The National Parks: An Illustrated History

Hundreds of color images of the National Park Service's 407 areas that come from the pages of the iconic magazine over the years are the highlight of this work. The images are accompanied by archival text, and history written for this book by former Denali National Park Ranger Heacox. As the photographs are archival, some look aged or grainy, but they are beautiful and affecting nonetheless. Several foldout images that are the length of two spreads do justice to huge attractions such as a 3,200-year-old redwood tree called the President that towers 247 feet over Sequoia National Park. The title covers destinations as iconic as Yellowstone and Antietam National Battlefield but also smaller places that might not spring to mind as coming under the National Park Service's remit, such as the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Less expected again are locations outside the 50 States, with parks in Guam, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa, featured.