"Williams does a marvelous job of evoking the cityscape that used to be. He clues us in to the spirit of civic ambition that drove Seattle's geographical transformations. He methodically chronicles the stages by which its regrade, canal and landfill projects were accomplished. And he's meticulous about placing his readers on present-day street corners where they can, with some sleight of mind, glimpse the hills, lake shores and tide flats that vanished."
- Michael Upchurch (Seattle Times) "A great story about the beginnings of Seattle. The focus is the topography of our city, but Williams fills in all the details on politics, the economy, our original neighbors, and much more. A very good read."
- Tim Burgess, former Mayor of Seattle "[An] absorbing and accessible book. . . . [A] fascinating guided tour that residents and visitors can utilize to envision a changing place. I plan to carry it the next time I visit Seattle, and I hope that both its library sales and holiday gift sales will be brisk."
- Carl Abbott (Western Historical Quarterly) "Run, don't walk to buy it."
- James Crossley, Mercer Island Books "Williams is a brilliant writer who combines an intense and scholarly curiosity with in-the-field research, and has a gift for explaining—[he] offers a detailed yet sweeping overview of the way Seattle's landscape has literally been reshaped."
- Knute Berger (Crosscut) "This engaging and informative history will surprise many readers, providing them with a glimpse of how Seattle looked not too long ago. ... Williams's book is a comprehensive study of the early settlers' relationship with Seattle's unique landscape and of how that early relationship continues to influence the city."
(Pacific Northwest Quarterly) "[M]asterful...history of Seattle topography."
(Seattle Times / Pacific NW Magazine)
