Description
Book SynopsisBlessings on Uncle Sam's soldiers! They have done their job well, and every pine tree is waving its arms for joy."" - John Muir. Muir's words and this book both celebrate a largely forgotten episode in America's history - how the US Army ran Yosemite National Park in an unusual alliance with the preservationist John Muir and his Sierra Club.
Trade ReviewPraise for the first edition:
"Compelling and well written, this is a superb contribution to both military history and the history of environmentalism and the West." - Russell F. Weigley, author of
The American Way of War"A lively, readable, and, for many, surprising story. These army officers not only rigorously carried out their task of protecting Yosemite but, in the process, demonstrated a clear understanding of and genuine sensitivity to the environment." - Edward M. Coffman, author of
The Old Army: A Portrait of the American Army in Peacetime"Unravels the mystery of how the U.S. Army came to work with the Sierra Club to lay the foundations for Yosemite National Park and the National Park Service. Meyerson reveals that the culture of these institutions had much in common. A gripping, probing, and enjoyable story." - Michael McCloskey, Chairman, Sierra Club, 1985-1999
"Meyerson chronicles an encounter of special importance to the histories of the conservation movement, the national park system, the army itself, and the expanding society the Old Army served with such a highly self-conscious sense of mission." - Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California
"A wonderful book. It is meticulously researched and documented, and composed with a felicitous pen. For anyone interested in western, military, or environmental history, it is a must-read." -
Western Historical Quarterly"A superbly researched and well-written saga of the 'Old Army' and its highly successful and precedent setting custodianship of Yosemite National Park, considered 'a cavalryman's paradise.'" -
Journal of America's Military Past"More than just a history of the Army's administration of Yosemite from 1890 to 1914, Meyerson's book is also a character study of the 'Old Army.'" -
Journal of Military HistoryTable of Contents
- Foreword by Beth Bailey
- Preface to the Paperback Edition
- Preface to the First Edition
- Acknowledgments
- Part I. An Army Like No Other
- 1. Bizarre Beginnings
- 2. Earthy Patriots
- Part II. The Call
- 3. "This Wonderland"
- 4. Captain Wood Starts a Park
- 5. Running a Cavalryman's Paradise
- 6. "He Was No Ordinary Man"
- Part III. Inside Connections
- 7. A Conquering Nature
- 8. The Military Metaphor
- Epilogue
- Abbreviations Used in the Notes
- Notes
- Index
