"Jack Nisbet’s brisk, thrilling accoun allows us to walk, ride, and paddle along with David Douglas, the tireless nineteenth-century Scotsman whose name is attached to Cascadia’s iconic fir. Nisbet takes us on the ultimate naturalist’s tour of a largely


“In telling Douglas' story, Nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances.”
—Bookmarks Magazine
 
 
“…a compelling look into what the world here was like just before widespread white settlement.”
—The Inlander
 
 
“Nisbet gracefully and concisely traces Douglas’ journey from a gardener’s apprentice in Scotland to a young botanist-collector.”
—The Spokesman-Review
 
 
“…an exhilarating biography that provides an entertaining portrait of the unfettered determination that drove one of the giants in the field of botanical exploration and infused the young nation he viewed with a keen and zealous spirit.”
—Booklist
 
 
“Nisbet’s well-researched narrative has considerable bounce and drama… It’s a portrait of a true adventurer…a solid piece of scholarship and synthesis.”
—Kirkus Reviews