Yosemite: The Grace & Grandeur [Hardcover]

George Wuerthner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pictorial Discovery Guides | Publication Date: June 9, 2002

From legendary photographer Ansel Adams to renowned writer John Muir, Yosemite National Park has inspired generations of artists, photographers, and writers. Today, Yosemite’s dramatic waterfalls and vibrant meadows, exalted mountains and glassy lakes, still inspire all who encounter them. Join writer, photographer, and ecologist George Wuethner as he explores Yosemite, America’s most revered terrain. Climb Half Dome, wander endless green meadows, feel the mist of Yosemite Falls--the tallest waterfall in North America--and behold the majesty of the giant sequoias. Bring home Yosemite: The Grace & Grandeur and immerse yourself in the rich experience of Yosemite, a land beckoning expeditions, promising renewal, and enriching our souls.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Few sights on Earth are more spectacular than the view from the parking lot at Yosemite National Park. There, spread before you, is a valley of incomparable beauty, a scene that is difficult to comprehend fully the geology, the waterfalls, and the mountains all combine to produce a picture of sublime tranquility. Perhaps it is heresy to state that a photographer has surpassed or even equaled Ansel Adams's stark black-and-white photographs of Yosemite, which have long been held up as the standard by which all other nature photos are judged, but in this beautiful pictorial guide, Wuerthner, himself a photographer and ecologist, certainly challenges the standard. Wuerthner goes beyond the typical tourist shots to present a panorama of Yosemite that only a gifted artist could capture. And while the photographs fully attest to the majesty as well as the fragility of this treasure, the text itself is also compelling. Wuerthner passionately argues against further development in or near the park, backing up his conservationist statements with an impressive knowledge of natural history. No matter how many books on Yosemite your library may already have, make room for this very special addition. Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Community Coll., CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"From incredible photographs to a surprisingly detailed amount of information ... an incredible discovery in itself!"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (June 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896584879
• ISBN-13: 978-0896584877
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,704,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

George Wuerthner is a professional photographer, writer and ecologist. He has written more than two dozen books on natural history and other environmental topics. He is currently the ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology. Wuerthner has visited hundreds of mountain ranges around the West, more than 380 wilderness areas, more than 180 national park units, and every national forest west of the Mississippi.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plan Your Trip, Extend Your Vision and Feed Your Soul, August 20, 2003

By 

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This review is from: Yosemite: The Grace & Grandeur (Hardcover)

Most people who have viewed the many natural wonders in the United States place Yosemite somewhere near the top in terms of remarkable beauty, grandeur and spirituality. If you have not yet been there, I certainly hope you will plan to do so. You probably already know the area from having seen many of the remarkable landscape shots done by Ansel Adams.

Many people who have been to Yosemite feel that they know it well from having seen it from the bottom of Yosemite Valley and having viewed Mr. Adams's remarkable photography.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Yosemite many times from when I was just a youngster growing up in California. Each time I go, I plan to see another part of the park. Interestingly, I find myself drawn more to the areas outside of the bottom of Yosemite Valley than to those areas where most visitors congregate. For example, when I took my wife there for her first visit, we went first to the Mariposa Grove to see the giant sequoias. I was hooked on this book when it started out the same way, after an introductory section that focuses on the geological, historical and political background of Yosemite. When I discovered that the book pays a lot of attention to the high country where most visitors never go (even though you can drive through Tioga Pass), I decided that it was important to encourage people to read this book. It will open your eyes, mind and heart to the full scope of Yosemite.

By being in color, those images provide a totally different perspective on Yosemite. These views will help those who have been to Yosemite recapture the feelings that they had while there. For potential visitors, the book is an excellent resource for planning a worthwhile trip. I was especially pleased to see that the wildlife were well captured in the images.

No book that I have read and enjoyed captures Yosemite so well for me as this one. I hope you will decide to read it.

After you have finished the book, I urge you to find ways that you can commune with nature more frequently in places that inspire the positive parts of who you are.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much More Than a Coffee-Table Book, November 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Yosemite: The Grace & Grandeur (Hardcover)

"Yosemite - the Grace & Grandeur" is a must-have for anyone who plans to visit this beautiful park or who wants to re-live the memories of having visited it. While it's chock-full of beautiful photos (it's also called "A Pictorial Discovery Guide"), it also contains wonderfully written text about everything from the Park's history to its wildlife. We just got back from a visit to the park a couple of weeks ago, and immediately knew this one was a keeper!