John Muir

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About John Muir

John Muir (/mjʊər/; April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization. The 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, was named in his honor. Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier. In Scotland, the John Muir Way, a 130 mile long distance route, was named in honor of him.

In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life.

Muir has been considered 'an inspiration to both Scots and Americans'. Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth", while biographer Donald Worster says he believed his mission was "...saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism.":403 On April 21, 2013, the first ever John Muir Day was celebrated in Scotland, which marked the 175th anniversary of his birth, paying homage to the conservationist.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Books By John Muir

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The Wilderness Essays Apr 22, 2019

by John Muir

( 642 )

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This meticulously edited John Muir collection is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents:
Picturesque California
The Mountains of California
Our National Parks
My First Summer in the Sierra
The Yosemite
Travels in Alaska
Stickeen: The Story of a Dog
The Cruise of the Corwin
A Thousand-mile Walk to the Gulf
Steep Trails
Studies in Sierra
The National Parks and Forest Reservations
Save the Redwoods
Snow-storm on Mount Shasta
Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park
A Rival of the Yosemite
The Treasures of the Yosemite
Yosemite Glaciers
Yosemite in Winter
Yosemite in Spring
Edward Henry Harriman
Edward Taylor Parsons
The Hetch Hetchy Valley
The Grand Cañon of the Colorado

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth "special translation and annotated" Nov 23, 2020

by John Muir

$34.99

Book Excerpt
pushed a wad of cotton into my mouth after soaking it in some brown astringent stuff, and told me to be sure to keep my mouth shut and all would soon be well. Mother put me to bed, calmed my fears, and told me to lie still and sleep like a gude bairn. But just as I was dropping off to sleep I swallowed the bulky wad of medicated cotton and with it, as I imagined, my tongue also. My screams over so great a loss brought mother, and when she anxiously took me in her arms and inquired what was the matter, I told her that I had swallowed my tongue. She only laughed at me, much to my astonishment, when I expected that she would bewail the awful loss her boy had sustained. My sisters, who were older than I, oftentimes said when I happened to be talking too much, "It's a pity you hadn't swallowed at least half of that long tongue of yours when you were little."
It appears natural for children to be fond of water, although the Scotch method of making every duty dismal contrived to make necessary bathing for he

The Complete Works of John Muir (Illustrated Edition): Travel Memoirs, Wilderness Essays, Environmental Studies & Letters Apr 22, 2019

by John Muir , Charles D. Robinson , Herbert W. Gleason , Charles S. Olcott , Herbert K. Job

( 15 )

$1.99

This meticulously edited book brings you the complete works of an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, glaciologist and advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America, known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks". This exceptional collection is comprised of Muir's travel memoirs, wilderness essays, environmental studies and personal letters.
Contents:
Books
Picturesque California
The Mountains of California
Our National Parks
My First Summer in the Sierra
The Yosemite
Travels in Alaska
Stickeen: The Story of a Dog
The Cruise of the Corwin
A Thousand-mile Walk to the Gulf
Steep Trails
Studies in Sierra
Articles and Speeches
The National Parks and Forest Reservations
Save the Redwoods
Snow-storm on Mount Shasta
Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park
A Rival of the Yosemite
The Treasures of the Yosemite
Yosemite Glaciers
Yosemite in Winter
Yosemite in Spring
Edward Henry Harriman
Edward Taylor Parsons
The Hetch Hetchy Valley
The Grand Cañon of the Colorado
Autobiography
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth
Letters to a Friend
Tribute
Alaska Days With John Muir by Samuel Hall Young

John Muir: Nature Writings (LOA #92): The Story of My Boyhood and Youth / My First Summer in the Sierra / The Mountains of California / Stickeen / essays (Library of America) Apr 22, 1997

by John Muir , William Cronon

( 176 )

$17.99

Known as the "Father of the National Parks," John Muir wrote about the American West with unmatched passion and eloquence—as seen in this stunning, one-volume collection

In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir became America's most eloquent spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a far-seeing prophet of environmental awareness who founded the Sierra Club in 1892, he was also a master of natural description who evoked with unique power and intimacy the untrammeled landscapes of the American West.

Nature Writings collects Muir's most significant and best-loved works in a single volume, including: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913), My First Summer in the Sierra (1911), The Mountains of California (1894) and Stickeen (1909). Rounding out the volume is a rich selection of essays—including "Yosemite Glaciers," "God's First Temples," "Snow-Storm on Mount Shasta," "The American Forests," and "Save the Redwoods"—that highlight various aspects of his career: his exploration of the Grand Canyon and of what became Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks, his successful crusades to preserve the wilderness, his early walking tour to Florida, and the Alaska journey of 1879.

LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

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A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir | A Travel Adventure Classic about Hiking Oct 9, 2018

by John Muir

( 112 )

$0.99

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” - John Muir

John Muir, one of America’s great environmentalists, has inspired nature lovers for generations with his writings.

A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir is the adventure that started it all.

