California Desert Trails
Gelesen von Steven Seitel
Joseph Smeaton Chase
(4,625 Sterne; 8 Bewertungen)
"I fell an easy prey to the beckonings of the other principal feature of California's topography, the dreamy, dreary desert. Long ago, on short expeditions into and across it at various points, I had fallen under its inexplicable charm; now I determined to know it more closely, by daily and nightly intercourse through months of travel in its sun-blasted solitudes: gaining the experience I desired at the price, certainly, of some discomfort, and, possibly, of a trifling degree of danger — merely enough for spice. This volume, then, is the fruit of over two years continuous camping and traveling on the desert." (From the Preface) - Summary by Steven Seitel (10 hr 44 min)
Chapters
Bewertungen
type 7
(4,5 Sterne)
Great description of an extended visit to California deserts in early 20th century. Great descriptions of the desert and what it was like to journey through this challenging environment. Anyone planning a trip to a desert would benefit from reading this 100+ year old book. Chase’s book has in depth descriptions of trees and plants along with details of their uses by native Americans along with wonderful descriptions of the desert environment. Chase’s descriptions of his relationship with his hoofed companions and with the people he meets make for an interesting story. Chase doesn’t consider himself an expert in botany, geology, sociology or cultural anthropology yet he is thoughtful on these subjects and his point of view has value especially considering he was writing about the California of 100 years ago.