Muir, John – The Bell Bookshop

The story of my boyhood and youth

Emma — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

‘When I was a child in Scotland, I was fond of everything that was wild, and all my life I’ve been growing fonder and fonder of wild places and wild creatures.’

John Muir was eleven when he and his family left Scotland in 1849 to build a new life on a homestead in the vast wilderness of Wisconsin. Written in simple yet beautiful prose, we see Muir’s delight as he discovers and observes the landscape and wildlife around him, as he recalls his childhood and reveals himself as a master of natural description.

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

Emma — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In this moving memoir of an unusual childhood, John Muir recalls his younger days in East Lothian with a startling clarity, depicting a wild boy whose quiet individuality and determination were already emerging. Born in mid nineteenth-century Scotland, Muir was eleven when his fanatically religious father took the family to build a new life in America’s vast wilderness. Muir charts their pioneering years in Wisconsin, where his battles for survival powerfully anticipate the extraordinary career which was to follow. They reveal a free spirit who perceived bonds between man and nature that were subtle and far reaching for both.

A Thousand-Mile Walk To the Gulf

Emma — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

At the age of 29, naturalist John Muir set out for a long hike through the rural American South in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. This volume chronicles his path along the “wildest, leafiest, and least trodden way I could find” and his delighted encounters with Spanish moss, palmettos, magnolias, and other botanical wonders. Atmospheric black-and-white illustrations complement the text.

Travels in Alaska

Emma — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Written by Sierra Club founder and eminent conservationist John Muir, this volume offers a memorable Alaskan travelogue – and remains one of his most popular works. Muir’s observations range from the geology of Glacier Bay to the history and culture of the Chinook people. He captures the region’s grandeur and beauty with the same fervor he expressed for the Sierras, making this book a must for nature lovers and adventurous travelers.