The National Parks: America's Best Idea

His Founding Brothers won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001, and American Sphinx earned the 1997 National Book Award. Of course the book, entitled The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, is intended as a companion to the film, but as I see it--literally--the book permits the eye and mind to linger over the truly breathtaking pictures in a more meditative way that film does not allow. His latest work, American Creation, was published in 2007. The book looks luxurious and feels expensive, but this visit to the National Parks is a great deal.--Joseph J. Ellis is a Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College. Ellis Reviews The National ParksEducated at

And they introduce us to a diverse cast of compelling characters—both unsung heroes and famous figures such as John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ansel Adams—who have been transformed by these special places and committed themselves to saving them from destruction so that the rest of us could be transformed as well.The National Parks is a glorious celebration of an essential expression of American democracy.From the Hardcover edition.. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world’s first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recentadditions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres.The authors recount the adventures, mythmaking, and intense political battles behind the evolution of the park system, and the enduringideals that fostered its growth. They capture the importance and splendors of the individual parks: from Haleakala in Hawaii to Acadia in Maine, from Denali in Alaska to the Everglades in Florida, from Glacier in Montana t

Melissa R said making it the perfect coffee table book for anyone who enjoys exploring our. This book is full of breathtaking images, making it the perfect coffee table book for anyone who enjoys exploring our beautiful country and its national parks.. kkwalker said Nice!. Well done and wonderful book.. Five Stars Mary Great!