"For more than forty years, backed by a broad reading of the multilingual literature, Nicholas and Nina Shoumatoff explored, climbed, and studied the Alps from west to east, south to north, and bottom to top as few have done.".

"Neither travel guide nor narrative, The Alps presents an unusual synthesis of the entire Alpine region. The broad scope of the book encompasses the region's geography, geology, climate, vegetable and animal kingdoms, ethnic groups, dialects, pastoral life and festivals, home life and folk arts, legends, fiction, visual arts, music and dancing, warfare, summit climbing, trekking, ski touring, and what the authors call psychological ecology.

Unifying this kaleidoscope is the authors' deep understanding of the interdependence between and within the natural and cultural realms."--BOOK JACKET.