The National Parks

In this captivating companion to the PBS series, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan explore the profound history of America's national parks, tracing their roots from the first sighting of Yosemite in 1851 to the establishment of Yellowstone as the world's first national park in 1872. The authors reveal the thrilling adventures, mythmaking, and political struggles that shaped the park system, showcasing nearly four hundred sites across 84 million acres. Through the stories of both celebrated figures like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, and unsung heroes, the narrative highlights the essential ideals of preservation and democracy embedded in these treasured landscapes.