Land of Giants: Drive to the Pacific Northwest, 1750-1950
by David Lavender
Mainstream of America Series (7)
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Description
The exploration and conquest of the Pacific Northwest is the dominant theme of Land of Giants, a book which (in the words of William O. Douglas) "gives one a sense of participation in moulding the manifest destiny of America." English and Spanish seadogs seeking a northwest passage to the Orient were the first comers; then, following Bering's explorations, Russian fur traders descended on the Aleutians. In turn, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the activities of the great fur companies, and show more "Oregon fever" spurred on overland traffic westward; and as gold silver, and copper drew thousands more into the new land, railroads and steamship lines grew up to serve the mushrooming settlements. Land of Giants tells also of the tragic squeeze play on the Indians, the rise of the fishing and lumber industries, the development of modern power and reclamation projects, and the struggles of the conservationists to preserve natural resources and wild life. "Reading Land of Giants, we can believe that history trod here, that issues existed, that men schemed and dreamed and struggled, and so the present came to be."--A. B. Guthrie Jr., Saturday Review of Literature. A well-known Western historian, David Lavender is the author of more than twenty books, among them Bent's Fort, One Man's West, and most recently California: A Bicentennial History and Winner Take All: The Trans-Canada Canoe Trail. show lessTags
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Set in the Pacific Northwest
136 works; 7 members
Author Information
48+ Works 2,129 Members
David Lavender's publications include One Man's West, Bent's Fort, The First in the Wilderness, and California: Land of New Beginnings
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1956
- Important places
- Pacific Northwest, USA
- Dedication
- For my mother
- First words
- Spain was frightened.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For always the far corner of our land has been a region big with promise. It still is.
- Blurbers
- Douglas, William O.
- Original language
- English US
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 120
- Popularity
- 270,632
- Rating
- (4.10)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 5
