"Originally published in 1882, Clarence Dutton's Tertiary History of the Grand Canon District has become one of the definitive books on the Grand Canyon. Commissioned as a study of the region's geology and issued by the fledgling U.S. Geological Survey, today it is admired as much for its literary as for its scientific merits. With its illustrations by Thomas Moran and William Henry Holmes, it is a seminal work on the Canyon that has never been surpassed for its eloquence and authority.".

"This new edition of Dutton's magnum opus makes that work available once again. Visitors to the Canyon will gain a new appreciation of its majesty as Dutton takes readers on several excursions among its castellated and cathedral-like peaks and ridges. Along the way, he explains the peculiar characteristics of various rocks, the water-sculpting process, volcanic cones and outflows, the extent of the river's erosion, and other geological features.".

"Dutton's Tertiary History remains arguably the most evocative and compelling geological writing ever done on the region. No one who has thrilled to the majesty of the Grand Canyon will fail to be moved by this timeless work."--BOOK JACKET.