John Muir Rediscovering America

In his stirring biography, Frederick Turner, the distinguished writer and cultural historian, captures the legendary scale of the life of an American icon. Immigrant, inventor, botanist, and founder of the conservation movement, John Muir (1838-1914) truly led those of his time-and now ours-to rediscover the natural beauty of this land. From his harsh childhood in Scotland and on a Wisconsin pioneer farm, to his rugged, solitary explorations all over America and especially in the Sierras, to his passionate battle, in person and in his writings, to save and celebrate our wilderness, Muir was a heroic figure. Turner's biography is every bit as monumental and inspiring as its subject.

Frederick Turner is the author of Spirit of Place: The Making of an American Literary Landscape, Beyond Geography: The Western Spirit Against the Wilderness, and many other books and essays on cultural history, literature, and landscape. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.