Synopses & Reviews
In the summer of 1883 Belgian travel writer Jules Leclercq spent ten days on horseback in Yellowstone, the worldand#8217;s first national park, exploring myriad natural wonders: astonishing geysers, majestic waterfalls, the vast lake, and the breathtaking canyon. He also recorded the considerable human activity, including the rampant vandalism. Leclercqand#8217;s account of his travels is itself a small marvel blending natural history, firsthand impressions, scientific lore, and anecdote. Along with his observations on the parkand#8217;s long-rumored fountains of boiling water and mountains of glass, Leclercq describes camping near geysers, washing clothes in a bubbling hot spring, and meeting such diverse characters as local guides and tourists from the United States and Europe. Notables including former president Ulysses S. Grant and then-president Chester A. Arthur were also in the park that summer to inaugurate the newly completed leg of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
A sensation in Europe, the book was never published in English. This deft translation at long last makes available to English-speaking readers a masterpiece of western American travel writing that is a fascinating historical document in its own right.
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and#8220;Shows knowledge expanding map by map; Native pueblos, early trails, railways, highways, parks and cities.and#8221;
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and#8220;The maps are intriguing, and the accompanying text and captioned illustrations provide enough detail for the casual reader and context for the researcher.and#8221;
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and#8220;Anyone who loves gazing at vintage maps will enjoy spending hours with the Historical Atlas of the American West.and#8221;
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and#8220;Maps that engage both the viewers' intellect and their aesthetic sense. . . . A high quality publication at an amazingly low price. . . Highly recommended.and#8221;
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and#8220;A book that will provide hours of enjoyment, this oversized volume will delight anyone interested in western history.and#8221;
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“Historical Atlas of the American West is useful. . . [and] a worthwhile acquisition.” Southern California Quarterly
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and#8220;Deserves to hold a prominent place on the bookshelves of any who have even the smallest interest in . . . the American West.and#8221;
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“This volume is certainly an authoritative and attractive reference.” Bob Walch - Coast Traveler
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“A splendidly guided tour through legend, perception, time and place.” Kevin Blake - Montana The Magazine Of Western History
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and#8220;[Hayes] takes the reader on a visually and intellectually stimulating tour of the American West across several hundred years of map making.and#8221;
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"Any nature scholar interested in provenance or the origins of the naming of landscapes will find in Janet Chapple and Suzanne Cane's translation a welcome addition to the genre."and#8212;Foreword Reviews and#160;
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"[Yellowstone, Land of Wonders is] a lovely translation . . . perfect for American history, natural history, or travel collections alike."and#8212;Midwest Book Review
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andquot;This deft translation at long last makes available to English-speaking readers a masterpiece of western American travel writing that is a fascinating historical document in its own right.andquot;andmdash;Christopher Lewis, Dad of Divas
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"Meticulously edited, with very good notes, this well-made book is both scholarly and easy to read."and#8212;Lois D. Atwood, Providence Journal
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and#8220;What a delightful discovery this book is. Jules Leclercq is the kind of writer we love to travel withand#8212;enthusiastic, energetic, observant, curious, and companionable. Janet Chapple and Suzanne Cane have produced a splendid translation and well-researched edition.and#8221;and#8212;Robert Root, author of Postscripts: Retrospections on Time and Place
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and#8220;This lost jewel by an overlooked but wonderful explorer reads like a Jules Verne novel and is astonishing in its poetic descriptions of the raw nature of Yellowstone in the nineteenth century. A beautiful, evocative work on those early days in the American wilderness, it is like a literary Ansel Adams.and#8221; and#8212;Peter Schulman, translator, author, and professor at Old Dominion University
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and#8220;Historical Atlas of the American West is useful. . . [and] a worthwhile acquisition.and#8221;
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and#8220;This volume is certainly an authoritative and attractive reference.and#8221;
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and#8220;A splendidly guided tour through legend, perception, time and place.and#8221;
Synopsis
Spectacular in scope and visually brilliant, this atlas presents a sweeping history of the American West through more than 600 original, full-color maps and extended captions. From the earliest human inhabitants and the first European explorers to the national parks and retirement resorts of today, this extensive collection chronicles the West from uncharted territory to a well-populated Eden. We bear witness as state lines strike through Native American territories, see the frontier crack open and the railroad's iron belt snake across the Plains, and watch as the West's cities, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Albuquerque to Anchorage, rise and prosper. This is the first atlas to compile all the historically significant maps relating to the American West; it includes field sketches of battles, the first maps to show the West, maps depicting mythical rivers and fictional towns, and maps showing early conceptions of California as an island. Distilling many centuries into one fascinating volume, this atlas traces history as redwoods, mountains, and deserts become California, Montana, and Arizona, and offers a rare opportunity to see the west through the eyes of its earliest explorers.
About the Author
Jules Leclercq (1848and#8211;1928), who wrote twenty-three travelogues, was a judge by profession and a founding member of the Royal Belgian Geographical Society. Janet Chapple is the author of Yellowstone Treasures: The Travelerand#8217;s Companion to the National Park. Suzanne Cane is a librarian and independent French translator.