If you are looking for a tasty sampling of writings about the Grand Canyon this may be your book. In its 253+ pages you get the flavor of writings by dozens of authors, and enough of each flavor for you to decide whether you've had enough with that one taste, or if you need to digest that author's entire work. The writings range from serious to the silly, from inspirational to scary, and from experiential to philosophical. There's probably something here for everyone - a vast variety of perspectives and experiences from canyon rim to beyond the river's edge. None of the selections are over 16 pages (and many far shorter) so even if you're less than delighted with any of them you're quickly on to the next. This is a surprisingly quick and delightful read, and you'll probably get to the end wishing for more.

This book is designed to give you enough interest in the Grand Canyon from an armchair perspective to induce you to actually go there. Accordingly there are 14 pages of information devoted to The Next Step - what you need to know to visit and safely enjoy the real Grand Canyon.

Read the book and then go!

Compiled by Ellen Robson Haunted Arizona: Ghosts Of The Grand Canyon State is a fascinating, exciting travel guide to haunted locations throughout the state of Arizona. Featuring black-and-white photographs, spine-chilling supernatural anecdotes, addresses and contact information of scary sites open to the public, and more, Haunted Arizona is enthusiastically recommended for Arizona tourists looking for something different, something metaphysical, something paranormal, something out of the ordinary, something truly memorable.

The interest in the seemingly never-ending myths and legends about river trips through the Grand Canyon continues to grow. One of the enduring controversies that continues to surface among Colorado River historians is the question of who really was the first to travel the river through the Grand Canyon. Historically, the credit is given to John Wesley Powell for his amazing feat in 1869. However, there is, and always has been, a dispute about whether or not a Colorado prospector named James White may have actually made the first descent two years earlier than Powell, in 1867. If this is true the legend and accolades surrounding the Powell trip, while significant, will have to be revised to take into account White's accomplishment.
Eilean Adams is the granddaughter of James White and has written the first complete account of the controversy surrounding her grandfathers claim to have traversed the river through the Canyon in eleven days, two years prior to Powell's trip. It is an amazing story that was originally widely believed and publicized. White had been prospecting with another man near the San Juan River in Colorado when they encountered hostile Indians. His partner was killed and White claims to have fashioned a raft and began an eleven-day journey down the Colorado to eventually wash up on the shore at Callville, Nevada.
In a highly readable, absorbing manner Adams has written a compelling account of White's life and journey that is meticulously researched and provides a plausible and compelling case that White did in fact accomplish the unbelievable. The story will appeal to the reader favoring a good mystery as well as those hooked on historical events and legends. The book is well documented with chapter notes; references, sources, and other related documents that provide the reader with the first comprehensive account of a story that will not die. Was James White really the first person to traverse the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River? If so, why do historians insist on giving the credit to John Wesley Powell? The answers to these and other questions make this book a first rate addition to the literature of the West.

George Steck is a preeminent hiker and route finder for traveling in the little-known regions of the Grand Canyon. His decriptions of the routes are given in a very readable and entertaining manner. George is a wonderful raconteur and his writings reflect that fact. The book is excellent reading for both the new and experienced Grand Canyon hiker as well as the armchair adventurer.

Mr. Suran captures the history of the Kolb Brother's studio at the Grand Canyon through charming stories and wonderful photographs

This is just the kind of book that I was looking for as a companion to our Grand Canyon vacation. It has a variety of activities that will please my kids ranging in age from 5 years to 13 years (although the activities for the older child are limited).

Coloring pictures of the Grand Canyon together with my 5 and 7 year old is helping them get excited about the trip and will help them appreciate the visit even more.

Final score: The 5 year old needs help with the reading, but almost all of the activities are appropriate.

This is a perfect book for the 7 year old -- she will only need help with some of the bigger words.

This is a stretch for my 13 year old, but he will enjoy several of the activities.

I even learned something from reviewing it!

The photos alone are worth the price of this oversized paperback. Mr. Anderson has assembled a detailed and engaging history of the "pioneer" period (1850-1930) at the South and North rims of the Grand Canyon (and the cliffs, slopes and water in between). The familiar names of trails and canyons are fleshed into the first hardy folks who endeavored to eek a livelihood out of northern Arizona's unforgiving desert canyon. We meet explorers, entrepreneurs and industrialists. Prospectors stake their claims, both legitimate and fraudulent. Mormons seek refuge from the laws of their own home state. Individuals fight their losing tugs-of-war against the Railroad/Concession/Park Service aliance. While treatment of prehistoric and early Spanish events is adequate to set the stage for discussing the later periods, it is not intended to be comprehensive [see On the Edge of Splendor]. This comfortably readable volume has finally clarified for me the preferential treatment of Fred Harvey Enterprises, the unmistakable ambivalence of the National Park Service toward its patrons (visitors), and the puzzling destruction of historic sites and abandonment of remote access roads by the NPS. This is great reading for any Canyon junkie.

A beautifully illustrated overview of artistic responses to America's most famous natural wonder. Ranging from portrayals by early expeditionary artists to recent panoramas that exult in the region's chromatic and geological complexity, this book examines a diverse array of imagery in historical context, augmented by a profusion of literary, scientific, and historical quotations about the canyon and its sublime effects.

First documenting the canyon's potential as a navigable waterway, then working for railroad companies interested in the area's tourist value, artists today are drawn to the region for a host of reasons, but all continue to be fascinated by its enduring spectacle. The Majesty of the Grand Canyon celebrates their achievements and explores their struggle to approach the epic grandeur.

A great history AND art AND art history for both kids and adults, USA-ers and non-USA-ers esp. not likely to see in person, or if you have been so lucky, reinforces those wonderful memories!

This Trails Illustrated map is a great tool for initial planning of your adventure into the Grand Canyon's spectacular backcountry. The map covers Grand Canyon National Park backcountry in its entirety. Almost. But close enough for most. The 1:73,530 scale and 80' contour interval make this map of limited use for on trail use, but make useful for getting an overview of the canyon and a sense of your options.

This map is also packed with information useful for planning your Grand Canyon trip. Backcountry use areas, necessary for making a permit request, are designated on the map. So are camp sites, campgrounds, and water sources in the GC's backcountry.

Very handy.

Highly recommended for young adult readers ages 8-12, Over The Edge is a fun, exciting suspense novel collaborative written by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson, and is the latest entry in the "Mysteries In Our National Parks" series. When Olivia Landon receives a threatening, anonymous e-mail after announcing her disputed plan to save and protect the endangered condors of Grand Canyon National Park, a trail of computer evidence leads to personal peril! Over The Edge is fast-paced read, with the added bonus of slipping in some educational information about one of America's greatest natural parks.