Synopses & Reviews
A riveting history of America's most beautiful natural resources,
The Quiet World documents the heroic fight waged by the U.S. federal government from 1879 to 1960 to save wild AlaskaMount McKinley, the Tongass and Chugach national forests, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Lake Clark, and the Coastal Plain of the Beaufort Sea, among other treasured landscapesfrom the extraction industries. Award-winning historian Douglas Brinkley traces the wilderness movement in Alaska, from John Muir to Theodore Roosevelt to Aldo Leopold to Dwight D. Eisenhower, with narrative verve. Basing his research on extensive new archival material, Brinkley shows how a colorful band of determined environmentalists created the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge just before John F. Kennedy became president.
Brinkley introduces a lively gallery of characters influential in preserving Alaska's wilderness resources: the indomitable U.S. Supreme Court justice William O. Douglas, who championed the Brooks Range; charming Ivy League explorer Charles Sheldon, who led the campaign to create Denali National Park; intrepid Bob Marshall, who cofounded The Wilderness Society; hermit illustrator Rockwell Kent, who lived in isolation on Fox Island like a modern Thoreau; nature photographer Ansel Adams, whose image Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake set off a tsunami of public interest in America's tallest peak; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Rachel Carson, who promoted proper ocean stewardship; among many more.
Wildlife fervently comes to life in The Quiet World: Brinkley tells incredible stories about the sea otters in the Aleutians, moose in the Kenai Peninsula, and birdlife across the Yukon Delta expanse while exploring the devastating effects that reckless overfishing, seal slaughter, and aerial wolf hunting have wrought on Alaska's once-abundant fauna. While taking into account Exxon Valdezlike oil spills, The Quiet World mainly celebrates how the U.S. government has preserved many of Alaska's great wonders for future generations to enjoy.
Review
“An important book.” < i=""> < b=""> The Houston Chronicle <> <>
Review
“A poignant cautionary tale for policymakers considering quick get-rich fixes to long-term problems with ecological implications. . . . In Brinkleys hands, the still-raging battle to save Alaskas wild character is riveting.” < i=""> < b=""> The Christian Science Monitor <> <>
Review
“A very readable history of the preservationist movement across the nation.” < i=""> < b=""> The Seattle Times <> <>
Review
"A richly detailed, passionate and partisan account. . . . In lush prose, [Brinkley] captures Alaska's pristine beauty." < i=""> < b=""> The Minneapolis Star Tribune <> <>
Review
“Brinkley carves well-known figures with the tools of a skilled biographer. . . . This volume is required reading for anyone even mildly interested in the antecedents to U.S. environmental policy in the 21st century.” < i=""> < b=""> The Los Angeles Times <> <>
Review
“Engrossing. . . . The Quiet World brims over with information and insight, passion and insistence. . . . A bit like Alaska itself: large, formidable, raw and ultimately unforgettable.” < i=""> < b=""> The Washington Post <> <>
Review
“An important book.” < i=""> < b=""> The Houston Chronicle <> <>
Review
“A richly detailed, passionate and partisan account. . . . In lush prose, [Brinkley] captures Alaskas pristine beauty.” < i=""> < b=""> The Minneapolis Star Tribune <> <>
Synopsis
In this fascinating follow-up to his New York Times best-seller Wilderness Warrior, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley documents the century-long struggle to save wild Alaska. The Quiet World explores the colorful diversity of Alaska's wildlife and the forces that have threatened it over the years, from Klondike Gold Rush prospectors to industrial disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.
Brinkley pays tribute to those who have fought to preserve this pristine wilderness, from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower to the Walt Disney Corporation, and examines the threats that continue to imperil our 49th state. The Quiet World is a compelling call-to-arms for sustainability, conservationism, and conscientious environmental stewardship -- a warning that the land once called "Seward's Folly" may go down in history as America's greatest mistake.
Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Seven of his books, including The Wilderness Warrior, have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. The Great Deluge, his account of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.
"The Quiet World is a fascinating and important read." -- Jon Krakauer
--
The Seattle TimesSynopsis
"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 World is populated not only by the requisite luminaries like John Muir and Ansel Adams, but also by a cast of quirky, unexpected characters. The Quiet World is a fascinating and important read." -- Jon Krakauer
In this follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Wilderness Warrior, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley offers a riveting, expansive look at the past and present battle to preserve Alaska's wilderness.
Brinkley explores the colorful diversity of Alaska's wildlife, arrays the forces that have wreaked havoc on its primeval arctic refuge--from Klondike Gold Rush prospectors to environmental disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spill--and documents environmental heroes from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower and beyond. Not merely a record of Alaska's past, The Quiet World is a compelling call-to-arms for sustainability, conservationism, and conscientious environmental stewardship--a warning that the land once called Seward's Folly may go down in history as America's Greatest Mistake.
--
The Cleveland Plain DealerSynopsis
The Quiet World is an epic history of the grassroots activists and artists who, with the U.S. federal government, saved vast reaches of wild Alaska from 1879 to 1960. Beginning with naturalist John Muir, who explored the towering glaciers of the Inside Passage, and ending with President Dwight Eisenhower, who created the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Brinkley showcases how extraction industry bigwigs were outfoxed by a colorful gallery of “wilderness believers,” including Bull Moose presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt, indomitable U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, photographer Ansel Adams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Rachel Carson, and many others. Brinkley also details conservationists inspiration to protect Alaskas natural resources for future generations and tells incredible stories of its wildlife.
The Quiet World is an ode to the great Alaskan outdoors, and as we grapple with the perils of global warming and oil spills, it is essential reading.
Synopsis
In this fascinating follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Wilderness 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 refuge—from Klondike Gold Rush prospectors to environmental disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spill—and documents environmental heroes from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower and beyond. Not merely a record of Alaskas past, Quiet World is a compelling call-to-arms for sustainability, conservationism, and conscientious environmental stewardship—a warning that the land once called Sewards Folly may go down in history as Americas Greatest Mistake.
About the Author
Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him "America's new past master." His most recent books are The Quiet World, The Wilderness Warrior, and The Great Deluge. Six of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.