"From the high peaks of the Rockies to the lows of Death Valley, from the Statue of Liberty in the East to the redwood forest of the West, and from the panoramic views of the Grand Canyon to getting up close and personal to wildlife in Yellowstone, Basherinvites you to take a journey through some of the United States' most spectacular national parks, recreation areas, and preserves"--

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.

Traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, and what Burns believes is the most stunning cinematography in Florentine Films' history, the series chronicles the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them and...