Tim Palmer

With 175 spectacular photos and five eloquent chapters, this book guides readers through California's magnificent rivers estate. Published by Heyday Books, Fall 2010.

"Like no other book, Rivers of California illuminates the beauty and wonder of rivers....This irresistible collection of photos and text celebrates what we at Friends of the River love, and it will entice Californians to better care for our rivers."                                                                                                                                                                                                --Paul Tebbel, Executive Director, Friends of the River                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     "Tim Palmer looks at California's rivers with an artist's eye. This book is a delight."                                                                                                 --Tom Knudson, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Sacramento Bee

 "In this grand tour of California's rivers, Tim Palmer captures the beauty of our flowing waters and makes the most compelling case for conservation that I have seen. This spectacular book should be read and appreciated by all--residents and visitors, politicians and scientists alike."                                                                                                     --Peter Moyle, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, U.C.-Davis

With 200 beautiful color photos and an informative text, this impressive book is an unprecedented celebration of America's wild forests. Published by Harry N. Abrams, Fall 2008.

 "In this one spectacular volume, Tim Palmer has brought the natural magnificence, ecological workings, and essential utility of forests to our attention like never before. He reveals what everyone needs to know about this vitally important part of the American landscape."
                                                                                                        --Mike Dombeck, Former Chief, U.S. Forest Service
 
"Tim Palmer has long articulated what so many of us feel about rivers.  Now, with his eloquent words and stunning photography, he has done the same with forests. Restoration of earth’s forests to ecological health is barely underway, but this grand book provides precisely the kind  of inspiration that will make  it succeed."                                                                                           --Ted Williams, Editor-at-Large, Audubon

"Tim Palmer brings trees and forests to life for us, touching our hearts, minds and spirits."  

                                                                                                         --David Suzuki, author of Tree: A Life Story

In Luminous Mountains, Tim Palmer offers an evocative portrait of the whole Sierra Nevada range. The book features 140 color photos and eight essays that inform and inspire.Published by Heyday Books in 2008.

"His prose is passionate, his photography exhilarating.... His writing is crisp, descriptive and ardent."
                                                                                                 --The Sacramento Bee
 

"Luminous Mountains is a beautiful tribute to California's famed mountain region. Tim Palmer embodies the spirit of the Sierra Nevada, and one can't help but be inspired by his passion and dedication to the Sierra."                                                                         --Yvon Chouinard, owner and founder of Patagonia

"In their craggy immensity, the Sierra Peaks illuminate Tim Palmer's glorious photos and canny text as they do the mind of anybody lucky enough to follow in his adventurous footsteps. What a luminous tresure indeed these mountains are, and how lucky we are to have Tim Palmer tracking for us their wild profiles and the heartbreaking loveliness of their rivers!"       --Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia

Rivers flow with peace and with power, they nourish all creatures, and they inspire us with their exquisite beauty. Rivers of America captures the magic of rivers with 200 stunning images and four evocative essays. Published by Harry N. Abrams in 2006.

"From the apex of a life given to moving water, Tim Palmer has bequeathed a gift to the generations. In these images a billion trees have gathered on America's shorelines and the very mountains have parted to honor the rivers sliding by. Sit down in the quiet, throw open your blinds, and be grateful. Here are the shining prayer wheels that sculpt and prism our continent and give it, and all of us, life."

                                           --David James Duncan, author of My Story as Told by Water and The River Why

"This book is a remarkable celebration of America. In photographs and in words, Tim Palmer has captured the magic and value of rivers as nobody has ever done, and as nobody is ever likely to do again."

                                            --Don Elder, President, River Network 

 
California Wild features 130 color photos and nine essays, organized by regions of the state, about the importance of California's wildlands. Photos by Tim and also by Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin. Published by Voyaguer/ MBI in 2004.

WINNER OF THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BOOK AWARD

for the best American book on nature and the environment

"California Wild movingly documents the natural beauty of California. May it inspire us all to work together to protect remaining wild lands before it is too late."   --Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senator, California

 
Oregon: Preserving the Beauty and Spirit of Our Land features a text by Tim Palmer that guides readers through Oregon's extraordinary and diverse landscape. Photos by Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin. Published by Voyaguer/ MBI in 2003.

