Description
Book SynopsisExplores the relationship between automobiles and national parks, and how together they have shaped our ideas of wilderness. This book argues that National parks did not develop as places set aside from the modern world, but rather came to be known and appreciated through technological progress in the form of cars and roads.
Trade Review"At its heart this book raises important questions about wilderness, democracy, and consumption: Is wilderness possible in a democratic consumer society that demands widespread public access?"
* Western Historical Quarterly *
"This is a fine, thoughtful book, one that connects the reader to familiar experiences in provocative ways. Excellent maps and photographs provide a means of relating the narrative to park landscapes. Louter demonstrates a thorough command of the relevant literature."
* Pacific Northwest Quarterly *
"A fascinating story of how the National Park Service managed to accommodate changing and contradictory ideas about the ideal relationship between nature and cars."
* Technology and Culture *
"Louter reminds us of the contingency and complexity of 'wilderness,' and moves us beyond the simplistic 'frontier Eden' critiques which have limited our understanding of this surprisingly malleable concept."
* Journal of the West *
"Windshield Wilderness. . . .is well-documented and includes an excellent bibliography. . . Anyone interested in the literature of the United States' conservation movement will profit from reading this book."
* Columbia *
"Scholars will certainly benefit from the precision of Louter's discussions, and readers interested in the intersection between bureaucracy, environment, and wilderness advocacy will find this book invaluable."
* Oregon Historical Quarterly *
Table of ContentsMaps
Foreword by William Cronon
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Nature as We See It
1. Glaciers and Gasoline: Mount Rainier as a Windshield Wilderness
2. The Highway in Nature: Mount Rainier and the National Park Service
3. Wilderness with a View: Olympic and the New Roadless Park
4. A Road Runs Through It: A Wilderness Park for the North Cascades
5. Wilderness Threshold: North Cascades and a New Concept of National Parks
Epilogue
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
