Death Valley National Park: Splendid Desolation (A 10x13 Book©) (Sierra Press)

Death Valley--few places on Earth conjure as palpable a sense of the forbidden;few places on Earth are as much a part of American lore. Once considered a place to avoid, today Death Valley beckons to bold travelers, attracting the curious and those who would test themselves against one of the most challenging landscapes in North America. Stewart Aitchison's heartfelt essay reveals this apparently desolate land of sand dunes, salt flats, and sun-struck mountains and valleys for what it is: a magnificent desert world of ususal plants and curious denizens that has as colorful a human history as any in America. Richly illustred by America's leading landscape photographers. "Death Valley: Splendid Desolation reveals the park in breathtaking, timeless imagery.