The Quiet World: Saving Alaskas Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960
by By Brinkley, Douglas
Category: Nature , Environmental Conservation & Protection

In what is clearly a labor of love, Brinkley (history, Rice U.) recounts an environmentalist's history of Alaska from its purchase by the US in 1880 to the formation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1960. He charts the wilderness movement through the lives of advocates ranging from itinerant artists and lady bush pilots, to ardent wildlife biologists, to a Supreme Court justice and the President of the United States. Using these biographies as mileposts, he chronicles such conservation achievements as the Glacier Bay and Denali National Parks, Gates of the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve, and the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. Brinkley sketches a portrait of stunning locales and abundant wildlife; industry; politics; unremitting progress; and a surprisingly diverse cast of champions, including John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, Ansel Adams, Rachel Carson, Allen Ginsberg, and even the Walt Disney Studios. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)