THE QUIET WORLD Saving Alaska's Wilderness Kingdom 1879-1960

Andrew Garman deftly narrates Brinkley’s account of the political battles between the “despoilers” who ruthlessly extracted Alaska’s natural wealth for corporate profits and the “utilitarian conservatives” who fought to stop the “fury of destruction.” Garman brings alive the voices of those who sought to protect Alaska wildness, including Theodore Roosevelt’s urgings to President Howard Taft to bring corporate “power to heel” and John Muir’s religious overtones when speaking of his beloved Glacier Bay. The author references many more historical figures, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower, but steers away from examining the developers’ perspectives. This engaging production is guaranteed to incite outrage while motivating conservationists to remain vigilant. K.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]