Sparkling color photographs animate this exploration of the history, wildlife diversity, and unmatched landscapes of the nationÆs national wildlife refuges. (Biology & Natural History) When Theodore Roosevelt declared Florida's Pelican Island a "preserve and breeding ground for native birds" in 1903, he officially launched the National Wildlife Refuge system. After decades of exploitation, the wildlife of the U.S. was in desperate straits, with market hunters slaying hundreds of ducks per night, women wearing dead birds as hat ornamentation, and the near-extinction of the once numberless bison. Dolin explores America's National Wildlife Refuges and the movement to protect the nation's wildlife in this very readable history of a globally unique network of federal lands. The absorbing saga of the growth of the refuge system makes for fascinating reading, as politics often scuffled with biology, and inconsistencies in the laws between states, and between states and the federal government, had to be ironed out. The system now contains more than 530 refuges comprising 95 million acres of federally protected land, conserving hundreds of wildlife species and visited by millions of people every year. Illustrated with evocative color photographs and period illustrations. Nancy Bent Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved A terrific job...The result is a coffee table book worth buying a coffee table for. -- The Baltimore Sun, June 15, 2003 Exquisitely photographed history and overview of America's National Wildlife Refuge System...visually gripping and well-written. -- Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2003 Fountain of information, meticulously detailed and intensely researched, a beautiful book ... a wonderful addition to any wildlife enthusiast's library. -- Ecobeetle.com (summer 2003) Outstanding book... Highly and enthusiastically recommended for all public libraries and all environmental collections. -- Library Journal, March 1, 2003 The most beautiful coffee-table book of the year ... The author does a beautiful job. -- Family Motor Coaching Magazine, June 2003 The remarkable photographs and accompanying text reveal the rish history of America's 538 national wildlife refuges. -- Outdoor Photographer, June 2003 The stories of Teddy Roosevelt ... "Ding" Darling, and other indomitable historic figures are woven into the inspiring saga. -- Wildlife Conservation, July/August 2003 This richly illustrated retrospective could not be more timely. -- Nature Conservancy, Fall 2003 Eric Jay Dolin, Ph.D., has published six books, including Snakehead: A Fish Out of Water and The Duck Stamp Story. Used Book in Good Condition