The companion volume to the twelve-hour PBS series from the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Civil War; Baseball; and The WarAmerica’s national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved; not for royalty or the rich; but for everyone. 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 recent additions 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 enduring ideals 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 to Big Bend in Texas. 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.
#1122493 in Books 2012-05-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.10 x 6.00 x 9.10l; 1.05 #File Name: 0306820382304 pages
Review
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Rich and rewardingBy Aanel VictoriaThis book on the hair-raising scientific expeditions of the 1760s is a rich and rewarding adventure from start to finish. It's exciting history that was galvanized by some of the most important scientific and political imperatives of the 18th and early 19th centuries: finding life-savingly accurate means of longitudinal maritime navigation; exploring the mysterious South Pacific and beyond; and determining the precise distance from the earth to the Sun; the most critical and fundamental astronomical unit of measure. All of these and more prompted the cause célèbre of the age: far-flung measurements of the extremely rare transit of Venus; which occurred in 1769.This book doesn't feel like "science" though; although those factors are well explained. On the contrary; we have mad kings; exotic natives; scary epidemics; erudite Jesuits; stubborn viceroys; squabbling astronomers; wide-eyed naturalists; leonine monarchs; curious common-folk; dedicated scientists; international political intrigue; wild overland journeys; and the gamut of seagoing excitement; for starters.The various locales journeyed to give us a breathtaking "you are there" window into 18th-century Vienna; St. Petersburg; Mexico; Baja California; Siberia; Paris; arctic-circle Norway; South Pacific islands; London; Barbados; Cape Town; Tierra del Fuego; Copenhagen; Jakarta; Cadiz; Rio de Janeiro; and places in between. The point of the Venus transit was to get readings from many locations; as mutually distant as possible; in order to triangulate a reliable distance to the Sun. And getting to these locations is half the adventure; but certainly not all of it. Greater challenges meet each adventurer upon arrival at their destination.The intriguing characters we follow include; among others: the renowned Captain Cook; the "French Benjamin Franklin"; two latterly famous fellows named Mason and Dixon; the aforementioned diligent erudite Hungarian Jesuit; and all of their partners; assistants; and travelling companions.In the cleverly organized narrative that weaves several strands together at once; there are moments of cliff-hanging suspense in each of these journeys halfway across the world. And there are also many aha! moments for the reader: remarkable historical revelations; recognition of familiar historical names; and moments where something clicks -- either historical; or technical; or even a distant fact learned decades ago -- and makes brilliant sense. It's this living quality to the narrative that makes it memorable and inviting.The book is a rich; full; thick tapestry of colorful and very real and tangible true-life adventure. I thought it was only going to be about adventurous discovery; but it's so much more -- it's the very human story of characters you immediately care about; come to know deeply; and think about long afterwards.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating and vivid popular science writingBy tormodgI have read hundreds of popular science books; but few are as vivid and well told as this one. The author has a flair for dramatic exposure without resorting to cheap effects. The histories told in this book reveal how different science was 250 years ago; and to what lengths people would go for scientific insight. People literally traveled to the ends of the world to observe the sun - often for months and years - to see Venus pass in front of the Sun during a few hours. If it was cloudy that day - bad luck. Anderson also weaves in the political conflicts which raged Europe; like the war between France and England in the years leading up to the Venus passage; and also the extreme hardship Spanish rule inflicted on the people of "New Spain" (Mexico).As a Norwegian; I particularly loved the story of the Hungarian priests and astronomers going to Vardø. Their trip was extremely rough and long. Today it would have taken two days; tops. How the world has changed. Not only was the journey hard; but they had to bring everything they needed; and build the infrastructure they depended on.Kudos to Mark Anderson for a great accomplishment.My only gripe with this book is that Anderson erroneously gives NASA credit for the Venus Express mission (which reached Venus orbit in 2006). Seriously; it is one of the flagship missions of European Space Agency; ESA.But really; it's a wonderful book. If you're interested in science history; astronomy or space science; it is probably for you.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Engaging but incompleteBy JanlabeI am trying to read every book; article and journal paper on the observation of transits of Venus. This book is a very positive addition to the corpus of transit history. It is obviously well researched and the writing is outstanding in general. I do have a meaningful beef about it; however. Anderson covers three 1769 transit expeditions that are all remarkable for the incredible trials endured in the name of science. The three observations were a contribution to the calculation of the astronomical unit; but not the only ones. What irks me is that the preparation for and execution of other observations are not even mentioned; even though they had just as much impact on the results as the three described. In particular; the observations by William Wales and James Dymont at Hudson Bay were made under severe conditions and are worth at least a page. It is beyond my comprehension that an American writer would not include the three observatories established by the American Philosophical Society which received a total of one word (Philadelphia) in the text. In my opinion; this book should be second one you read about transits with Sheehan and Westfall being the first.
