Planner and originator of the Appalachian Trail and a cofounder of the Wilderness Society, Benton MacKaye (1879-1975) was a pioneer in linking the concepts of preservation and recreation. Spanning three-quarters of a century, his long and productive career had a major impact on emerging movements in conservation, environmentalism, and regional planning. MacKaye's seminal ideas on outdoor recreation, wilderness protection, land-use planning, community development, and transportation have inspired generations of activists, professionals, and adventurers seeking to strike a harmonious balance between human need and the natural environment.This pathbreaking biography provides the first complete portrait of this significant and unique figure in American environmental, intellectual, and cultural history. Drawing on extensive research, Larry Anderson traces MacKaye's extensive career, examines his many published works, and describes the importance of MacKaye's relationships with such influential figures as Lewis Mumford, Aldo Leopold, and Walter Lippmann. This book will appeal to students, scholars, and professionals in preservation, conservation, recreation, planning, and American studies, as well as general readers interested in these subjects.
Contents:AcknowledgementsIntroduction. ""Expedition 9""1. The MacKaye Inheritance, 18791896 2. From Harvard Yard to the ""Primaevial Forest"", 18961903 3. The Education of a Progressive Forester, 19031911 4. Raising Hell, 19111915 5. Reclaiming America's Wild Lands for Work and Play, 19151916 6. Employment and Natural Resources, 19171919 7. Turning Point, 19191921 8. First Steps along the Appalachian Trail, 19211923 9. The Regional Planning Association of America and the Appalachian Trail Conference, 19231925 10. The New Exploration, 19251928 11. Trailwork and the ""Townless Highway,"" 19281931 12. ""RP = TH + AT + HT,"" a Formula for the New Deal, 19311933 13. The Tennessee Valley Authority 19341936 14. The Wilderness Society, 19341936 15. ""Watershed Democracy,"" 19361945 16. Wilderness in a Changing World, 19371950 17. ""Geotechnics of North America,"" 19441972 18. Linking Action with Prophecy, 19531975 Epilogue. A ""Planetary Feeling""Appendix. ""An Appalachain Trail,"" by Benton MacKaye Abbreviations Notes Note on Sources Index
""This is a book that thoughtful hikers will enjoy.""
