"David Brower is one of the dominant figures in the environmental movement over the last half of the twentieth century. Frequently compared to John Muir, Brower was the first executive director of the Sierra Club, founded Friends of the Earth, and helped secure passage of the Wilderness Act. Tapping his passion for wilderness and especially the mountains he scaled in his youth, he was a key figure in the creation of the Point Reyes National Seashore, the Northern Cascades and Redwood National Parks, and was a central figure in successful efforts to keep dams from being built in Dinosaur National Monument and the Grand Canyon. Until now there has been no comprehensive biography of this dynamic leader. This book looks back at his life and the impact he had on the environmental movement from its beginning until his death in 2000. Tom Turner started working with David Brower in 1968 and remained close until Brower's death, giving us an insider's look at the man and his decisive role inside the birth of the environmental movement. Turner has examined Brower's diaries, notebooks, articles, books, and published interviews, and has conducted interviews with more than fifty of Brower's admirers, enemies, and colleagues to develop a complete picture of this controversial and iconic figure"--Provided by publisher.