The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 4 March 1998
edited by Robert Leonard Reid
This book is a vast collection of writings relating to the history, environment, and culture of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The history of California is tied closely to the history of these beautiful granite peaks. Reid has assembled various writings from explorers, immigrants, mountaineers and famous authors, to illustrate the rich effect this place has on the mind and soul. From native-American tales, to the tragic story of the Donner Party, to Mark Twain's humorous exploration (and near immolation) of Lake Tahoe, to perilous mountain climbing, the collection covers the vast territory very well. Jack London's short story, All Gold Cañon is the highlight of this collection, with detailed descriptions of Gold exploration and the dark side of human nature he so well describes. Many of these works are short excerpts from longer pieces. Also, some of the mountaineering and exploration tales got a little repetitive, with their countless descriptions of landscape and climbing difficulties. This reader noted a couple of missing pieces, most obviously the climb described in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. If read in a non-linear fashion, jumping from climbing tale to environmental commentary, the monotony would be softened. Still, this is an excellent collection in an undersampled field of California literature. And it gives a moving overview of an exciting period of western history.