| Book Review | The Western Historical Quarterly, 34.1

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to the WHQ online. About 219 words from this article are provided below; about 384 words remain.

If you are a individual subscriber to the Western Historical Quarterly, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a subscriber to the Western Historical Quarterly, you can:: • subscribe here.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Western Historical Quarterly (104.3-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Western Historical Quarterly.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Western Historical Quarterly, 34.1 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Nature’s Army: When Soldiers Fought for Yosemite. By Harvey Meyerson. (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2001. xvi + 318 pp. Illustrations, notes, index. $35.00.)

The "Old Army"—the American military before the twentieth century and before global-reaching power—performed many services for the American republic. Although fighting Indians has dominated the view of that military, the reality is that the work of the Old Army was far more characterized by "nation-building, peacekeeping [as anachronistic as they sound], distinctive earthy patriotism, [and] environmentalism" (p. 23). In fulfilling such roles, the Old Army s hand in establishing Yosemite National Park, as well as the national park system, is the subject of Nature’s Army. 1

Harvey Meyerson, a senior staff member at the Library of Congress, divides Nature’s Army, a revision of his dissertation, into three sections. In the first section, he discusses how the early Republic s army developed into the only national bureaucracy capable of managing a national park. He then moves to the Old Army s role in establishing Yosemite National Park, guiding his readers through the duties of cavalrymen, whom he credits with saving that park and the national park system for future generations. Lastly, he delves into an intellectual discussion of the Old Army's ethical values, proposing that frontier soldiers were consummate environmentalists. . . .

There are about 384 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.