Last Stand: Ted Turner's Quest to Save a Troubled Planet [Paperback]

In this fascinating, subject-approved biography of entrepreneur and CNN founder Ted Turner, journalist Wilkinson (Science under Siege: the Politicians War on Nature and Truth)who has covered Turners life extensively since 1992examines the billionaires life. While the author weaves in such topics as Turners rocky relationship with his suicidal father and his much-ballyhooed marriage to Jane Fondathe focus here is on Turners surprising devotion to the environment. Ranging from his concern about endangered species such as prairie dogs to instilling an appreciation of philanthropy in his five children, Turner walks the walk of his beliefs. Engaging stories about Turners interactions with such dignitaries as former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev show him in a rarified yet relatable light. For anyone who thinks they know the man once dubbed the Mouth of the South, this book proves there are unplumbed depths to this septuagenarian. Publishers Weekly Todd Wilkinson explores the back story of Ted Turner's evolution from media mogul and devotee of Ayn Rand to the most successful and influential green capitalist in the world. The author unravels Turners motives behind his involvement with the United Nations, his anti-nuclear stance, and his love of buffalos and prairie dogs, and he probes Turners troubled family history through his early years as a striving businessman and media tycoon, revealing little-known facets of Turner's complex life. Wilkinson constructs his narrative around interviews with Turner, his family and the multitude of individuals who have dealt with Turner. But the heart of the story chronicles Turners evolving environmental consciousness, spurred on by his purchase of Hope Plantation in South Carolina in 1976. In 1987, he purchased his first ranch in Montana. Today, his portfolio of land covers fifteen ranches, five plantations in the Deep South, a coastal barrier island, a trio of estancias in l£$