Ranger Confidential

Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks

By: Andrea Lankford

Narrated by: Julia Motyka

The real stories behind the scenery of America’s national parks.

For 12 years, Andrea Lankford lived in the biggest, most impressive national parks in the world, working a job she loved. She chaperoned baby sea turtles on their journey to sea. She pursued bad guys on her galloping patrol horse. She jumped into rescue helicopters bound for the heart of the Grand Canyon. She won arguments with bears. She slept with a few too many rattlesnakes.

Hell yeah, it was the best job in the world! Fortunately, Andrea survived it.

In this graphic and yet surprisingly funny account of her and others’ extraordinary careers, Lankford unveils a world in which park rangers struggle to maintain their idealism in the face of death, disillusionment, and the loss of a comrade killed while holding that thin green line between protecting the park from the people, the people from the park, and the people from each other. Ranger Confidential is the story behind the scenery of the nation’s crown jewels - Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smokies, Denali. In these iconic landscapes, where nature and humanity constantly collide, scenery can be as cruel as it is redemptive.

©2010 Andrea Lankford (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Captivating read!

A wonderful memoir of what it was to be female and a ranger in the 80's and 90's in a traditionally male occupation. The author does a wonderful job of helping the listener walk a mile in her shoes!

Great story teller

Well written and produced, interesting throughout. Whether you're interested in the park service or just like great stories about the outdoors I highly recommend this audiobook

Ranger Confidential

I am Retired Law Enforcement after 30 years with the NYPD and NYSAG. I truly enjoyed reading about challenges faced on a daily basis by Rangers with the NPS. It is a side of Law Enforcement we really don't see or understand until a book like this. So, Thank You, all of the Rangers and NPS Employees, for your dedicated, professional, and unselfish Service. Bill Burbage

Interesting for the National Park Buff

Loved the retelling of encounters. I worked in a national park a few times and I related to a lot of observations. The author’s retelling of her, her friends/coworkers accounts were great and informative. My teen daughters listened to it with me while were traveling between parks (ironically Grand Canyon and Yosemite, which many stories take place. It was nice to be able to visualize where these things were taking place).

It can be a little gruesome at times, so if you’re squeamish of descriptions of death and in particular, messy death, this might not be a book for you. There’s a lot of detail; Even then, I think the author was holding back a little.

I rated the performance 3 stars because, while the narrator has a wonderful reading voice, I didn’t always feel it matched the content being read. To be honest though, my kids and I found the mismatch of voice/context pretty funny sometimes. In general it didn’t take away from the story itself, though.

I opening.

very well written. it's eye-opening all the crap that park rangers go through. I knew they dealt with drunks and overly entitled tourist. but I was not aware of how dangerous the job is.

Sad Reality

This book does exactly what I wanted it to do, it tells Sad realities. Honest.

Ever wanted to be a Park Ranger? This is the book!

If you could sum up Ranger Confidential in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, informative and surprising. Think that being a National Park Ranger is an easy gig? Guess again. This book celebrates the natural wonders of the largest U.S. national parks and the tragedies that can take place in them. The story was very engaging, in large part due to the outstanding narration of Julia Motyka, but informative. I have a much better sense of the parks after having listener to the book. Beware, however, that just as the author notes in the beginning, this tell all book spares no detail about many of the bad things that happened in the park including some pretty gory details.

Any additional comments?

If you liked Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, this is a good follow up book.

Wow

I have known that a NPS Park Ranger job was not all glamorous but this is a great read for anyone who loves our National Parks and what it takes to police them. Thank you to all the Park Rangers and I wish I had half the guts as you all. The national parks are an easy target for budget cuts but is one of the lasts that should be. If I ever made it to congress I work for better administration of the our natural resources.

Interesting and well-read

Good book with lots of interesting stories of adventures and demises!demise! Would recommend to those interested in the NPS.

WOW what an interesting listen!

I had no idea how intense the job was. I didn't know they were also search and rescue. This book was funny, sad, and full of heart. I definitely recommend it.