In the century since the establishment of the world's first national park at Yellowstone, no individual has been a more ardent champion of the "national park idea" than Ansel Adams. Over a span of six decades, beginning in 1916, Adams photographed America's great national parks, making thousands of pictures, some of them among the most memorable images of the natural scene ever created. In this book, a selection of Adams' legendary photographs of over forty national parks and monuments is presented, along with a sampling of his impassioned letters, speeches, and writings (all long out of print of never before published) about the critical issues facing the park system. These insightful, and sometimes controversial, writings by one of the great environmental thinkers of the twentieth century are as relevant today as when they were written. Top-quality reproduction in a reasonably priced paperback add to the appeal of this fascinating presentation of one of the most important themes in Ansel Adams' life and work.