The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples

Tim Flannery

Grove Press, 2002 - Nature - 404 pages

In The Eternal Frontier, world-renowned scientist and historian Tim Flannery tells the unforgettable story of the geological and biological evolution of the North American continent, from the time of the asteroid strike that ended the age of dinosaurs 65 million years ago, to the present day. Flannery describes the development of North America's deciduous forests and other flora, and tracks the immigration and emigration of various animals to and from Europe, Asia, and South America, showing how plant and animal species have either adapted or become extinct. The story takes in the massive changes wrought by the ice ages and the coming of the Indians, and continues right up to the present, covering the deforestation of the Northeast, the decimation of the buffalo, and other facets of the enormous impact of frontier settlement and the development of the industrial might of the United States. Natural history on a monumental scale, The Eternal Frontier contains an enormous wealth of fascinating scientific details, and Flannery's accessible and dynamic writing makes the book a delight to read. This is science writing at its very best -- a riveting page-turner that is simultaneously an accessible and scholarly trove of incredible information that is already being hailed by critics as a classic. "Tim Flannery's account ... will fascinate Americans and non-Americans alike." -- Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel "No one before Flannery ... has been brave enough to tackle the whole pageant of North America." -- David Quammen, the New York Times Book Review "Tim Flannery's book will forever change your perspective on the North American continent ... Exhilarating." -- John Terborgh, The New York Review of Books "Full of engaging and attention-catching information about North America's geology, climate, and paleontology." -- Patricia Nelson Limerick, the Washington Post Book World "Natural history par excellence." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This gutsy Aussie may have read our landscape and ecological history with greater clarity than any native son." -- David A. Burney, Natural History "A fascinating, current, and insightful look at our familiar history from a larger perspective." -- David Bezanson, Austin-American Statesman "The scope of [Flannery's] story is huge, and his research exhaustive." -- Lauren Gravitz, The Christian Science Monitor

What people are saying

Review: The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples

User Review  - Priscilla Benbrook - Goodreads

Ambitious book--natural history of the North American continent from 66 million years ago-present. Needfully dense, somewhat complex subject matter makes for a bit of a tough read. However, great science writer who packs a bit of a wit. VERY informative, I just take it a bit at a time.

Review: The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples

User Review  - Annette - Goodreads

An australian scientist, Tim Flannery http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/fl... looks at about 65 million years of plant and animal migration and evolution in North America. The author also discusses ...

Contents

• GROUND ZERO: 9
• THE REORDERING OF NORTH AMERICA: 25
• OF HELLBENDERS AND HOOFED CREATURES: 38
• IN WHICH AMERICA BECOMES A TROPICAL PARADISE: 55
• FIRST CONTACTS: 57
• THE BRIDGE OVER GREENLAND: 71
• IN WHICH AMERICA BECOMES A LAND OF IMMIGRANTS: 81
• A FATAL CONFIGURATION: 83
• LA GRANDE COUPURE: 91
• A GOLDEN AGE: 108
• GATEWAY TO THE PRESENT: 122
• UNITED LANDS OF AMERICA: 130
• LAURENTIDE: 146
• VISIT TO A NEW WORLD: 155
• IN WHICH AMERICA IS DISCOVERED: 171
• A NEW WORLD: 173
• THE BLACK HOLE THEORY OF EXTINCTION: 186
• MASSACRING THE MAMMOTH DISMEMBERING THE MASTODON: 194
• THE NEW AMERICAN FAUNA: 206
• THE MAKING OF THE BUFFALO: 218
• THE RISE OF CULTURES: 230
• THE TAMING OF TEOSINTE: 244
• IN WHICH AMERICA CONQUERS THE WORLD: 255
• ALTERNATIVE AMERICAS: 257
• ENGLISH COLONIES ALL: 269
• CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY: 287
• THE FATAL IMPACT: 301
• AMERICA UNDER THE GUN: 312
• THE MAKING OF A GIANT: 325
• WHATS HOME ON THE RANGE?: 339
• REINVENTING AMERICA: 349
• Notes: 358
• Bibliography: 383
• Acknowledgments: 396
• Index: 398

About the author

TIM FLANNERY has written many award-winning books, including The Weather Makers, which reached #1 in Canada, An Explorer's Notebook, Now or Never and Here on Earth. He is the National Geographic Society's Australasian representative and a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. In January 2007, he was named Australian of the Year and in 2011, he became Australia's first climate commissioner. Visit him online at theweathermakers.org.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples
• Author: Tim Flannery
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Grove Press, 2002
• ISBN: 0802138888, 9780802138880
• Length: 404 pages
• Subjects: History / North America; Nature / Ecology; Science / Life Sciences / Ecology; Science / Paleontology