A gracefully written, impeccably researched, major study of something of importance not only to Americans but to anyone interested in public access to regions of scenic, historical, or ecological significance. National Park Roads will be a major work of lasting value, with no other book remotely on its scale or in its class.–John Stilgoe, Harvard University, author of Train Time: Railroads and the Imminent Reshaping of the United States Landscape.
For most Americans, to visit a national park is to experience its roads. While it's easy to lament that fact and to see roads as modern intrusions into otherwise pristine nature, Tim Davis insists that roads and road building sit at the very heart of national park history. Roads shape the view, define the line between preservation and use, and demonstrate above all else that our national parks are landscapes where nature and culture intersect. National Park Roads is a stunning history of the built environment that will change the way we see our national parks.–Paul Sutter, University of Colorado, author of Driven Wild: How the Fight against Automobiles Launched the Modern Wilderness Movement.