This fascinating work offers deep reading on another mismanagement scheme of the great North American West through the actions of various governmental organizations and agricultural corporations.  It plays out in the classic and destructive capitalistic, colonial, and imperialistic mindset of its time (mostly during the 19th century up until the 1960s).  Thistle (Labrador Institute of Memorial Univ.) includes much indigenous history of the area before focusing on "the range" and cattle management in public, disputed, and privatized land in interior British Columbia.  Readers will greatly appreciate the wider context with other Commonwealth nations, and the interchangeable handling and management of their "commons," such as those in South Africa and Australia.  Thistle makes great use of historic sources and references, putting them in a worldwide context.  The roles of overstocking, meat markets, wild horses, predator control, fire management, rangeland ecology, railroads, US demands, weather, and various pests are described in detail.  The author also discusses the use of arsenic and insecticide contamination on public land and remote ranches.  Insightful photos and maps support the text.  A thought-provoking read on the environmental history of a landscape of global relevance. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.