Michigan-born James Oliver Curwood, author of thirty-three books, was one of the world's most popular adventure writers, often ranked in a class with Jack London and Zane Grey. Curwood's realm was the North and Northwest; his assets, a remarkable imagination and insight into animals, a love of nature, and a born storytelling gift. He was a seasoned hunter and tracker himself when he faced the open jaws of a grizzly who chose not to kill him. The encounter transformed him and became the inspiration for his novel The Bear, which was the basis for Jean-Jacques Annaud's film success.