The National Parks

America's Best Idea

By: Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns

Narrated by: Ken Burns

Audie Award, Nonfiction, 2010

The companion volume to the 12-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 400 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.

©2009 Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns (P)2009 Random House

Please, everyone, read this!

Few books could benefit the American public more than this one. It is our heritage and I think we are obligated to at least try to understand why we have public lands. This is an excellently researched book and gives a great broad view of the subject. There are many other books that go more in depth into certain aspects of the conservation movement but this might be about the best starting point.

The Best Way to Celebrate the 4th!

One of the best titles I've listened to all year! I've loved the National Parks for a long time, and had enjoyed this miniseries from PBS; listening to the book was excellent! Historic facts woven with interesting stories and interviews that make me appreciate the natural beauty of the parks in a new way and leave me even more grateful for the men and women who have fought to preserve them. In an age when "America" is a complicated and emotionally fraught entity for many, this helped recapture what is truly America's Best Idea!

Amazing book!

So inspiring to learn about the history of the National parks and those who passionately fought for the preservation of America’s finest and most unique lands

"See America First", and often...

Being the grandson of a park ranger, I greatly appreciated this long overdue in-depth examination of how the NPS and its various parks and monuments came into being.

While they gave credit where it was rightfully due for the most part, there are two instances here where they did not (hence my 4-star rating of an otherwise 5-star book):

1) The cover states "Read by the authors with a supporting cast". While Mr. Burns does read the preface and Mr. Duncan does read the afterword, the "supporting cast" does most of the reading, especially Danny Campbell. He definitely should be listed in the narrated by section, along with Ms. Farr, Mr. Ervin, Mr. Mayer, Mr. Peterson, and Ms. Raver.

2) In the book, we hear about George Melendez Wright's unsuccessful effort to turn Big Bend into an international park with Mexico, yet there is no mention of the successful effort that Rotarians in the U.S. and Canada made for creating the very first international park, uniting Canada's Waterton Lakes with Glacier. Given the amount of time Mr. Duncan has spent in Glacier, maybe this was an unintentional oversight, thinking it was always so?

FANTASTIC!!!!

If your not motivated to visit every national park after listening, listen again and you will be.

Great for any fan of the Parks

great companion to the documentary series by Ken Burns, and for anyone who supports our public lands.

WOW! Amazing and enthralling!

Such an enthralling history of the national parks and how they came to be! I wish I had listened to this before my national parks road trip! May even listen again it was so good!

Brilliant Chronicle of Our Parks and their People

Let's get this out of the way first - any hesitation as to whether the book will live up to the amazing cinematography, music, etc., in the fabulous PBS projection... just wipe that from your mind. This book is beautifully descriptive, in both geographic terms and personal characterizations. I couldn't stop listening (and I didn't expect that.) I now appreciate the history of the parks as an important aspect of the history of our Nation, and I have great respect and admiration for the men and women who created the National Parks Service. Who else preserves history? Who else ensures that fact (real fact) is available for future generations, with thoughtful interpretation? Not the universities, not our government at large, and NOT the media. Thanks for Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, and all who made this book possible.

Everything and More

A tribute to the parks, their history, and especially to the individuals who made them possible. John Muir comes through as the spiritual father of them all. Sierra Club, are you listening, after your shameful denigration of him?

a must for NP lovers

great companion to Ken Burns national park series. great narrarators. a must for national park lovers!