Beyond the Wall: Essays from the Outside

A delicious and visually-delightful book put together by Ed Abbey and the amazing photographer Eliot Porter. Abbey's musings on Appalachia were quite hilarious, but also quite sad at times as he talked about the land and how it's been ruined by us in so very many ways. His narrative takes tangents but mostly follows a visit he made to the Great Smokies over one winter in his later years. He travels up Clingman's Dome with his wife and daughter and reminisces on the land, the landscape, and the history of the area.

Porter's photographs are a treat. They're not necessarily eye-popping, but thoughtful, colorful images of Appalachian flora.

At any rate, I was attracted to the book by Abbey's writings, but Porter's photographs were a pleasant show more bonus. show less

In turns a picturesque description of the region especially the immensely diverse plant life, a rant against development... the history in particular of how Cherokee were forced out of their homes, the way hillside farmers make a living and their distinctive local culture and pride- and how it's been degraded by strip mining which ruins the land. Maybe it sounds a jumble but really it is very well presented together and my mind moved seamlessly from one aspect to the next. The photographs are beautiful (if a bit aged in appearance after all this book as an object is almost fifty years old) featuring waterfalls, brilliant fall leaves and bright forest floor wildflowers from the region.

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Noted photographer Porter's photos are shadowed by Edward Abbey's human history: industrial tourism and the harsh fate of the Cherokee Indians, sensitively told. For a complete collection of either Abbey or Porter, this is a necessity - and a terrific duo it is. (Who here knew Abbey "wrote" coffee-table books?)

This is a coffee table book that combines good photos of natural beauty with the history of the Great Smokey Mountain region. It is written from a log of a trip through the area but filled with data researched later. That style makes for easy interesting reading.The photos are very, good. Many of the photos are in the 8X10 size.

great photos and an interesting description of the park and region