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My First Summer in the Sierra

Author:
John Muir
Read Read Own Own

Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
159
Narrator
60
Release Date
January 1, 2016
Duration
7 hours 14 minutes
Summary
The journal of nature-lover John Muir who spent the summer of 1869 walking California's Sierra Nevada range. From French Bar to Mono Lake and the Yosemite Valley, Muir was awestruck by everything he saw. The antics of the smallest "insect people" amazed him as much as stunted thousand-year old Juniper trees growing with inconceivable tenacity from tiny cracks in the stone. Muir spent the rest of his life working to preserve the high Sierra, believing that "the clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." John Muir (1838-1914) was born in Dunbar, Scotland and grew up in Wisconsin, USA. This recording commemorates the 140th anniversary of that first summer. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis)
Reviews
Profile Avatar Liz d May 2017

Colorfully written. I picture the beauty of the area. Worth the time to listen.

Profile Avatar Aswin A. Jun 2020

Wonderful narration, Beautiful book as you listen you can picture yourself experiencing the beautiful areas, the landscape of sierra with the flowers, animals and everything around you. Soothing voice of the narrator. I would recommend you to listen to it as a bedtime listening or lying on the grass on a picnic day.

Profile Avatar A M. May 2019

Loved this book! A most beautiful, slow yet vivid journaling account, like if you were in the wilderness yourself. The soothing voice of the narrator fits perfectly the pace of the story.

Profile Avatar Kristin Roof Oct 2016

Wonderful! I didn't want the book to end. Will listen to it again.

Profile Avatar Jimmyd. Jan 2021

Interesting and detailed!! Makes me want to explore the area myself.

Profile Avatar Rich Feb 2020

Beautifully written! Anyone with a love for language or a love for God’s wondrously created world of nature will enjoy Muir’s account of his summer adventure. Narrator is superb.

Profile Avatar Smileykat Apr 2026

I couldn’t get into it. It was very well written and had beautiful prose. Extremely eloquent. But this is really something meant for horticulturist. There are so many scientific plant names that, even though I am an avid gardener, it lost me. When you don’t know what the plant is, you can’t envision it.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2025

Excellent read best after one has finished all of the books. There will never be another Steinbeck. We are lucky we had him for a little while.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2024

Excellent book and narration. The descriptions are so detailed that it almost takes you there. I could nearly smell the flowers. I have come back to this book a second time.

Profile Avatar Ging Aug 2023

Nice story.

Profile Avatar epfowler@well.com May 2023

As an audiobook, this seminal John Muir work is not terribly thrilling, as it mostly consists of repeated rapturous praise of the Sierra Nevada landscape, detailing its flora and fauna in detail, which can be hugely boring to listen to. Nonetheless, in a broad sense this work is fascinating, and offers insights into Muir's outlook and personality. Narrator Praetzellis has a pleasing voice, but like the book he reads it is often monotonous, not to say soporific. For the most part his pronunciation of all the scientific terms is admirable, though there are a few slips (like twice pronouncing the word 'lichen' -- normally pronounced 'LIKE-en') -- as 'LITCH-en'. All the same he manages to create a believable, even attractive, voice for Muir, though the latter was originally from Scotland and he is British. As this is a free public-domain book, I recommend it.

Profile Avatar Anonymous May 2023

very descriptive book of the Sierra. Its as if I were there.

Profile Avatar Stephen J. Feb 2023

Thoroughly enjoyed this book a Muirs description of the sheep, sheep herdsmen and their dogs apart from the beautiful descriptions of this trip. I only wish I had listened to this before I visited this area. The narrator is perfect for this book. Only misses a few pronunciations of botanical names but otherwise is smooth and clear. Bravo!

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2021

Impressed with many of his ways of thinking. Well presented!

Profile Avatar Clara P. Jul 2021

I am enjoying these free books that I found on Audio Books. I like the Biography & Memoirs - History & Culture. I hav listened to "Letters of a Woman Homesteader, "My First Summer in the Sierra" by John Muir. Both of these books are so good and well written. Clara Peterson

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jun 2021

Really enjoyed the book very much!

Profile Avatar Okie Mar 2021

I enjoyed listening to this and the narrator did a good job. It was a bit long and redundant but painted a nice picture of the mountains and life back then.

Profile Avatar Steven T. Nov 2020

Great story, so much detail and passion in the story.

Profile Avatar Karen P. Aug 2020

Capable observer on a serene journey through the mountains while chronicling the forms of nature that he encounters and working as a shepherd. Calming relief from the drama and trauma of our current days. I subconsciously breathed the cleanest of air and watched the sparkling stream.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2020

Absolutely lovely

Profile Avatar Mclean Jul 2020

I love the way he describes the valley

Profile Avatar Anonymous May 2020

I wasn’t in the mood for this book. I need something more excitingly interesting

Profile Avatar James R Apr 2018

A colorful, descriptive travel log written by a famous naturalist memorializing his summer visit to the Sierras.

My First Summer in the Sierra

My First Summer in the Sierra

Author: John Muir
Read by: Adrian Praetzellis
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