This book is an interpretation, in text and photographs, of Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada range of mountains. The text is from the works of John Muir, a naturalist whose writing reveals the excitement and beauty and strength in a world untouched by man. The photographs were created by Ansel Adams, whose camera discovers that which lies before us all - and magically, what our eyes may fail to communicate to our hearts. This combination of word and image creates a statement of greater intensity than either word or image alone. A truly inspiring combination of the writings of the naturalist Muir, with the photographs of the landscape photographer Adams, both giants in their respective fields, and true trailblazers. Sixty-four photographs are beautifully reproduced in the book. Adams has chosen phrases from Muir which, facing the photographs, are perfect captions. These photographs are the product of years of work, and almost all are here reproduced for the first time. Yosemite was preserved by being made a National Park, largely due to the young Muir's efforts. Adam's iconic nature photographs have helped save countless acres of wilderness in the US. This was a stirring and important publication on its release in 1948, and remains so today.