4 reviews
Dan Hays, Statesman Journal (October 1999)
The Native Americans of the Klamath family believe that the feathers of the bluebird were black until it dipped its wings into the astonishingly blue waters of Oregon's Crater Lake.
When Portuguese explorer Juan de Fuca first saw the mountains of Northwest Washington in 1592, he was so awestruck by the sight that he named them after the home of the Greek gods: He called them The Olympics.
The indigenous peoples of central Washington called the mountain now known to Americans as Rainier "Tahoma," which translates to "the mountain that was God."
What these Northwest sites have in common, other than their surpassing beauty, is the fact that they are all now national parks, and all are included in a supremely beautiful book, "America's Spectacular National Parks." Published by Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, publisher of some of the finest and most respected art books in the world, this book is huge in both size and in the impression it makes on the reader.
This is primarily a book of photography. Fifty of America's parks are presented in images of surpassing beauty and power by a number of photographers. There is text, to be sure: An able and informative introductory essay about how America's parks system came to be and short, informative essays about each park pictured. Read all this for both pleasure and information. But you won't have to be told to keep your attention on the pictures.
Reproduced on fine coated paper that fully captures the nuance of tone, shadow and color, these photographs are the work of artists who know how to make landscape speak for itself while presenting works of finely considered composition and skill. To know just how powerful these images are, simply look at the book's first fold-out ("Sunrise at Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park," in Utah).
The power of this book lies in the artists' ability to take a fresh look at sometimes overly familiar material. Their point of view allows the reader to rediscover natural beauty in ways too few of us have considered. The book's two pages on Crater Lake, as an example, feature a conventional view of the lake (albeit a superbly executed one) and two images that lead us in new directions.
This is an expensive book, but the beauty it provides cannot be valued in terms of the material.
. . . It is no accident that parks like Yosemite are so beautiful, for Frederick Law Olmsted, the foremost American landscape architect, played a crucial role in the park system. Read the fascinating history of the park system and particular stories of the national parks in America's Spectacular National Parks from Hugh Lauter Levin Associates. The publisher specializes in extraordinary, oversized books that are destined to become classics. This landmark volume features stunning photos by seven of the nation's best nature photographers. You'll enjoy an armchair tour as you use the book to plan your trip.
This is an absolutely breathtaking book on national parks and a must have for anyone who loves nature. There is information and beautiful photography for over 50 different parks across the United States.
The book opens with a brief history of the development of our national park system. A map showing where each is located in also included. About two to four pages are then devoted to each of the parks.
The history and features are then described along with the spectacular photographs. There are many diverse landscapes including lush forests, desert vistas, magnificent mountains, huge glaciers, pristine lakes, & mysterious caverns.
Several 3 page fold-out panoramas are the highlight of the book. It almost makes you feel like you're there. I could go though this book a thousand times, discovering new things each time.
America's Spectacular National Parks is a rich and mammoth volume. Edited by Letitia Burns O'Connor and Dana Levy, this compilation of essays, historic illustrations, and over 200 full-color pictures is a vivid celebration of fifty of America's most scenic natural parks. While a few of the photos are colorful but routine, most are resplendent and stunning. The latter includes an autumnal shot of Frenchmen Bay from Cadillac Mountain in Arcadia National Park (Maine); a rocky inlet in Isle Royale (Lake Superior's northwest corner); and the majestic Exit Glacier in Alaska's Kenai Fjords (be sure to note the man in the red sweater--he will give you some idea of the immensity of this glacier!). There is a visually-friendly map at the front of this book, and an informative Introduction by Michael Duchemin.