Quiet World

Douglas Brinkley has written a sweeping, blow-by-blow account of the struggle to preserve the last great remnants of American wilderness. An engaging appraisal of the crucial skirmishes in the battle over wild Alaska,The Quiet Worldis populated not only by the requisite luminaries like John Muir and Ansel Adams, but also by a cast of quirky, unexpected characters.The Quiet Worldis a fascinating and important read. Jon KrakauerIn this follow-up to hisNew York TimesbestsellerWilderness Warrior, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley offers a riveting, expansive look at the past and present battle to preserve Alaskas wilderness.Brinkley explores the colorful diversity of Alaskas wildlife, arrays the forces that have wreaked havoc on its primeval arctic refugefrom Klondike Gold Rush prospectors to environmental disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spilland documents environmental heroes from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower and beyond. Not merely a record of Alaskas past,TheQuiet Worldis a compelling call-to-arms for sustainability, conservationism, and conscientious environmental stewardshipa warning that the land once called Sewards Folly may go down in history as Americas Greatest Mistake.