American Eden

American Eden moves luminously through landscapes of history, literature, biography, and design theory. . . . fusing sharp-edged analysis and graceful American prose. Kevin Starr, author of Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America's Greatest BridgeInformative and absolutely engrossing. Ross King, author of Brunelleschi's DomeGarden designer and historian Wade Graham offers a unique vision of the story of America in this riveting exploration of the nations gardens and the visionaries behind them, from Thomas Thomas Jeffersons Monticello to Michelle Obamas vegetable garden, Fredrick Law Olmsteds expansive Central Park to Martha Stewarts how-to landscaping guides. In the tradition of Mark Kurlansky, Simon Schama, and Michael Pollan, Graham delivers a sweeping social history that examines our nations history from an overlooked vantage point, illuminating anew the living drama of American self-creation.