Exploring Canada's Spectacular National Parks

by National Geographic Society

120 stunning photographs reveal the treasures of Canada's national park system.

"Gateways to nature, to discovery to solitude, to celebrate the beauty and infinite variety of our land" is how Parks Canada defines the country's more than 35 national parks. In this book, authors and photographers travel to selected parks across Canada. Along the way they visit remarkable ecological niches and meet people long linked to these intriguing places. From the fog-bound Pacific shore at Gwaii Haanas to Newfoundland's Gros Morne along the Atlantic, from Jasper. Banff, and Yoho in the Rocky Mountains, to remote parks in the vast interior plains, and finally to the wild seemingly endless expanse of the far north in Ivvavik -- experience a rich sampling of Canada's national parks and reserves.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Reviews

[Dray · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Canadian national parks are spectacular but I found this book way to brief and not nearly detailed enough.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regular readers of the National Geographic Society’s self-titled monthly magazine are familiar with the house style for articles in that publication. Start with incredible photography, using only the very best from fantastic portfolios. Intermix these graphics with a first person article, describing the flora, fauna, geography, people, and history – and if present/applicable, politics – to describe the region, people, or wildlife being featured. On occasion, slip a folded map of the area in question between the pages of that issue to provide an added treat to the reader.

The people who enjoy their monthly copy of National Geographic are the sample people who will love this book. Sampling various National Parks from Canada’s west to east coast, and from the Arctic Circle to the northern shores of the Great Lakes, the writers and photographers – along with the editors and other support staff – who built this book have created a hardcover love letter to their subject.

I’m sure that the hardest decision during the creation of this volume was “what do we leave out”? While I’m sure “Which parks has this reviewer visited – drop them first!” wasn’t really part of the conversation, it sure felt that way. This works out fine, as the book provides a view into areas which were totally new to me. As an animal-phile, I personally wish they had selected more photos featuring the fauna and fewer highlighting the flora and geology - even when this wish was granted, it wasn’t necessarily to my liking, as with the 2 page spread of the grizzly bear where the bear only takes up approximately 5% of the image. However, this is a nitpick.

Let’s be honest, though – the casual reader will already know from the title and publisher if this is a book they’ll like to peruse. Since I am reviewing it, I obviously knew what to expect and felt the book delivered on it.

RATING: 4 1⁄2 stars, rounding down to 4 stars where only “whole stars” are allowed.

[Cws]

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