“An impressive lineup of selections pertaining to Yosemite National Park’s early history. . . . [It is] most poignant as a new era of environmentalists seek historical context to inform their work; as peoples with ancestral ties to the land battle to claim grounds within Yosemite as their birthright; and as Indigenous Californians throughout the state battle for their rights to perform controlled burns and advised and inform California fire policy.”—Natalie Wilkinson, Western Historical Quarterly
“Aware of the rise of twenty-first-century themes of climate change, social justice, and new generations of visitors, Noy assembled materials form diaries, journals, travels narratives, and oral histories of Native people, settlers, soldiers, writers, artists, and public officials. The breadth of these sources in a single volume is most impressive as is the author’s effort to explain the historical forces that shaped the opinions of so diverse an array of personalities.”—Michael E. Welsh, H-Environment
“Researchers will find this book useful for the eyewitness descriptions of the contributors and the easy access to information as to where the accounts were first published.”—Abraham Hoffman, Roundup Magazine
“An engaging anthology of firsthand accounts documenting Yosemite’s storied past, supported by Gary Noy’s brilliant scholarship. The literature devoted to Yosemite is immense and rich, but Noy has brought together the best of the best.”—Gary F. Kurutz, principal librarian emeritus for Special Collections and California history at the California State Library, Sacramento
“Like Yosemite itself, Nature’s Mountain Mansion packs a treasure trove of wonders into a single spectacular space—from voices of Indigenous inhabitants to pioneers, profiteers, and nature-loving pilgrims like John Muir, all framed by Noy’s own fun and fascinating introductions.”—Scott Lankford, author of Tahoe beneath the Surface: The Hidden Stories of America’s Largest Mountain Lake
“Alongside such seminal works as John Muir’s Yosemite and Rebecca Solnit’s Savage Dreams, Gary Noy’s important new collection, Nature’s Mountain Mansion, expands the cultural space for a more nuanced, complex understanding of Yosemite’s place in our literary and historical imagination.”—Terry Beers, author of The End of Eden: Agrarian Spaces and the Rise of the California Social Novel
“Gary Noy shows his remarkable ability to wed scholarship and storytelling. He captures the marvel that Yosemite has long inspired. He allows the reader to walk through the darkness and the light in the landscapes he explores. A wonderful book!”—Patrick Ettinger, author of Imaginary Lines: Border Enforcement and the History of Undocumented Immigration, 1882–1930
