About the Book In examining the 416 units of the U.S. National Park System (NPS), geographers Joe Weber and Selima Sultana focus attention on the historical geography of the system as well as its present distribution. Their discussion covers the entire range of places under the control of the NPS-not just the famous National Parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, but also National Monuments, Memorials, Lakeshores, Seashores, Rivers, Recreation Areas, Preserves, Reserves, Parkways, Historic Sites, Historic Parks, and a range of battlefields, including National Military Park, Battlefield Park, Battlefield Site, and Battlefield, as well as more than 20 additional sites not fitting into any of these categories (such as the White House). The book discusses how these units differ from other places, such as national forests administered by the US Forest Service, wildlife refuges administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and wilderness areas found in all these areas designated by Congress. Towards the end the authors also broaden the scope to examine protected places at more local scales as well as internationally. The geographic view of this project sets it apart from others that have taken a solely historical approach. Where parks are located, what they are near, where their visitors come from, and how land uses and activities are organized within parks are fundamental issues discussed. Further, it examines the full range of the NPS, not just the large nature parks such as Yellowstone that often receive the greatest attention. The majority of units in the NPS are actually devoted to battlefields, historical events, archaeological sites, or people, and this is reflected in the authors approach. While each unit is unique, they share the common imprint of NPS management, and many were developed during periods when particular management philosophies were dominant. The book also emphasizes changing social and political environments in which NPS units were created and the roles they serve, such as protecting scenery, providing wildlife habitats, preserving history, and serving as scientific laboratories and places for outdoor recreation. What we think of as a national park has changed over the years and will continue to change. The authors also focus on parks as public facilities and sites of economic activities. These park units were created by people for people to enjoy, at great cost and with great benefit. They cannot be understood without taking this human context into account-- Book Synopsis In examining the 424 units of the U.S. national park system, geographers Joe Weber and Selima Sultana focus attention on the historical geography of the system as well as its present distribution, covering the diversity of places under the control of the National Park Service (NPS). This includes the famous national parks such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite and the lesser-known national monuments, memorials, lakeshores, seashores, rivers, recreation areas, preserves, reserves, parkways, historic sites, historic parks, and a range of battlefields, as well as more than twenty additional sites not fitting into any of these categories (such as the White House). The geographic view of The Parks Belong to the People sets it apart from others that have taken a solely historical approach. Where parks are located, what they are near, where their visitors come from, and how land use and activities are organized within parks are some of the fundamental issues discussed. The majority of units in the NPS are devoted to recreation areas or historic sites such as battlefields, archaeological sites, or sites devoted to a specific person, and this is reflected in the authors approach. What we think of as a national park has changed over the years and will continue to change. Weber and Sultana emphasize changing social and political environments in which NPS units were created and the roles they serve, such as protecting scenery, providing wildlife habitats, preserving history, and serving as scientific laboratories and places for outdoor recreation. The authors also focus on parks as public facilities and sites of economic activities. National parks were created by people for people to enjoy, at great cost and with great benefit. They cannot be understood without taking this human context into account. Review Quotes The Parks Belong to the People contains an enormous amount of information pertinent to the historical, political, economic, and cultural factors influencing the national park system in the United States. This wealth of information, along with the vast array of specific examples given to illustrate various points, makes this a valuable resource.--Randall K. Wilson author of Americas Public Lands: From Yellowstone to Smokey Bear and Beyond Weber and Sultana deftly invoke the geographic processes that shaped the U.S. national park system as a whole even as they give individual units their unique characteristics. Comprehensive and accessible, The Parks Belong to the People should be in the library of everyone who cares about Americas national parks.--Terence Young author of Heading Out: A History of American Camping Weber and Sultana provide an impressive font of information about all aspects of the American national park system past, present, and future. Chapter 12 should be read by anyone pondering the future of Americas heritage. More than 75 maps demonstrate the power of geography in telling a story. The book will be a classic text for classes on public lands.--Lary Dilsaver editor of Americas National Park System: The Critical Documents Weber and Sultanas book pulls together a lot of established knowledge about the national parks and sets it down in one place, intelligently and systematically. I expect it will be a major go-to citation source for national park studies for a long time.--Ronald Foresta author of Americas National Parks and Their Keepers About the Author Joe Weber (Author) JOE WEBER is professor of geography at the University of Alabama. He is the author of Mapping Historical Las Vegas: A Cartographic Journey . Selima Sultana (Author) SELIMA SULTANA is professor and director of Graduate Studies of Geography at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Her work has appeared in leading journals including the Annals of the Association of American Geographers , The Professional Geographer , Journal of Transport Geography , Transport Policy , Tourism Geographies , Urban Geography , Urban Studies , Growth & Change , and Southeastern Geographer .