The Story of Big Bend National Park [Paperback]

John Jameson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

A breathtaking country of rugged mountain peaks, uninhabited desert, and spectacular river canyons, Big Bend is one of the United States' most remote national parks and among Texas' most popular tourist attractions. Located in the great bend of the Rio Grande that separates Texas and Mexico, the park comprises some 800,000 acres, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, and draws over 300,000 visitors each year. The Story of Big Bend National Park offers a comprehensive, highly readable history of the park from before its founding in 1944 up to the present. John Jameson opens with a fascinating look at the mighty efforts involved in persuading Washington officials and local landowners that such a park was needed. He details how money was raised and land acquired, as well as how the park was publicized and developed for visitors. Moving into the present, he discusses such issues as natural resource management, predator protection in the park, and challenges to land, water, and air. Along the way, he paints colorful portraits of many individuals, from area residents to park rangers to Lady Bird Johnson, whose 1966 float trip down the Rio Grande brought the park to national attention. This history will be required reading for all visitors and prospective visitors to Big Bend National Park. For everyone concerned about our national parks, it makes a persuasive case for continued funding and wise stewardship of the parks as they face the twin pressures of skyrocketing attendance and declining budgets.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Big Bend park in Texas draws thousands of visitors each year: Jameson's history of the park before its founding to modern times reveals land acquisition and resource management issues which affected the entire region. While this is a history of one park's evolution, it also reflects Texas history in general and reveals special issues surrounding national parks management. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; First Edition edition (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292740425
• ISBN-13: 978-0292740426
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A brief, conventional history of Big Bend National Park, January 18, 2010

By 

Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Story of Big Bend National Park (Paperback)

Roderick Nash called for a history of each of our national parks. That provides the justification for Jameson's brief book, which neatly checks this important but underappreciated park off the Nash list.

Jameson hits the issues you want in a park history, from park creation to contemporary management. He doesn't manage to come up with a compelling overall narrative, nor does he place this park in a wider temporal, intellectual, or political context. If you're interested in Big Bend NP, and especially if you're visiting and want some background, this book will serve you well.