The Humboldt Current: Nineteenth-Century Exploration and the Roots of American Environmentalism

A masterly and beautifully written account of the impact of Alexander von Humboldt on nineteenth-century American history and culture

The naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) achieved unparalleled fame in his own time. Today, however, he and his enormous legacy to American thought are virtually unknown. In The Humboldt Current, Aaron Sachs traces Humboldt's pervasive influence on American history through examining the work of four explorers--J. N. Reynolds, Clarence King, George Wallace, and John Muir--who embraced Humboldt's idea of a "chain of connection" uniting all peoples and all environments. A skillful blend of narrative and interpretation that also discusses Humboldt's influence on Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, Melville, and Poe, The Humboldt Current offers a colorful, passionate, and superbly written reinterpretation of nineteenth-century American history.

Author: Aaron Sachs
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 08/01/2007
Pages: 512
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.36h x 5.56w x 1.11d
ISBN: 9780143111924

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 08/03/2007 pg. 28

About the Author
Aaron Sachs is a professor of history and American studies at Cornell University and an award-winning environmental journalist. This is his first book.