'His books are illuminated by sunshine and starlight . No other writer is so ceaselessly astonished by the natural world as Muir, or communicates that astonishment more urgently' - ROBERT MACFARLANE 'An inspirational figure for modern environmentalism . his enthusiasm and heart-felt love of nature is immensely impressive' - Guardian 'Muir was a geologist, an explorer, philosopher, artist, author, and editor, and to each of his avocations he devoted that deep insight and conscientious devotion which made him its master' - New York Times 'The great mountain man . [John Muir] remains a towering presence in American cultural life, and is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation' - MARK COCKER, author of OUR PLACE 'A superbly told, moving and challenging story. For anybody remotely interested in the environment, Scottish culture, American history, the art of biography or the art of life, this book is essential' - Scotland on Sunday.