Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 1,747 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 01-19-2025


About this item

A humorous and rousing set of literal and figurative sojourns as well as a mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors, fueled by three journeys undertaken by actor, humorist, and New York Times best-selling author Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman has always felt a particular affection for the Land of the Free - not just for the people and their purported ideals but to the actual land itself: the bedrock, the topsoil, and everything in between that generates the health of your local watershed. In his new book, Nick takes a humorous, inspiring, and elucidating trip to America's trails, farms, and frontier to examine the people who inhabit the land, what that has meant to them and us, and to the land itself, both historically and currently.

In 2018, Wendell Berry posed a question to Nick, a query that planted the seed of this book, sending Nick on two memorable journeys with pals - a hiking trip to Glacier National Park with his friends Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders, as well as an extended visit to his friend James Rebanks, the author of The Shepherd's Life and English Pastoral. He followed that up with an excursion that could only have come about in 2020 - Nick and his wife, Megan Mullally, bought an Airstream trailer to drive across (several of) the United States. These three quests inspired some “deep-ish" thinking from Nick, about the history and philosophy of our relationship with nature in our national parks, in our farming, and in our backyards; what we mean when we talk about conservation; and the importance of outdoor recreation, all subjects very close to Nick's heart.

With witty, heartwarming stories and a keen insight into the human problems we all confront, this is both a ramble through and celebration of the land we all love.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Christina
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read! Informative, entertaining, and funny
    Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024
    I adore this book and have recommended it to everyone I know. It's very well written. Mixing the personal with the informative while being immensely entertaining is not an easy task.

    I didn't listen to the audio book, but I could still hear Nick Offerman's wonderful voice loud and clear through the text. that had me laughing more than any book I can think of. However, many of the topics are quite heavy. Offerman shares insight into the sad state of the environment and the politics and capitalistic policies that hinder improvement. (Because ....money)

    He doesn't take himself seriously (no surprise there) and that is a nice balance against the serious topics he tackles.

    He jokes about how this book is going to solve all the worlds problems. How I wish that was true, but it was a worthy try at least.

    Really can't recommend this book enough. I don't often reread books, but this is one that I'd happily read again.
  • Deno Kidde
    5.0 out of 5 stars It was a gift
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
    Perfect book very funny
  • Scot F Hacker
    4.0 out of 5 stars Unapologetically straightforward
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2023
    I appreciated that Offerman was not afraid to speak unvarnished political viewpoints in this book, in the realization that it’s more important to engender appreciation for interconnectedness and biodiversity in order to save the world than it would have been to make a few more bucks by steering clear of political opinions. Great romp (often funny) across nature, politics and culture.
  • Cathy Werner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Should Read This Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
    The further I got into this book, the more I realized the importance of its messages to all of us, at this point in time. So many of the thoughts, musings, experiences and concepts written about here with good humor and acquired wisdom were the stuff I’ve been musing and muttering about for a while now. Since I’m an avid Wilco fan, daily hiker (just returned from that Hellhole, Sedona), and regular questioner of American “values,” this book was a perfect read for me and gave me a lot more to contemplate and act upon. Many thanks to Nick Offerman for writing this.
  • Erik
    5.0 out of 5 stars Casually-thoughtful
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
    A real thinker just talking to you. A thoughtful conversation.Enjoyed it a lot, fun and interesting read. Ha a good time!
  • Immer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven But Provides Food For The Future
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2023
    Nick Offerman’s Where the Deer and the Antelope Play
    is a mishmash of thought, often with self deprecating humor (a bit too much in my opinion), enmeshed within three main stories: a choreographed and guided trip to Glacier National Park; sharing his visits to Racy Ghyll Farm, a sort of going back to the basics farm rather than industrial agriculture; and a trip during the Covid epidemic with his wife Megan, pulling a new Airstream trailer with a new Ford Expedition.

    The trip to Glacier National Park is with his friends Jeff Tweedy, the front man for the band Wilco, and fiction writer and contributor to magazines such as GQ and The New Yorker, George Saunders. Allow me to say I do not begrudge these men there successes in general, Offerman in particular, but this portion of the book is nothing more than three wealthy individuals with ages ranging from 50 to just past 60, bonding in a short trip to escape the rat race and experience the beauty and ruggedness of Glacier National Park. Offerman writes very metaphorically pleasing when not steeped in self deprecation, but when all was said and done with this section, all I could think of was why they did not bring trekking poles, in particular for when sloped snow fields were crossed.

