Leave It As It Is A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelts American Wilderness

"A rallying cry in the age of climate change."  —Robert Redford

An environmental clarion call, told through bestselling author David Gessner's wilderness road trip inspired by America's greatest conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt.

"Leave it as it is," Theodore Roosevelt announced while viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time. "The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it." Roosevelt's rallying cry signaled the beginning of an environmental fight that still wages today. To reconnect with the American wilderness and with the president who courageously protected it, acclaimed nature writer and New York Times bestselling author David Gessner embarks on a great American road trip guided by Roosevelt's crusading environmental legacy.

Gessner travels to the Dakota badlands where Roosevelt awakened as a naturalist; to Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon where Roosevelt escaped during the grind of his reelection tour; and finally, to Bears Ears, Utah, a monument proposed by Native Tribes that is embroiled in a national conservation fight. Along the way, Gessner questions and reimagines Roosevelt's vision for today.

As Gessner journeys through the grandeur of our public lands, he tells the story of Roosevelt's life as a pioneering conservationist, offering an arresting history, a powerful call to arms, and a profound meditation on our environmental future.

"Gessner delivers a thoughtful consideration of Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy as president....[An] excellent look at the origins of environmentalism and an inspiring call to build upon what Roosevelt and other early environmentalists started." Publishers Weekly

"Insightful, observant and wry, writing with his heart on his well-traveled sleeve and a laser focus on the stunning beauty of the parks, Gessner shares an epic road trip through these storied lands." BookPage

"This combination of environmental journalism, biography, and travelog introduces fascinating characters who will engage readers of environmental literature as well as Roosevelt enthusiasts." Library Journal

"An admiring study of Theodore Roosevelt and his attachment to the natural world....Fans of Teddy the outdoor enthusiast will appreciate Gessner's account." Kirkus Reviews

David Gessner is the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestseller All the Wild That Remains. He has taught environmental writing as a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard and is currently a professor and department chair at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he founded the award-winning literary journal Ecotone. Gessner lives in Wilmington, North Carolina.