John Muir
AUTHOR

John Muir

Science & Engineering | Literature & Fiction | Biographies & Memoirs
Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
John Muir (/mjʊər/; April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization. The 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, was named in his honor. Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier. In Scotland, the John Muir Way, a 130 mile long distance route, was named in honor of him. In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life. Muir has been considered 'an inspiration to both Scots and Americans'. Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth", while biographer Donald Worster says he believed his mission was "...saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism.":403 On April 21, 2013, the first ever John Muir Day was celebrated in Scotland, which marked the 175th anniversary of his birth, paying homage to the conservationist. Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
Read more Read less
Not an Audible member?
From £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Start your free 30-day trial

Best Sellers

Product list
  • Travels in Alaska (Annotated) cover art

    Regular price: £18.29 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.29 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Ultimate John Muir Collection: Our National Parks, Stickeen, My First Summer in the Sierra, The Yosemite, Travels in Alas

    Regular price: £30.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £30.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Wilderness Essays cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • My First Summer in the Sierra cover art

    Regular price: £17.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £17.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Travels in Alaska cover art

    Regular price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Wilderness Essays cover art

    Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Essential Muir cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • My First Summer in the Sierra (Annotated) cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Stickeen cover art

    Regular price: £1.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £1.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Storm: Stories of Survival from Land and Sea cover art

    Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Yosemite cover art

    Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Our National Parks cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Travels in Alaska cover art

    Regular price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • My First Summer in the Sierra cover art

    Regular price: £17.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £17.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • John Muirs Last Journey cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Our National Parks cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Travels in Alaska cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Lovers of the Land Collection: Muir, Roosevelt & Thoreau cover art

    Regular price: £30.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £30.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • Stickeen cover art

    Regular price: £1.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £1.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Yosemite cover art

    Regular price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £15.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00

Are you an author?

Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Visit Amazon Author Central