The book that sparked the modern environmental movement, with an
unprecedented collection of letters, speeches, and other writings that
reveal the extraordinary courage and vision of its author
Library of America launches its Rachel Carson edition with this deluxe
illustrated volume presenting one of the landmark books of the twentieth
century together with rare letters, speeches, and other writings that
reveal the personal courage and passionate commitment of its author. A
huge bestseller when published in September 1962, Silent Spring led
not only to many of the laws and government agencies that protect our
air, land, and water, but prompted a revolution in environmental
consciousness. Now for the first time, in previously unpublished and
newly collected letters to biochemists, ecologists, cancer specialists,
ornithologists, and other experts, Carson's groundbreaking expose of the
unintended consequences of pesticide use comes together piece-by-piece,
like a puzzle or detective story. She makes common cause with
conservationists and other allies to build public awareness, hiding her
private battle with cancer for fear it might distract from her message.
And in the wake of her book's astonishing impact, as she becomes the
target of an organized campaign of disinformation by the chemical
industry, Carson speaks out in defense of her findings while remaining a
model of grace under pressure. Throughout the collection, Carson's
lifelong love of nature shines through. In writings both lyrical and
intensely moving, she conveys her sense of wonder to her young nephew,
dreams of conserving old-growth forest in Maine for posterity, and
recounts her adventures and epiphanies as birdwatcher and beachcomber. A
future companion volume will gather Carson's sea trilogy: Under the
Sea-Wind (1941), The Sea Around Us (1951), and The Edge of the
Sea (1955).
LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization
founded in 1979 to preserve our nation's literary heritage by
publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America's best and most
significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than
300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in
length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are
printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