"A wonderful book chock-full of magnificent photos of Oregon with a sparking text that adds to the fun and beauty. This one is a must! "                                                     -- Salem Statesman Journal

Pacific High tells the story of a 9-month road-trip exploring the extraordinary mountains that rise from North America's western edge. A fun and adventure-filled read, this book was a Finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Book Award. Published by Island Press in 2002. 

"In Pacific High, Tim Palmer brings the long overlooked, overdeveloped, and overlogged Pacific Coast Ranges into brilliant focus. With a naturalist's eye and a poet's heart. Palmer pays passionate attention to the wonders that remain among these coastal mountains, and he conveys an acute sense of what has been lost. I can think of no better guide for this desert-to-tundra journey --or a landscape more suited to Palmer's skills as a writer."
 --Tim McNulty, author of Washington's Wild Rivers and Olympic National Park: A Natural History             

"Tim Palmer knows how to travel. He packed his van and drove, hiked, climbed, skied, thrashed, canoed, ferried, and flew the Pacific Coast Ranges from Baja California to Kodiak Island, Alaska. Well informed to begin with, he missed no opportunity to learn more intimate truths from the people and places he met. All readers, including those of us who have made our homes in the sundown mountains of North America, can learn from his account, which is as varied and lively as this long, restless, spirited landscape itself."
   --John Daniel, author of The Trail Home and Winter Creek: One Writer's Natural History

 
The Heart of America takes readers on a panoramic landscape-by-landscape journey across the United States-- from forests and mountains to rivers, grasslands, deserts, and seashores. A superb and entertaining introduction to the ecological workings and major issues affecting each landscape type. Published by Island Press in 1999. 

WINNER OF THE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARD
 

 "It's the truest State of the Union address anyone ever gave."
                                                                                --Bill McKibben, author of Maybe One and The End of Nature

"Tim Palmer is among the brightest stars in the firmament of environmental writers today. The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future should be required reading for citizens who care deeply about the mountains, forests, grasslands, deserts, rivers, lakes and wetlands, and seashore that encompass America the beautiful. Tim's hopeful book provides thoughtful and useful ideas for how these great landscapes can be protected and restored in the decades ahead."
                                                                            --John Sawhill, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy

"For many years, Tim Palmer's books have reminded us that ours is a natural resource legacy too valuable to squander. The Heart of America will not let you down. It is both tribute and testament. Tribute to the wonder of the natural world we call home--testament to the urgency of conserving and restoring the lands and waters that sustain us."                       --Mike Dombeck, Chief, USDA Forest Service

"No matter what your political point-of-view may be about our impact on the environment, Tim Palmer's book makes provocative reading. In a wealth of sensory details, Palmer captures the immense diversity and majesty of the American landscape. As we face the new millennium, Palmer urges us to appreciate what we have and warns against squandering the very environment that sustains and enriches our lives."
                                                                                     --Mark Udall, U.S. Representative, Colorado

 
The Columbia explores the Northwest's greatest river from its mountain headwaters in Canada to its stormy mouth at the Pacific. Palmer offers a vivid portrait of this crucial river and watershed and addresses major issues facing the river today. Published by The Mountaineers in 1997.

"An insightful vision for the future. . . a great read for activists and armchair explorers alike."

                                                                                                                --Peter DeFazio, U.S. Representative, Oregon

 
Lifelines is a key book for anyone who loves rivers or who has become involved with river conservation.   Palmer deftly explains why rivers are so important for all of life and inspires everyone who cares to adopt their home river. First published by Island Press in 1994, Lifelines was updated with new chapters and published in a 2nd edition by Roman and Littlefield in 2004.  

"Add it to the shelf of the most important environmental books of our time." 

                                    --Roderick Nash, author of Wilderness and the American Mind and The Big Drops

"At long last! With Palmer's Lifelines any river-saver or other environmental activist has at his  or her fingertips a concise, easy-to-understand set of arguments on why the work we do is so important to nature, to society, and to our future."

