Steve & Me

By Terri Irwin

Few celebrities touch as many people as Steve Irwin did. He was loved by people from all walks of life and his vast efforts at conservation continue to make a difference all over the globe.

Steve and Terri's story is not just one of taking a noble cause to a new height, but is also a fairytale love affair. When Terri, an American tourist in Australia, first laid eyes on Steve, she saw a real-life action hero. She was, however, disappointed to hear that his heart belonged to another. Steve then offered to introduce her to his girlfriend, whistled and presented his best girl: a Staffordshire bull terrier called Sui. Later, Steve took Terri on a unique first date - a canoe ride through the swamps at night. She describes how Steve climbed out of the boat into the crocodile-filled water and how she knew she was with the bravest man she'd ever met. Steve and Terri married in June 1992 and the footage of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter. WIth the opening of the Australia Zoo, the couple brought conservation to the people and became ambassadors for the native wildlife. Together, Steve and Terri changed the perception of conservation and sparked global interest in the animals of the Australian bush. Terri's book chronicles this work with their children Bindi and Bob and is her tribute to keeping Steve's memory and mission alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Sep 4, 2008
• ISBN: 9781847396044

Terri Irwin

Terri Irwin developed a love for wildlife very early in her life, as her truck-driver father would often bring home animals that had been injured on the road. By the time Terri met her future husband Steve Irwin, she was already deeply involved in wildlife rehabilitation and working at an emergency veterinary hospital. While Terri lost her soulmate Steve, she continues to be a passionate wildlife spokesperson and conservation icon. She actively speaks out and supports conservation issues around the world. Terri is determined to dedicate the rest of her life to wildlife and conservation, fulfilling Steve’s legacy with the support of their children, Bindi and Robert.

Reviews for Steve & Me

[koalamom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a life! What a way to go! I wish the family well.

[mandolin_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful and touching tribute to the life of Steve Irwin, written by his wife, Terri. Reading this really made me appreciate Steve and miss him all over again. Terri is an incredible person and the love she and Steve shared really shines through in this book. Be prepared to cry before this book ends.

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say that I belive that Steve Irwin was a very lucky guy, despite his early demise. In addition to living life as he wanted dedicated to the wildlife (particularly crocodiles) he was given the unique opportunity to become an icon to environmentalists around the world. He also found the perfect person to stand at his side through it all. I have to admire Terri Irwin. There are not many of us who would sacrifice everything; a thriving business, an important role in saving animals in her own community, a home, family and a country. Neither could I picture allowing my husband to totally take over my life the way Terri appears to have done. Although from the way this book has been written to Terri it didn't seem to be too much of a sacrifice.I knew going in to this story that parts would be sad. Not just because I already knew how Steve died, but because whenever you tell true stories of animals and conservation, they're always sad. The good thing here, which I was most grateful for, is that Mrs. Irwin concentrated mostly on the good parts of her time with Steve. The adventures she experienced with Steve certainly aren't anything I would ever, ever do myself however interesting reading about them would be. Despite the fact that there were some sad parts, overall I would say this is a happy book until the last few chapters. Outside of Steve's death it was troubling to learn about the "Baby Bob" incident and the criticism of Steve's foray to the Antarctic along with the agony the family went through as a result of the media frenzy accompanying these events. You can feel how hard all of these things were for Terri. Although their family beliefs about being "Wildlife Warriors" seem a bit outrageous and overwhelming (to me) I've always believed in the live and let live adage whether it be in religion or, in this case, the cause of conservation environmentalism.This book wasn't perfectly written, having some redundancy of sentences and events which could have been edited better. This didn't surprise me. Terri wasn't born to be a writer, although I still think she did an admirable job here, she was born to be a dedicated environmentalist and the perfect partner to her beloved husband.More than simply the "mad Aussie bloke" I've always considered Steve Irwin to have been it was nice to discover that he was also a loving family man, a spiritualist (finding life's answers while fire gazing has to be an indication of spiritualism in my book) and a truly caring friend. My favorite story was when Terri related Steve's concern that their movie publicist didn't have a girlfriend and offered to "take him out and pull in chicks for him". Steve didn't even miss a step once Terri told him that the man in question was gay and re-offered to pull in blokes instead (this part being much funnier in the book than in my abbreviated rendition!)This book was obviously written from the heart and I can honestly say I feel for this woman who has lost her soul mate, but has decided to carry on in his name for the good of the animals they loved and the ideals they held.

[cornerdemon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a fan of The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, so I read this with some preconceived notions already there. I don't want anyone to think that this bio formed my opinion.Mrs. Irwin was in love with her husband. This book is less than a biography than a love poem. It is not fabulously written by any means; the paragraphs are choppy and time seems to trip around unevenly in the narrative. Her word choices are simplistic, and Aussie slang is sprinkled throughout rather awkwardly (though that's coming from an American, mind). But when you read it, you sincerely doubt that any of this was ghost-written. There's too much heart to it. Terri spends little time on her own life, dedicating most of the bio to her and Steve together as a couple. She often recaps what fans of the show have already seen on myriad specials, which can be tiresome. But you can tell that this is a *real* story. If Steve asked her to jump off a cliff, she would've done it without thinking. It's incredible to read such sincerity in a biography, especially that of a celebrity. She doesn't glorify their accomplishments or act like stardom was a huge disruption to her life, she lays it all straight out for you. I enjoyed the book because I enjoyed the man and because I was always curious about Terri's involvement. It is because I feel that this book is the genuine article, words written truthfully from her heart, that I give it 4 Stars. Highly recommended for Croc Hunter fans, recommended library rental for the curious.