    The trips to Racy Ghyll Farm in north western England were interesting as the farm, owned and operated by James Rebanks and family is an old fashioned farm, hewed from old buildings, with stone fences, livestock- cattle and sheep adapted to that particular environment, and a good hard working ethic to give back to the land, just as much, if not more than they take. Offerman waxes eloquently about this land ethic, and this reader got the feeling from the authors words, this is how all farms should be. As nice as that might sound, the world is populated by billions of people, and I fear the multitudes could neither be fed or afford the produce and meat from this type of operation. Idyllic but really not practical for all those in the world in which we live.

    The last portion of the book, at least to this reviewer, is little more than a guy with a lot of money and his toys, including all that could go wrong before and during the trip, as well as the many enjoyable experiences. By this time in Offerman’s book I became bored with the story, and much more interested in his political views, which I welcomed as a break from his travel log.

    In conclusion, I found the book crashed repeatedly in regard to holding my interest, or in other words, it was easy to put down. It was a Jackson Pollock painting of experience and thought, and just as difficult at times to interpret. Yet, Offerman is a talented man, an actor, writer, humorist, wood worker and traveler. He embraces the writings of John Muir and Aldo Leopoldo. He has interesting friends, and because of the book, I’ve actually listened to some of Tweedy’s band Wilco’s music, I may pick up on some of Saunder’s writing, and will give the television series of which Offerman was a part, Parks and Recreation, a try. As uneven as I found Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, it has provided other topics/subject matter with which to experiment. An autographed copy was a pleasant surprise.
    Customer image
    Immer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven But Provides Food For The Future
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2023
    Nick Offerman’s Where the Deer and the Antelope Play
    is a mishmash of thought, often with self deprecating humor (a bit too much in my opinion), enmeshed within three main stories: a choreographed and guided trip to Glacier National Park; sharing his visits to Racy Ghyll Farm, a sort of going back to the basics farm rather than industrial agriculture; and a trip during the Covid epidemic with his wife Megan, pulling a new Airstream trailer with a new Ford Expedition.

    The trip to Glacier National Park is with his friends Jeff Tweedy, the front man for the band Wilco, and fiction writer and contributor to magazines such as GQ and The New Yorker, George Saunders. Allow me to say I do not begrudge these men there successes in general, Offerman in particular, but this portion of the book is nothing more than three wealthy individuals with ages ranging from 50 to just past 60, bonding in a short trip to escape the rat race and experience the beauty and ruggedness of Glacier National Park. Offerman writes very metaphorically pleasing when not steeped in self deprecation, but when all was said and done with this section, all I could think of was why they did not bring trekking poles, in particular for when sloped snow fields were crossed.

    The trips to Racy Ghyll Farm in north western England were interesting as the farm, owned and operated by James Rebanks and family is an old fashioned farm, hewed from old buildings, with stone fences, livestock- cattle and sheep adapted to that particular environment, and a good hard working ethic to give back to the land, just as much, if not more than they take. Offerman waxes eloquently about this land ethic, and this reader got the feeling from the authors words, this is how all farms should be. As nice as that might sound, the world is populated by billions of people, and I fear the multitudes could neither be fed or afford the produce and meat from this type of operation. Idyllic but really not practical for all those in the world in which we live.

    The last portion of the book, at least to this reviewer, is little more than a guy with a lot of money and his toys, including all that could go wrong before and during the trip, as well as the many enjoyable experiences. By this time in Offerman’s book I became bored with the story, and much more interested in his political views, which I welcomed as a break from his travel log.

    In conclusion, I found the book crashed repeatedly in regard to holding my interest, or in other words, it was easy to put down. It was a Jackson Pollock painting of experience and thought, and just as difficult at times to interpret. Yet, Offerman is a talented man, an actor, writer, humorist, wood worker and traveler. He embraces the writings of John Muir and Aldo Leopoldo. He has interesting friends, and because of the book, I’ve actually listened to some of Tweedy’s band Wilco’s music, I may pick up on some of Saunder’s writing, and will give the television series of which Offerman was a part, Parks and Recreation, a try. As uneven as I found Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, it has provided other topics/subject matter with which to experiment. An autographed copy was a pleasant surprise.
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    Customer image
  • James Weiss
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
    This was an entertaining book, mostly filled with rambling stories of the author’s encounters with the outdoors. Broken into 3 parts, each section explores different aspects and encounters with different environments. From National Parks, English countryside to a cross country adventure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reader is transported through the musings of the author and its wonderful.
  • MERRI E BUSCH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Like having a long cuppa tea with a dear friend...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023
    I thoroughly enjoyed all three diverse sections of this book. Having limited mobility, I always enjoy a good storytelling about nature adventures. Nick does this like he's talking directly to the reader, with a little preaching wisdom tossed in. Our values align, so his commentary simply confirms my bias, which made me feel like HE GETS IT!!

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