Big Sur: The Making of a Prized California Landscape Paperback - 2017

From the rear cover

"We think we know Big Sur because of its iconic role as a California place and muse. Enduring and fragile all at once, Big Sur is even more complex and historically fascinating than a beautiful photograph or poem can adequately assess. It needs a first-rate history book to do it justice, and Shelley Alden Brooks has answered that need."--William Deverell, author of Whitewashed Adobe: The Rise of Los Angeles and the Remaking of Its Mexican Past

"An elegantly written, nuanced, and subtle history of how Big Sur has come to be. Shrewd politics, dedicated vision, and good timing led to this treasured landscape's preservation. A wonderful read, full of important insights. This book is a valuable contribution to California's environmental history."--Stephanie Pincetl, author of Transforming California: A Political History of Land Use and Development

"With Big Sur, Brooks has made an outstanding contribution to the historical literature on California, the environment, and American counterculture. It is essential reading for students of these subjects and for anyone who has ever been moved by this special place."--Peter S. Alagona, author of After the Grizzly: Endangered Species and the Politics of Place in California