John Muir: The Scotsman who saved America's wild places
Ebook
John Muir is regarded as the 'father of America's national parks' and is a towering figure in the history of that country's involvement with ecology. Born into a harsh home in Dunbar, Scotland he would often escape to revel in the birds and wildlife of the area. When his father suddenly uprooted the family and moved to the United States, the oppression he associated with his childhood continued - and so did his involvement with the natural world. Despite the difficulty of his formative years Muir grew up to be a man of great joy - first an inventor and then an explorer, he found his haven in the mountains of Sierra Nevada. He was a fascinating character: on the one hand a recluse, who sought solitude, and on the other a passionate activist, determined to save the places he loved. A strong believer in both God and the essential goodness of humanity, he was the founder and first president of the Sierra Club. This wonderful memoir pays tribute to a giant of ecology and is essential reading for lovers of natural history.
John Muir: the man who taught America to love the wilds
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 9
FOREWORD 10
INTRODUCTION 14
CHAPTER 1 DUNBAR BOY 19
CHAPTER 2 EARLY AMERICAN DAYS 37
CHAPTER 3 THE YEARS OF LABOUR 55
CHAPTER 4 LEARNING AND INVENTING 70
CHAPTER 5 THE TRANSITION YEARS 85
CHAPTER 6 A LONG WAY FROM HOME 101
CHAPTER 7 THE BEST LAID PLANS 119
CHAPTER 8 COMING HOME 138
CHAPTER 9 JOHN OF THE MOUNTAINS 154
CHAPTER 10 OUT OF THE WILDERNESS 177
CHAPTER 11 ALASKAN ADVENTURES 197
CHAPTER 12 PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT 217
CHAPTER 13 THE LAST BATTLES 235
EPILOGUE JOHN MUIR TODAY 259
BIBLIOGRAPHY 271
INDEX 284
" Read this and meet the man whose writing, commitment, and integrity persuaded a president that the nature matters. " Professor Tim Birkhead FRS, author of The Wisdom of Birds
Product Details
- Title : John Muir: The Scotsman who saved America's Wild Places
- Author: Mary Colwell, Jonathan Porritt
- Publisher: Lion Books
- Publication Date: 2014
- ISBN: 9780745956671