National Geographic The National Parks

KIM HEACOX, an award-winning writer, photographer, and conservationist, has lived in Alaska for 25 years. He is an expert in the history of the National Parks Service and a former Denali National Park ranger. He has written four books for National Geographic, most recently An American Idea: The Making of the National Parks, and is also the author of Alaska Light, Jimmy Bluefeather, and the memoirs, The Only Kayak: A Journey Into the Heart of Alaska and Denali Heart. His photography has appeared in National Geographic magazine. Heacox has made numerous journeys to Arctic Svalbard and Antarctica, and spends much of his time writing about and photographing life in Earth's polar regions.

"Through iconic National Geographic images and an illuminating collection of stories and personalities, the book offers a portrait of diverse National Park Service properties while presenting a colorful history of the service and its century of notable accomplishments. Heacox weaves a mesmerizing tale filled with fascinating stories, such as the first female park ranger, an amateur scuba expedition that unearthed a Civil War treasure trove, and much more. Coupling these stories with breathtaking photographs of glorious glaciers, pristine coral reefs, towering forests and all of the beautiful scenery in between, Heacox provides readers with a vivid panorama of the national parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, shores and recreation areas preserved over a century of dedicated conservation." --Examiner.com