To fully understand the modern American West, readers must dig deep into the lives, writings, and philosophies of Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner. On the surface, the men couldn’t be more different: Abbey, an irreverent, hard-living wildman, and Stegner, a measured, buttoned-up professor. In this double biography, Gessner compares and contrasts the two icons, revealing unexpected commonalities and hypocrisies, giving the reader a new perspective on these two complex characters and their lasting impacts on the West.