Walk with John from Indiana through Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. A story that is sure to inspire your own adventures and love for nature and the off beaten path.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” - John Muir

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My First Summer in the Sierra :Illustrated Jan 24, 2021

by John Muir

( 181 )

$3.99

Influential naturalist, author, and co-founder of the Sierra Club, John Muir loved the outdoors. His writings and advocacy for protection of the pristine wilderness of the American west were vital in helping to preserve noted sites of natural beauty including the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park. Muir saw the natural world as a place of spiritual wonder, writing that the National Parks were “places for rest, inspiration, and prayers.” One of Muir’s most endeared works is the 1911 publication, “My First Summer in Sierra”. Following the American Civil War in the summer of 1869, John Muir signed on with a crew of shepherds to drive a flock of 2,500 sheep to Yosemite National Park at the headwaters of the Merced river. This journey would take Muir through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Eastern California. “My First Summer in Sierra” is an account of that experience, one which would inspire many to visit the Yosemite region and has become a classic of environmentalist literature. This edition reproduces all the original illustrations and photographs from the 1911 edition and includes a biographical afterword.

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JOHN MUIR Ultimate Collection: Travel Memoirs, Wilderness Essays, Environmental Studies & Letters (Illustrated): Picturesque California, The Treasures ... Redwoods, The Cruise of the Corwin and more Nov 28, 2015

by John Muir

( 36 )

$1.99

This carefully crafted ebook: "JOHN MUIR Ultimate Collection: Travel Memoirs, Wilderness Essays, Environmental Studies & Letters (Illustrated)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.
Table of Contents:
Picturesque California
The Mountains of California
Our National Parks
My First Summer in the Sierra
The Yosemite
Travels in Alaska
Stickeen: The Story of a Dog
The Cruise of the Corwin
A Thousand-mile Walk to the Gulf
Steep Trails
Studies in the Sierra
Articles and Speeches:
The National Parks and Forest Reservations
Save the Redwoods
Snow-Storm on Mount Shasta
Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park
A Rival of the Yosemite
The Treasures of the Yosemite
Yosemite Glaciers
Yosemite in Winter
Yosemite in Spring
Edward Henry Harriman
Edward Taylor Parsons
The Hetch Hetchy Valley
The Grand Cañon of the Colorado
Autobiographical:
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth
Letters to a Friend
Tribute:
Alaska Days with John Muir by Samuel Hall Young
John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization.

The Yosemite Mar 30, 2011

by John Muir

( 208 )

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Travels in Alaska May 17, 2012

by John Muir

( 216 )

$0.00

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , MP3 CD

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

The Mountains of California (Illustrated Edition) Apr 22, 2019

by John Muir , Herbert W. Gleason , Charles S. Olcott

( 64 )

$0.99

The Mountains of California is Muir's tribute to the beauties of the Sierra. When he came to California and finally settled in San Francisco, John Muir immediately left for a visit to Yosemite, a place he had only read about. Seeing it for the first time, Muir noted that "He was overwhelmed by the landscape, scrambling down steep cliff faces to get a closer look at the waterfalls, whooping and howling at the vistas, jumping tirelessly from flower to flower." He climbed a number of mountains, including Cathedral Peak and Mount Dana, and hiked the old Indian trail down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake. He vividly described not only his journeys through the mountains, valleys and glaciers of Sierra, but also the nature and geology of the area.

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The Cruise of the Corwin: Journal of the Arctic Expedition of 1881 in Search of de Long and the Jeannette Dec 19, 2016

by John Muir

( 34 )

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On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeanette departed San Francisco for the Bering Strait with the intention of finding a route to the North Pole.

With the ship crushed by the pressure of the ice, its captain, George W. De Long, and twenty of its crew never made it back to America.

The federal government called upon her captain, Calvin L. Hooper, to venture northwards and find out what happened to the USS Jeanette and the missing men.

Built out of the finest Oregon fir, fastened with copper, galvanized iron, and locust-tree nails, the Corwin was the perfect ship for Arctic exploration where her sturdy sailing qualities were to prove of the utmost importance.

John Muir, Scottish naturalist and explorer, sensing the possibilities of science and adventure in the exploration of this unknown Arctic land, immediately made himself available for the Corwin’s expedition.

During the cruise Muir kept a daily record of his experiences and observations, these along with the numerous letters he wrote form the basis of this fascinating account.

As well as describing the day by day events of the Corwin in its search for any survivors of the Jeanette, Muir also recorded his encounters with Alaskan natives, describing how they survived this brutal environment. He drew upon his experience as a naturalist to beautifully capture the flora and fauna of this landscape.

The Cruise of the Corwin: Journal of the Arctic Expedition of 1881 in search of De Long and the Jeannette remains a fascinating read for anyone interested in late nineteenth century exploration, or for anyone wishing to find out more about the world of the Arctic circle.

John Muir’s work is particularly relevant to modern times as it depicts a world that is coming increasingly under threat as the effects of global warming threaten the lands through which he traveled. During his lifetime he was particularly passionate in advocating preservation of wilderness in the United States, and he was instrumental in protecting Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. This book was published in 1917, three years after Muir had died in 1914.

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