Doug Peacock—born April 5th, 1942—is an American author, filmmaker, wildlife activist, and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran. He is best known for his work dedicated to

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...

recovery in the lower-48, his book ''Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness'' and serving as the model for the well-known character George Washington Hayduke in

Edward Abbey Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author, essayist, and environmental activist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include ''Desert Solit ...

's novel ''

The Monkey Wrench Gang ''The Monkey Wrench Gang'' is a novel written by American author Edward Abbey (1927–1989), published in 1975. Abbey's most famous work of fiction, the novel concerns the use of sabotage to protest environmentally damaging activities in the ...

''. Doug is the co-founder of several conservation organizations including ''Round River Conservation Studies'' and ''Save The Yellowstone Grizzly.'' In 1988 the award winning documentary ''Peacock’s War'' was released about Doug’s experiences in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

and his efforts to study and protect

grizzly bears The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...

. ''Peacock's War'' premiered on PBS ''Nature'', ''Channel 4 London'', and the ''

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

.'' In 2019, Doug starred in a film called ''Grizzly Country'', a follow-up documentary devoted to Doug’s then-and-now war experiences and the evolution of his work with grizzly bears. ''Grizzly Country'' was published by ''The Atlantic Selects'', an online showcase of short documentaries curated by ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

''. Doug's 2021 film ''The Beast of Our Time: Grizzly Bears and Climate Change'', narrated by

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent a ...

and scored by

Bill Payne William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...

, has already won multiple awards and is currently being screened at environmental film festivals nationwide. Peacock was named 2007 Guggenheim Fellow and was awarded the Cultural Freedom Fellowship by the

Lannan Foundation The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...

in 2011 for his work on archaeology, climate change and the peopling of North America as published in his 2013 book ''In the Shadow of the Sabertooth: A Renegade Naturalist Considers Global Warming, the Arrival of the First Americans and the Terrible Beasts of the Pleistocene'' (Counterpunch/AK Press). A friend and ally of many acclaimed environmentalists and authors—including

Rick Bass Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

Terry Tempest Williams Terry Tempest Williams (born 8 September 1955), is an American writer, educator, conservationist, and activist. Williams' writing is rooted in the American West and has been significantly influenced by the arid landscape of Utah. Her work foc ...

Yvon Chouinard Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938) is an American rock climber, environmentalist, philanthropist and outdoor industry businessman. His company, Patagonia, is known for its commitment to protecting the environment. Chouinard is also a surf ...

Doug Tompkins Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 – December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist. He co-founded the North Face Inc, Esprit and various environmental group ...

Rick Ridgeway Rick Ridgeway (born August 12, 1949) is an American mountaineer and adventurer, who during his career has also been an environmentalist, writer, filmmaker and businessman. Ridgeway has climbed new routes and explored little-known regions on six co ...

and

—Peacock has devoted a lifetime to advocating for this planet’s wildlife and wild places.

Biography

Doug Peacock, the son of seasoned naturalists and birders Marion E. and Kathryn L. Peacock, was born in Alma, Michigan where he grew up in the woods, swamps, and trout streams of northern Michigan. He attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

where he brought

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

to campus and earned a degree in geology. Doug then served two tours in the

as a

Green Beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...

combat medic A combat medic, or healthcare specialist, is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury ...

; he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal, the

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal wa ...

, and the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

. Upon returning home from war, Doug felt disillusioned with human society and sought solace in the beauty of the wilderness. Although he had little scientific background, his passion for and firsthand experience with bears soon brought him recognition as an expert in grizzly behavior. Peacock wrote ''Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness'' in the 70s and 80s. He was a close friend of author

, and served as the model for the character George Hayduke in Abbey's novel ''

''. Peacock's 2005 book, '' Walking it Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War And Wilderness'', continues his memoirs, in the wake of Ed Abbey's death. He ventured into the southwest deserts to walk off the scars left by his friend's death. In the process, he revisited Vietnam in flashbacks, remembering the cantankerous friendship with Abbey, and almost died in his journey to recover from "this terminal disease called life" in Nepal with his friends Alan Burgess and Dennis Sizemore. Peacock is also friend of American author

. In Bass's book ''The Lost Grizzlies: A Search for Survivors in the Wilderness of Colorado'' Peacock is a key element in the search for evidence that there are still grizzlies in the San Juan Mountains. Peacock was a 2007 Guggenheim fellow, and currently lives in Montana with his wife Andrea, author of ''Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation.'' Peacock speaks in schools about wilderness, conservation, and the need to preserve our wilderness. Doug is the chairman of the board of trustees for Round River Conservation Studies. Doug and Andrea Peacock's new book, ''The Essential Grizzly: The Mingled Fates of Men and Bears'' was released on May 1, 2006 (Lyons Press, ). It has been reissued in paperback under a new title, ''In the Presence of Grizzlies: The Ancient Bond Between Men and Bears'' in March 2009. (Lyons Press, ) Peacock has more recently been serving as a writer for the ''

Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'', where he writes about the American wilderness as well as animal rights in their indigenous lands. He wrote for ''The'' Daily ''Beast'' from 2014 through 2019.

Books

* Peacock, Doug. ''Was It Worth It? A Wilderness Warrior's Long Trail Home'', Patagonia Works, 2022. (ISBN 978-1-952338-04-5) * Peacock, Doug. ''Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness'', Henry Holt & Co., 1990. () * Peacock, Doug. ''Baja'', Bulfinch Press, 1991 () * Peacock, Doug. ''Walking It Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War And Wilderness'', Ewu Press, 2005. () * Peacock, Doug and Edward Abbey. "The Best of Edward Abbey",

Sierra Club Books Sierra Club Books was the publishing division, for both adults and children, of the Sierra Club, founded in by then club President David Brower. They were a United States publishing company located in San Francisco, California with a concentrat ...

, 2005 () * Peacock, Doug and Andrea Peacock. ''The Essential Grizzly: The Mingled Fates of Men and Bears'', Lyons Press, 2006. () * Peacock, Doug. ''In the Shadow of the Sabertooth: A Renegade Naturalist Considers Global Warming, the First Americans, and the Terrible Beasts of the Pleistocene''. AK Press, 2013. ()

References

"Q&A: Doug Peacock,Veteran of the Grizzly Wars"
''National Geographic Adventure Magazine'', July/August 2002.UCSC Currents online *Newman, John

UC Santa Cruz, ''Currents online'', April 23, 2001. *"Doug Peacock".
The Daily Beast
'. Retrieved November 8, 2021.

External links

Doug Peacock Official Website
* * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060211051904/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0007/q_n_a.html National Geographic Adventure Questions and Answers with Doug Peacock at National Geographic Adventure.
Doug Peacock: ''The World Needs Ed Abbey Now''
at New West Network.
Doug Peacock on “Walking It Off: A Veteran’s Chronicle of War and Wilderness”
on ''Democracy Now!'' May 12, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Peacock, Doug Living people American conservationists American naturalists American nature writers American male non-fiction writers American memoirists United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Members of the United States Army Special Forces Writers from Montana University of Michigan alumni United States Army soldiers Year of birth missing (living people)