After being appointed the United States Minister Resident to the Ottoman
Empire in 1849, George P. Marsh had the opportunity to travel the world
and visit the sites of ancient civilizations. Troubled by what he saw,
Marsh came to the conclusion that these societies were victims of
self-destruction and that the same fate could be in store for the
nations of today. Moved to action, Marsh would go on to publish Man and
Nature: Or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action in 1864.
Considered to be the first major work of environmental literature, Man
and Nature would help to raise global awareness about the effect of
human behavior on the natural world. Second only to Charles Darwin's On
the Origin of the Species in impact and influence, the book would be
instrumental to the creation of the United States National Forest and
launch the conservation movement into high gear within the United
States.
Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition
of Man and Nature is a classic of environmental literature, reimagined
for modern readers.