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King of the 40th Parallel: Discovery in the American West
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 551.092
EAN: 9780804752220
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0804752222
Label: Stanford General Books
Manufacturer: Stanford General Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 416
Publication Date: February 06, 2006
Publisher: Stanford General Books
Release Date: February 27, 2006
Studio: Stanford General Books
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Editorial Review:
This book recounts the life and achievements of Clarence King, widely recognized as one of America’s most gifted intellectuals of the nineteenth century, and a legendary figure in the American West. King’s genius, singular accomplishments, and near-death adventures unfold in a narrative centered on his personal relationship with his lifelong friend and colleague, James Gardner. The two, upon completing their studies at Yale, traveled by wagon train across the continent and worked with the California Geological Survey. King went on to establish the Geological Exploration of the 40th Parallel, a government mapping program that stretched across the western mountain chains from California to Wyoming. This was the precursor to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Founded in 1879, with Clarence King as its architect and first director, the USGS became the most important and influential science agency in the nation. The adventurous aspects of conducting geological fieldwork in the West, much of them documented by letters written by King and Gardner, punctuate a book copiously illustrated with historic maps and photographs showing localities and people important to the story.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - A Captivating Account of Science and Adventure in the Early West
Who ever said that history was dry? Moore has interwoven first rate field science history with a series of captivating adventures in which American geologist Clarence King and his best friend, James Gardner are repeatedly thrown into life-threatening situations, including being spread-eagled by Indians with the makings of a fire set upon their stomachs in order to effect the most slow and unbearable death; another adventure finds King galloping ahead of bandits intent on taking his life.
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Rating: - A Scientist's Take on an Extrordinary Surveyor
I really enjoyed King of the 40th Parallel by James Moore. Much has been written about the extraordinary Clarence King, the leader of the 40th Parallel Expedition and the first director of the United States Geological Survey. And no wonder,-King is fascinating, not only for his contributions to the exploration of the West, but for his superstar personality.
I have known the author as a friend and colleague for many years and as a geologist, I appreciate Jim's details of King's geographical ... Read More
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