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The National Parks of the United States: A Photographic Journey
One country. Twenty-seven states, two territories. Fifty-nine parks. Eight years.
When award-winning landscape photographer Andrew Thomas visited four of the US National Parks in December 2007, he was mesmerized by their natural beauty. After two return trips within the next twelve months, he began a quest to travel to and photograph all fifty-nine parks of the US National Park Service.
He succeeded, and his photographs are collected in this stunning tribute to some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in the world. Capturing the peaks of Colorado and the glaciers of Alaska, the volcanoes of Hawaii and the everglades of Florida, the coral reefs of American Samoa and the beaches of the US Virgin Islands, Thomas exhibits every single park, even the de-listed, forgotten three: Mackinac in Michigan, Platt in Oklahoma, and Sullys Hill in North Dakota.
Every park is represented by several photos, giving a full impression of the varied geographical features and dramatic mood shifts inherent in the changing light and seasons. Thomas also provides useful details for each park--nearest city, topographical coordinates, area size--as well as the date the park was established and the number of yearly visitors. Adding further inspirational content are personal reflections on the area quoted from a variety of perspectives--from park rangers, explorers, geologists and artists to famous personalities such as Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Brigham Young and Harry S. Truman. Also featuring a map overview of all the parks and sections dedicated to the wildlife and other protected areas, this book is a complete, breathtaking compilation of the pure splendour the United States park system has to offer.
When award-winning landscape photographer Andrew Thomas visited four of the US National Parks in December 2007, he was mesmerized by their natural beauty. After two return trips within the next twelve months, he began a quest to travel to and photograph all fifty-nine parks of the US National Park Service.
He succeeded, and his photographs are collected in this stunning tribute to some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in the world. Capturing the peaks of Colorado and the glaciers of Alaska, the volcanoes of Hawaii and the everglades of Florida, the coral reefs of American Samoa and the beaches of the US Virgin Islands, Thomas exhibits every single park, even the de-listed, forgotten three: Mackinac in Michigan, Platt in Oklahoma, and Sullys Hill in North Dakota.
Every park is represented by several photos, giving a full impression of the varied geographical features and dramatic mood shifts inherent in the changing light and seasons. Thomas also provides useful details for each park--nearest city, topographical coordinates, area size--as well as the date the park was established and the number of yearly visitors. Adding further inspirational content are personal reflections on the area quoted from a variety of perspectives--from park rangers, explorers, geologists and artists to famous personalities such as Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Brigham Young and Harry S. Truman. Also featuring a map overview of all the parks and sections dedicated to the wildlife and other protected areas, this book is a complete, breathtaking compilation of the pure splendour the United States park system has to offer.
168 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2016
18 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Thomas
2 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Andrew Thomas is the winner of the 2011 Burrard-Lucas International Photography Contest. He has exhibited his work in Australia, where he lives, and gives regular photographic presentations and group workshops.
Andrew Thomas is the winner of the 2011 Burrard-Lucas International Photography Contest. He has exhibited his work in Australia, where he lives, and gives regular photographic presentations and group workshops.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 22, 2024
Gorgeous book of captures from all the National Parks, including a few that were removed from the list but ones the author felt were relevant. I love that each spread gave just a short paragraph about the area's enticing landscape, a short blurb about population, etc. and a beautiful 3/4 spread with some parks boasting a full-page spread. In the back of the book, the author included wildlife from the regions featured in the book and other interesting areas. I really loved this book and photography was beautiful.
March 20, 2021
The beauty of the parks is unquantifiable, but this book reads like a glorified travel brochure laced from start to finish with a colonizer’s attitude. I guess this shouldn’t have surprised me since the National Parks system itself has demonstrated this same disposition in numerous instances since its inception. “Setting aside an area of land for people to enjoy while at the same time conserving its wildlife and natural features from exploitation” was very much NOT “a brand-new concept” when US leaders implemented the first national park. Indigenous peoples of this continent have lived in beneficial and reciprocal relationships with the land without exploiting it since time immemorial. The written sections of this book project the deeply paternalistic attitude of colonizers that by simply not destroying the natural ecosystems they presided over, they were assuming a tutelary role over nature, that they were noble and generous for not breaking the land like they would a horse they wanted to ride. Additionally, several entire spreads are wasted on photographs of buildings and wildlife are almost entirely divorced from the landscapes until a secondary section at the end of the book.
tldr: The photographs are fantastic, but the tone of the text reveals a lot about how Americans pat ourselves on the back for the National Parks, places of natural splendor we had no hand in creating but rather simply chose not to obliterate (mostly). It also skates over the entanglements of the National Parks with Indigenous history, land rights, and sacred landscapes.
tldr: The photographs are fantastic, but the tone of the text reveals a lot about how Americans pat ourselves on the back for the National Parks, places of natural splendor we had no hand in creating but rather simply chose not to obliterate (mostly). It also skates over the entanglements of the National Parks with Indigenous history, land rights, and sacred landscapes.
August 1, 2017
A wonderful travel log through America's National Parks.....now I know where I'll be visiting in my future travels.
August 14, 2021
A nice book of national parks :)
read in the library for fun. Good photography
read in the library for fun. Good photography
January 24, 2017
This is a beautiful book, but it's not just photos. This book gives the history of each of the National Parks, as well as the three "forgotten" parks - the ones that were once given national park designation, that for various reason were later delisted. (Mackinac National Park, Platt National Park and Sullys Hill National Park).
Author Andrew Thomas and his companion, Debbie, traveled to all of these beautiful parks, and photographed each of these stunning places, including the wildlife, and compiled the photos in one stunning book. My favorite, and bucket list parks, are Acadia National Park in Maine, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Glacier National Park in Montana, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina/Tennessee, Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Kings Canyon National Park in California, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, Pinnacles National Park in California, Redwood National & State Parks in California, Yosemite National Park in California and Zion National Park in Utah.
Mr. Thomas also references the first photographer of National Parks, Mr. William Henry Jackson, who began taking these photos when he traveled with Ferdinand Hayden in 1870-1871, during the first US government survey expedition of the Yellowstone River region. Mr. Jackson's photos played an important role in convincing Congress to establish Yellowstone as America's first National Park in 1872.
Author Andrew Thomas and his companion, Debbie, traveled to all of these beautiful parks, and photographed each of these stunning places, including the wildlife, and compiled the photos in one stunning book. My favorite, and bucket list parks, are Acadia National Park in Maine, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Glacier National Park in Montana, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina/Tennessee, Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Kings Canyon National Park in California, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, Pinnacles National Park in California, Redwood National & State Parks in California, Yosemite National Park in California and Zion National Park in Utah.
Mr. Thomas also references the first photographer of National Parks, Mr. William Henry Jackson, who began taking these photos when he traveled with Ferdinand Hayden in 1870-1871, during the first US government survey expedition of the Yellowstone River region. Mr. Jackson's photos played an important role in convincing Congress to establish Yellowstone as America's first National Park in 1872.
November 27, 2016
Gorgeous photos highlighting each park alphabetically. A glimpse into God's masterpieces of nature in our country for those who can't see them in person.
August 12, 2016
Beautiful, color photographs!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews