"Working closely with Muir's family and with his papers, Wolfe was able to create a full portrait of her subject, not only as America's firebrand conservationist and founder of the national park system, but also as a husband, father, and friend. Anyone who has admired Muir's ruggedly individualistic lifestyle, and those who wish a greater appreciation for the history of environmental preservation in America, will be enthralled and enlightened by this splendid biography." "The story follows Muir from his ancestral home in Scotland, through his early years in the harsh Wisconsin wilderness, to his history-making pilgrimage to California." "Muir's mechanical genius provided him with a means of escape from endless toil and the harsh discipline of his father. On the campus of the University of Wisconsin, young Muir's knowledge and horizons expanded rapidly until, after two and a half years, he left Madison in 1864 to wander in the Canadian wilderness. An accident in 1867 enforced a period of inaction, during which he came to a simple but momentous decision: he must always be free to roam the wilderness. After recovering from his injuries, he set out on his life-long journey, traveling both south and west. In 1868 he arrived in San Francisco and, from there, set out for the Sierra Nevada range. Although he later traveled widely, it was in California that he spent most of the rest of his life." "Muir was a multifaceted character, shaped as much by his stern and liberty-loving Scottish heritage as by his love of all things wild and free. His battles against the encroachment of civilization were actually born of his love for civilization, for he was one of the few to realize that the destruction of the wilderness would diminish man himself."--BOOK JACKET.