Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite
Dean King
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite
Dean King
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
Dean King’s poetry is a match for Muir’s.
The story [King] tells — vividly, often excitingly — is of two decent men devoted to public service.
Guardians of the Valley tells several stories, some captivating, others instructive. Muir’s adventures in an almost virginal Yosemite will entrance park lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and California history buffs, the narrative swept along by Muir’s shimmering, deftly excerpted prose. Larger-than-life characters — Roosevelt, Ralph Waldo Emerson — make star appearances. King vividly re-creates both the San Francisco earthquake and fire and the titanic political fight that would consume both the proponents and opponents of the plan to flood the Hetch Hetchy.
Like an experienced trail guide, Mr. King, author of several nonfiction books of history and adventure, takes time to linger over remarkable landscapes, recount revealing anecdotes, and take worthwhile detours.
Journalist and adventure writer King was inspired by a personal connection to Yosemite, and this comprehensively researched and compellingly readable history offers an intimate yet sweeping portrait of an inspirational friendship that literally altered the American landscape and enshrined the modern-day conservation movement..
The author is particularly adept at recounting the complex politics surrounding frontier resources in a time when official policy was utilitarian.