This long-awaited biography of the progenitor of the Appalachian Trail draws on hundreds of sources to craft a portrait never before fully drawn of this forester, regional planner, rebel, and ultimately "Nestor" of the Trail project (that might not have been a compliment). More than 500 pages, illustrated.

From the back cover:

Planner and originator of the Appalachian Trail and a cofounder of the Wilderness Society, Benton MacKaye (1879-1975) was a pioneer in linking the concepts of preservation, recreation, and regional planning. This pathbreaking biography provides the first complete portrait of this significant and unique figure in American environmental, intellectual, and cultural history.

Larry Anderson. 2002.