The National Parks: America's Best Idea Paperback – May 3, 2011

Ten years after it first came out, "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea" remains hands down the best book about the history of the National Parks. Like in the TV series of the same title that it follows almost word for word, the story is very well told. The collection of vintage pictures in black and white is remarkable. This reference work is a must have for any park lover.However, you should know that it is not a book about the natural beauty of the National Parks. While it features about 60 scenic color pictures by QT Luong, they are dully printed on thin matte paper. Since then, the photographer has published  Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America's National Parks, Second Expanded Edition  - with a foreword by Dayton Duncan and an endorsement from Ken Burns. It contains no historical material, but its 600+ pictures exquisitely printed on glossy art paper, resulting in a book physically twice as thick although only 80 pages more , finally do justice to the beauty of the National Parks.

I finished this book feeling very knowledgeable about the national parks. It contains history of the major people and events that created and formed our parks to become what they are today. The book was written extremely well and was yet easy to read. I truly felt like I was in the parks with John Muir and Stephen Mather, it was that good. The scenic pictures were beautiful and captured the essence of each park and the historic photos were equally intriguing.There was a lot more information on parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite and almost nothing on others, which was a little disappointing. But, I can see that this needed to be done to cover the National Park idea as a whole. The way the book was laid out was slightly confusing. The dates kept jumping back and forth and it would be hard to pinpoint a certain topic if you wanted. But, the pros to this book far outweigh these couple cons.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history behind the parks and I would read it again.

This book is full of breathtaking images, making it the perfect coffee table book for anyone who enjoys exploring our beautiful country and its national parks.

Information needed to understand and appreciate why the National Parks are important for our legacy is provided in a clear and concise manner. An important read in an era when the parks are under political attack.

It was a little smaller than I was picturing but that is on me bc the dimensions are clearly provided, just note it is smaller than the typical coffee table book. The colorful touch is fun, and it celebrates such a wonderful topic. Definitely add to your collection!

If you are interested in the National Parks in the US, this book is a must have. Ken Burns did a phenomenal job with the story and photography. The DVD series by Ken Burns is fascinating and very interesting to watch if you like history. It should be a must see for high school kids learning the history of our country.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. I am glad to own any book related to Ken Burns' film work. If you have been to a national park you will recognize it again in these photographs; if you haven't been you will want to go.

This book is amazing! I've never seen the national parks film by Ken Burns, but after getting this book, I can't wait to! It is wonderfully done with breathtaking photos, interesting interviews, and so much history! My children and I are studying the National Parks this year for school, and I couldn't have made a better investment for a learning resource!

I bought this as a gift for my husband for Christmas as we have visited a couple of the parks. He loved it. The photography is superb but the history was more relevant for him. Would recommend it.

Bought this for our son, who wanted a well-illustrated history and overview of US national parks. This book fits the bill admirably. Have read other books by these authors and they're always interesting.

Chock full of infomation and pictures.