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    The National Parks: America's Best Idea
    Unavailable
    The National Parks: America's Best Idea
    Unavailable
    The National Parks: America's Best Idea
    Audiobook15 hours

    The National Parks: America's Best Idea

    Written by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns

    Narrated by Danny Campbell

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The companion volume to the twelve-hour PBS series from the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Civil War, Baseball, and The War

    America'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.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 8, 2009
    ISBN9781415966273
    Unavailable
    The National Parks: America's Best Idea

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    Reviews for The National Parks

    4.5/5

    30 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Ken Burns is a National Treasure Along with our National Parks In 1872 the United States Government created the first National Park on the globe: Yellowstone National Park. "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" tells the history of our National Parks system that sprung out of the collection of "artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and tourists" that found beauty and worth in the stunning natural world. John Muir was inspired by the majesty of the American landscape and became the voice for the preservation of our spectacular wilderness. Ken Burns' series on the National Parks is ever so timely as cynicism seems to be our new national voice. I highly recommend this book and Burns' documentaries and am convinced that those who pay attention to Burns' ideas will come away changed and inspired.Ken Burns is an American treasure. My son and I were fortunate to meet him and thank him for the amazing work he has done to bring history to the forefront of public consciousness. We are lucky to have him and his art.
    • 5/5
      I recommend the book, the audio book, and the DVD of this series to anyone who enjoys nature in any way. The book is a perfect bedtime story, something to read right before falling asleep. You can see pictures of the most beautiful places in the world and read about the battles that were won to protect them, and then you can dream about being there.I recommend the audio book for listening to during a stressful commute to work. The material is read by an impressive cast of narrators as well as the writers. While listening to the serenity of their voices, you can hear about the stories of Yosemite, Yellowstone, or any number of places that are still there today. And you can listen to all 13 compact discs on your way there this summer.I recommend the DVD set, to be seen in increments every other week, with the family or with friencs, when you're ready to sit back and enjoy watching another great Ken Burns production. Each story told takes you a little bit closer to another place where someone was changed forever by the nature of our country. This series highlights that universal experience -- coming closer to nature and wanting to do it again and again. While appreciating, through this series, the places to go, you can also appreciate the process that made their preservation possible.
    • 5/5
      This book offers a great look at the history of our National Parks and how American History in general relates to the parks. It speaks of the years of hard work and triumphs, and all of the people whose lives were changed, even those whose lives were consumed by being involved with the National Parks.The beautiful pictures made me yearn for wide open spaces and a simpler time.