The National Parks: A Visual History of All 58 Parks

by Mel White

Distinguished by the majesty of their natural features, the pristine state of their ecosystems, the significance of their history, and the abundance and diversity of their flora and fauna, the national parks represent the very best of natural America. To explore full the range of biological diversity and geological features within all of the national parks would, of course, be the work of several lifetimes. However, The National Parks reveals a striking sample of the magnificent grandeur and vast diversity of America's wilderness areas; celebrated parks such as Yellowstone or Grand Canyon National Park join lesser known and more remote areas such as Kobuk Valley National Park, located above the Arctic Circle, or Haleakala National Park in Hawaii. Featuring all of the national parks in the US, the pages of this book will open doors to understanding more about these stunning locations, perhaps inspiring travel or, at the very least, allowing the reader to witness the very best of America's national treasures through the stunning photography.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The National Parks: A Visual History of All 58 Parks was one of the giftable coffe table type books sold at Barnes and Noble last holiday season. It is a big book (literally, not page-wise; it's a little over a foot wide and about 1.5 feet tall), and is centered around images of the parks. The book is vaguely organized by geographic region and has a small to mid-length overview of the park (depending on how well-known or popular the park is; Yosemite and the Smokies have longer 'chapters' than Black Canyon or Great Sand Dunes), focusing on any notable history, geological features, scenery, and wildlife. However, it's the pictures that really make this book; the shots are wide-ranging in their content, but are all gorgeous.