276°
Posted 20 hours ago

The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

About the Author Jon Billman is a former wildland firefighter and high school teacher. He holds an MFA in Fiction from Eastern Washington University. He's the author of the story collection When We Were Wolves (Random House, 1999). Billman is a regular contributor to Outside and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Esquire, The Paris Review, and Zoetrope: All-Story. He teaches fiction and journalism at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula, where he lives with his family in a log cabin along the Chocolay River. These cases are most perplexing. Sure, one could logically presume that someone who disappeared in such an environment got lost, suffered from hypothermia, drowned, or met up with a mountain lion or bear. Reading The Cold Vanish is a dive into an always intriguing and often strange world of searching for those who vanish and are often never found nor their disappearance explained. There is search-and-rescue, mostly volunteers, who offer expertise and often complex organization to systematically cover the ground or water where the vanishing occurred. Grid searches, highly trained dogs, aircraft, and considerable expense and bureaucracy are this world. Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid I very much enjoyed parts of this book, primarily the smaller stories. I liked the bookend parts of Jacob and Randy’s story as well, although I found the middle parts in which Randy is wandering around looking at cult compounds to be both pointless and sad.

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman | Waterstones

I'm obsessed with missing person stories.Television shows, podcasts, youtube videos....I'm not exactly sure what attracts me to tales of the disappeared, but I listen to many of them. I think it might be that I can't imagine never knowing....having someone close to me disappear and the idea of how shattering it would be to never know where they are and what happened. Even when remains are found, the whole story is rarely revealed. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone like that....a friend, a parent....a child. One elderly woman, who had become a dear friend to Jacob, told him that she was happy she had the chance to meet him before she died. He was a compassionate, loving person with a heart of gold and Billman portrayed him as an unstable mess. In our highly-urbanized and farmed world, it is startling to realize just how much true wilderness remains. Places that are nearly impossible to search thoroughly because of dense vegetation, weather conditions, steep terrain, crevasses, lakes, rivers and even wildlife. Where wandering even a short distance off a trail can result in a nightmare you might not survive (assuming you're not Jim Bridger or Jeremiah Johnson). There are many holes, but they aren't worm holes. Karst formations have plenty of small sinkholes. Step into one and you can disappear forever. There are many thousands of prospecting holes over most of our national forests and ither public lands. Most of those were either never capped or done poorly. Again, its easy to disappear if you step into the wrong prospecting hole or even old unmarked mine shaft. Colorful side characters, like psychics and Bigfoot hunters, provide some light moments, but what makes a lasting impression is the story of Randy and his ultimately dashed hopes of finding his son alive. The author's personal involvement makes this tale all the more affecting."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)In early April 2017, a young touring cyclist named Jacob Gray stepped off his bike and disappeared in the northern district of Olympic National Park in northwestern Washington. What ensued was a mystery that echoed other cases I'd researched. What was different for me is that Randy Gray, Jacob's father, allowed me unlimited access into the courageous search to find his son. The feature I wrote on Jacob Gray for Bicycling magazine was the catalyst for meeting Jacob's family, but it soon became apparent that their generosity, and the huge, strange purgatorial underworld of the vanished, deserved a book. Billman also covers the "abnormal" side of disappearances, including reported sightings of Bigfoot, strange lights in the sky, physical changes in atmospheric energy in certain remote mountain regions and hints at portals to other dimensions. People and young children seemingly vanish then reappear unhurt and thriving some time later literally metres from where they disappeared. Whilst some might scoff at these otherwordly suggestions, I suppose there are always things that science can't truly explain away.

