.

So, hats off to Derek for giving this often-misrepresented canine a fair hearing in the pages of his book.

Aesthetically, the book is gorgeous, starting with its bright, eye-catching cover and continuing with the illustrations inside. (The cover illustration is the work of Edward Bettison, while the other illustrations are the work of the author himself.)

Derek writes beautifully and his book features fascinating stories that helped me gain a far better understanding of the wolf.

The author shares his often-amusing experiences of keeping and handling tame wolves. But I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to “blow raspberries” on the tummies of these apex predators, juveniles or not! However, he never loses sight of the fact the wolf is a dangerous, powerful animal that should always be respected.

Derek explores the issue of whether wolves could be reintroduced to the UK, and he carefully looks at the arguments for and against. And he makes it clear we must reconcile our relationship with this majestic animal before we can begin to bring it back to these lands.

But you’ll have to read the book yourself to decide whether the wolf is more than simply Little Red Riding Hood’s nemesis…

How much is the book and where can you buy it?

The hardback book is £14.87. To buy, click here, but please check Amazon because the price may change.

About the book

Publisher: Chelsea Green
ISBN: 978-1645020424
Pages: 256
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14 x 2.6 x 21.6 cm

About the Author

Derek Gow is a farmer, nature conservationist and the author of Bringing Back the Beaver, and Birds, Beasts and Bedlam. Born in Dundee, he left school when he was 17 and worked in agriculture for five years. Inspired by the writing of Gerald Durrell, he jumped at the chance to manage a European wildlife park in central Scotland in the late 1990s before moving on to develop two nature centres in England. Derek now lives with his children, Maysie and Kyle, on a 300-acre farm on the Devon/Cornwall border, which he is in the process of rewilding. Derek has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork in England. He is currently working on a reintroduction project for the wildcat.

By Colette Warbrook

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*We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.