PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewDean King’s poetry is a match for Muir’s ... Guardians of the Valley adds a compelling perspective: an examination of Muir’s relationship and friendship with the editor Robert Underwood Johnson ... Their relationship provides a compelling narrative that guides the reader through decades of what might otherwise have read as dense statecraft and legislative history. Instead, King deftly contrasts Johnson’s lobbying with Muir’s exploits ... King’s book adds much-needed perspective on the power of the press in lobbying for conservation ... We see through this book the immense power of language to sway, the ability for selectively chosen words to convey awe and power, resentment and raw anger, to change the minds of lawmakers and tourists alike.