                                      --Kevin J. Coyle, President, American Rivers
 

 
Endangered Rivers recounts the exciting and inspiring history of the movement that arose to protect America's rivers from dams and pollution--from John Muir's dam fight at Hetch Hetchy to those of the modern era. First published by the University of California Press in 1984, Endangered Rivers  was updated with new chapters and published in a 2nd edition by Roman and Littlefield in 2004. 

"A tremendously important addition to the literature of conservation." --T. H. Watkins in Orion

"A pinnacle of storytelling with a deft mix of history, painstakingly accurate research and insightful comment on the politics of conservation." --The Sacramento Bee

In America By Rivers, Palmer takes readers on an exploration of America's river-laced landscape with informative chapters about each distinctive region of the county. Each chapter features a revealing narrative journey down the quintessential waterway of its region. Published by Island Press in 1996.

"One of the most purposeful ways of understanding America is through its rivers. No one is more suited to this task than Tim Palmer, and he has done a brilliant job."                                                                                                                                                                                                         --Tom McGuane, author of Nothing But Blue Skies

 "...an encyclopedic culmination of [Palmer's] work on the rivers of America.... This excellent, concise, and fact-packed book belongs in every environmental, river, and natural history collection." --Library Journal

"A seasoned, amiable, well-fashioned tour of the nation's waterways...Palmer is one earnest, informed river rat, a guide to be trusted."                                          --Kirkus Reviews
 

 
Yosemite: The Promise of Wildness combines the photography of  William Neill with the insightful words of essayist Tim Palmer to present a unique study of Yosemite's meaning and its prospect for humankind today and for coming generations. Published by The Yosemite Association in 1994.

WINNER OF THE DIRECTOR'S AWARD

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

FOR THE BEST BOOK ABOUT A NATIONAL PARK 

"A collection of remarkable pictures and text celebrating the awesome beauty of one of America's greatest national parks." --Audubon
 
"Palmer's essays focus on the unique nature of the landscape, the enormous pressures being placed upon this national treasure, and possible approaches for balancing resource preservation and visitor accommodation....recommended for all environmental and public collections." --Library Journal

 
The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America is the key book for understanding America's wild and scenic river estate. Palmer explains the background and intent of the nation's primary river-protection program and presents a thorough compendium of America's nationally protected wild and scenic rivrs. Published by Island Press in 1993.

"Invaluable information on river recreation and resource conservation." --Library Journal

Tim Palmer was editor and author of 4 chapters in California's Threatened Environment, a primer for anyone seeking to understand the crucial environmental issues facing California today. Published by Island Press in 1993.

"It would be difficult to imagine a better book for realistically acquainting oneself with the endangered natural state of the state." --San Francisco Chronicle

 
The Snake River explores one fascinating watershed--from intriguing headwaters in the Grand Tetons to dammed-up mouth in western Washington--as a way of understanding water and rivers throughout the West. Palmer interviews people who use, live along, and aim to conserve the Snake, and he puts a human face on crucial water issues in the arid west while offering a vision for a better future. Published by Island Press in 1991.

"Palmer's brightly written, compelling treatment of this major river system ought to commend itself to all who seek a deeper understanding of the American West." --Charles F. Wilkinson

 
The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey explores one of America's greatest mountain ranges. Palmer's narrative offers unmatched insight to nature, outdoor adventure, and the forces of environmental change in a landscape beloved by many. Published by Island Press in 1988.

"Cool, clean, holistic. . . . exquisite poetry of light, space, and rock. The whole effect is exhilarating."

                                                                                                                                --The Washington Post

This revealing biography of America's most popular whitewater river follows the stream's fascinating path from source to mouth. Published by University of Pittsburgh Press in 1984.

 "The finest book ever written about a Pennsylvania River."  --The Harrisburg Patriot

Filled with a cast of colorful characters, this is the riveting story of America's most controversial river conservation battle.Published by University of California Press in 1982.

"A resource preservation drama in almost theatrical form." --American Forests

Rivers of Pennsylvania is Tim Palmer's first book and the only account of the grand collection of rivers in the Keystone State. Published by Penn State University Press in 1980.