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America's Best Idea
America's national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation's most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world's first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres.
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Filmed in nature's most spectacular locales- from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska- The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a story of people: people from every conceivable background- rich & poor; soldiers & scientists; natives & newcomers; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story full of struggle & conflict, high ideals & crass opportunism, stirring adventure & enduring inspiration- set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.
The companion volume to the new Ken Burns film: a sweeping, magnificently illustrated history of the American national park system from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite, to the most recent additions to the 84 million acres that comprise this grand national treasure. Hardcover. Includes:
Five extended interviews with people whose lives have been shaped by their connections to the American landscape (including Terry Tempest Williams); A vast array of breathtaking photographs, both archival and contemporary.
Read by the authors, this audio book recounts the adventures, myth-making, and intense political battles behind the evolution of the park system, and the enduring ideals that fostered its growth. They capture the importance and splendors of the individual parks: from Haleakala to Acadia, from Denali to the Everglades, from Glacier to Big Bend. They introduce us to a diverse cast of characters- both unsung heroes and famous figures such as John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ansel Adams- who have been transformed by these special places and committed themselves to saving them from destruction so that the rest of us could be transformed as well. Abridged Compact Disc. 
The soundtrack from Ken Burn's film The National Parks: America's Best Idea