Nature’s Mountain Mansion: Wonder, Wrangles, Bloodshed, and Bellyaching from Nineteenth Century Yosemite. By Gary Noy

Abstract

Gary Noy’s Nature’s Mountain Mansion presents an impressive lineup of selections pertaining to Yosemite National Park’s early history. The works generally fall within the second half of the nineteenth century. Noy offers brief introductions and analyses in between. The selections firmly place the book as a National Park history; however, Indigenous sources and perspectives, as well as those of people of color, are far less present than they could be, creating a relatively Euro-American point of view. In its own right, this compilation of sources is informative on the major influences which began and in some ways continue through Yosemite National Park’s existence. Noy’s introductions provide context and analysis which place these sources in a more contemporary light. For some, this compilation will bring to light a darker past of Yosemite than they may have known. For others, the collection will serve as a handy and quick reference to Yosemite’s most famed personas, events, and influences, making it a worthwhile read for the broader public and useful to early scholars or as source material for an undergraduate class.