Goodreads Loading interface - Goodreads

It doesn't look like anybody's hit it, he just went off the road. I'm gonna stay here until you get up this way." Searches are as unique as fingerprints.” Terrain, season, weather, circumstance of the disappearance, and physical / mental capabilities of the missing person all factor into a search plan.The author writes in an engaging journalistic style. He is an outdoor writer and his interest in what may seem to many an esoteric topic was piqued by an assignment for Outside magazine. He tells a good story, and his approach of diving deeply into the Jacob Gray case interspersed with accounts of others who disappeared in wild places works well. Jon Billman tells us real stories of people who have gone missing in areas of the USA like state forests and the like. Many of these missing people are never found and the sheer numbers that vanish is astounding. Jon describes a good number of cases and follows the case of Jacob Gray, a young man who went missing and the incredible search that ensued from it. The book weaves in the journey that the author took with Jacob's father who never gave up looking for him, searching far and wide. I had to know the outcome! But under the routine hustle and bustle, there’s another layer: the world of the missing, their loved ones, and the ones who search. And search. And search ... But, when search parties, helicopters, and endless attempts to locate the missing fail to find the person- one way or the other- the mystery is not so cut and dried. Billman looks at the possibility that some people don't want to be found, and disappear purposefully; maybe looking for something unattainable. I have to say, it seemed odd the amount of young white Christian men mentioned, who seemed to have a overt fascination with the bible, raptures, pilgrimage type scenarios. Indeed Billman describes the Jerusalem Syndrome. In with this he looks at the number of cults and sects, some of whom set themselves up along the Pacific Crest Trail and attempt to lure tired travellers in with the promise of energy giving chocolate or food.

The Cold Vanish on Apple Books ‎The Cold Vanish on Apple Books

This book has a little bit of everything including true crime, unsolved mysteries, bigfoot theories, psychics, and cults. It is, in a lot of ways, one of the most “Santa Cruzian” books I’ve ever read. I also think, in Jacob’s case, it’s a strong advocate for mental health awareness and treatment. I was so sad and frustrated to read that his parents suspected that Jacob may have endured a schizophrenic break and never sought or encouraged professional help and instead thought it would be a good idea for him to commune with nature. Of course hindsight is 20/20, but I hope that for anyone who reads this, if you or someone you know is struggling with a major life event (in Jacob’s case, his parents’ divorce), please give therapy a try. Jacob's story - and the other stories featured here - are haunting and deeply unfortunate. But the book is full of heartening stories, too... stories of survival and determination and resilience. I've always personally been drawn to the dark stuff, especially mysteries like these, but I always try to appreciate and respect the impact on those involved. In my opinion, Billman threads that needle as well as possible. The Cold Vanish is a false depiction of who Jacob Gray was as a person. Jon Billman completely defamed who Jacob was as a person and member of my family. I'd like to enlighten you to who Jacob Gray truly was. I happen to have the facts since I am related.To have hope is far worse than having closure. I also sort of knew that already, but the stories told here paint it as painfully true. In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man’s torments.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, not used in the book but entirely applicable. I am a relative of Jacob Gray's and my family is incredibly upset about the publication of this book. First off, Billman did not interview or talk to any of the family and get permission to use our full names and location. Required reading for anyone concerned about the missing, Billman's authentic and encyclopedic book leads us across the landscapes of the vanished with a journalist's acumen and a searcher's sympathy. It's both true and useful, a storytelling textbook I wish I'd read before my own son went missing."―Roman Dial, author of The Adventurer's Son I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book was 7 July 2020

The Cold Vanish: Seeking The Missing In North America’s Wildlands The Cold Vanish: Seeking The Missing In North America’s Wildlands

Jacob strove to help people. He bounced between potential careers considering law enforcement, rescue, and even becoming an EMT. He decided to major in kinesiology because he had a passion for exercise and understanding muscular function. He believed he could help people in this way. First Annual Threatened And Endangered Parks Toggle submenu for First Annual Threatened And Endangered Parks Kevin Fedarko, author of The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon This compelling read does showcase some criminal elements, but, doesn’t fall into the true crime category, exclusively. Jacob worked at the retirement home for over a year. He did not quit because he couldn't handle the death. He worked there for over a year. Jacob loved every resident and he was beloved by every resident. When he brought food to those who couldn't leave their beds, he would spend an extra 10-20 minutes to talk with each bedridden individual. He didn't have to do this and he knew he'd fall behind with work, but he was compassionate and wanted to let each person know they were important. He would listen to their stories and share his own tales.

stars. I would’ve continued if the conspiracy theories were kept to a minimum and not suggested as an explanation for the disappearance of missing persons. Searchers speak of "scenario"—why and how did the target come to be missing? It appears that Jacob—or someone—has been organizing gear. A tarp is partially spread out. But no logic points them in any one direction. For Randy, the search is about his son. When Jacob is found, the search will end. But some people make it their business to search for strangers. In teams or alone. Using science or pure physical endurance. With a reward or without. It’s just what they do, and the grim truth is they will never run out of cases. Their work days are a revolving door of the vanished. Some cases get resolved. Some don’t. They live with that.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment