Historical Figures of the American West

Donald Worster and Philip Fradkin talked about their respective books which profile two American West historical figures. In A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir (Oxford University Press; October 21, 2008) Mr. Worster presents the life of John Muir, who played a central role in the beginning of America’s conservationist movement and was the founder of the Sierra Club. In Wallace Stegner and the American West University of California Press; February 17, 2009) Mr. Fradkin recounts the life of Wallace Stegner, author of the National Book Award-winning novel, The Spectator Bird and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Angle of Repose whose writing reflected the natural landscape of the American West and argued for its preservation.

Donald Worster is an American history professor at the University of Kansas. He is the author of several books, including Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s that was the recipient of the Bancroft Prize.

Philip Fradkin is the author close