From Publishers Weekly\nIt takes character to live in the sparsely populated, boggy North Woods wilderness of Minnesota, where the snows come in October, and winter temperatures dip to -50 F, where a sure sign of spring is an insect-splattered windshield. Leschak and his wife built a log cabin on their 40 acres of logged-over land, clearing stumps by hand. Here he gives an engaging and affectionate portrait of friendly isolation in the township of Side Lake (by comparison, Lake Wobegon is a metropolis). He writes about the limits of self-reliance, noting that wood heat is de rigueur, calling for a chain saw. He conjures up a mouth-watering, ideal blueberry patch, goes hiking on an abandoned trail, attempts white-water canoeing in flood stage. Other topics include the local volunteer fire company, moose hunting, saunas, firewood rustlers, social hours at the tavern, the pleasure of watching sunsets. Readers will be captivated by Side Lake. 
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.\nFrom Library Journal\nThis book of essays begins with the author in the big city, but he soon finds himself returning to the sparsely settled northern Minnesota backwoods he'd sought to escape. He and his new wife clear land for a log cabin; disdaining any kind of log-house kit, they rely on "rough and sundry native logs." The reader is taken on adventures that include a moose hunt, a wild canoe ride down a swollen springtime river, and a late-night fire with the local volunteer fire department. Leschak is part philosopher, part nature writer, and part hell-raiser, so each entry in this delightful book is a treat. Every word rings with the sincerity of a life richly and fully lived. Anyone who has ever dreamed of forsaking the impersonality and hubbub of modern living will revel in Leschak's stories. Randy Dykhuis, Grace A. Dow Memorial Lib., Midland, Mich. 
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Letters from Side Lake: A chronicle of life in the North Woods

History

Leschak, Peter M.

Americas

Perennial Library

Letters from Side Lake: A Chronicle of Life in the North Woods

Harpercollins

Ghosts of the Fireground: Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter

A wildland firefighter recounts moments from his career and the history of firefighting while describing the events of the disastrous Peshtigo, Wisconsin, fire of 1871, as documented in the diary of one of its survivors.

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

HarperOne

A firefighter's remarkable first–hand account of the lessons of tragedy, courage and faith in the epic struggle between man and fire.
 In April of 2000, on the brink of one of the most ferocious fire seasons ever recorded, Peter Leschak discovers the diary of Father Pernin, one of the few survivors of a wildfire that hit Peshtigo, Wisconsin, in 1871. Throughout this harrowing summer, Leschak takes us through Pernin's dangerous clash with the Great Peshtigo Fire while reflecting on his own journey from the ministry to fireground leader. In so doing, Leschak captures the sacred and mysterious pull of the fireground and breathes life into one of the most astounding and little–known disasters to ever hit this country.
 Ghosts of the Fireground weaves seamlessly between Father Pernin's struggle with an inferno so hot that not even the Peshtigo River guaranteed safety to Peter Leschak's breathtaking frontline battles 130 years later, offering a compelling look at the courageous and noble pursuit that is wildland firefighting.

Letters From Side Lake: A Chronicle of Life in the North Woods

Univ. of Minnesota Press

Essays discuss nature, the seasons, mortality, fly fishing, chainsaws, firefighting, astronomy, ecology, ice skating, wildlife, and rural life

Seeing the Raven: A Narrative of Renewal

Science & Math

Univ of Minnesota Pr

Seeing The Raven

Literature & Fiction

Essays & Correspondence

In a series of essays, the author explores the myriad of relationships between nature--from the north woods of Minnesota to the mountains of Mexico--and his constant struggle to appreciate the value of each moment of life. UP.

Snow Lotus: Exploring the Eternal Moment

In October 1871, a massive forest fire incinerated the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It was the deadliest fire in North American history, an event so intense that its release of energy was not approximated until the advent of thermo-nuclear weapons. At least 1,200 people perished—some in bizarre and disturbing ways—and the actual number of fatalities is unknown, perhaps as many as 1,500 were lost. Since the Great Chicago Fire occurred at the same time, Peshtigo was overshadowed and almost forgotten. In 2000, veteran wild-land firefighter Peter Leschak was faced with a hot and challenging fire season, tasked with the leadership of a helitack crew—an airborne fire team expected to be the “tip of the spear” on wildfire initial attacks. During that long summer he studied Father Peter Pernon’s eyewitness account of the Pehstigo holocaust, and using his knowledge and experience as a firefighter, Leschak placed himself in Pernin’s shoes, as much as possible being transported to the firestorm of 1871. Ghosts of the Fireground tells both tales: the horrific saga of Peshtigo, and the modern battles of a wildfire helicopter crew, seamlessly intertwining the stories to enhance them both.  

Open Road Distribution

Journey with Peter Leschak, wildland firefighter, as he explores the warrior spirit--a genderless code emphasizing personal integrity, responsibility, patience, will, commitment, and inner courage, forged through life's "trials by fire." 
Using his professional experiences fighting forest fires as a vivid metaphor for the warrior code, Peter weaves captivating tales of raging wildfires, the warm camaraderie and good-natured competition of a small-town tavern packed with smokejumpers, the clarity of the night sky, the subtleties of an ancient Chinese board game-all offering profound lessons in the quest for a new understanding of life and its purpose. 
To each episode, Peter brings the soul of a poet contemplating life in the face of imminent death, as well as a professional firefighter's keen apprehension of hazardous operations and fascination with the seductive allure of a blazing inferno. Readers can dip into these pages for a vicarious jolt of adrenaline-or use Trials by Wildfire as a roadmap in their own search for life meaning.

Trials By Wildfire: In Search Of The New Warrior Spirit

Arts & Literature

Min Pfeifer-Hamilton Pub

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Leschak, Peter M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Leschak, Peter M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Leschak, Peter M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Letters from Side Lake: A chronicle of life in the North Woods

Letters from Side Lake: A Chronicle of Life in the North Woods

Ghosts of the Fireground: Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter

Ghosts of the Fireground: Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter

Letters From Side Lake: A Chronicle of Life in the North Woods

Seeing the Raven: A Narrative of Renewal

Seeing The Raven

Snow Lotus: Exploring the Eternal Moment

Ghosts of the Fireground: Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter

Trials By Wildfire: In Search Of The New Warrior Spirit