Arizona鈥檚 breathtaking natural landscapes and wild rivers have captivated everyone from adventure seekers to scientists鈥攁nd there鈥檚 no shortage of incredible books based on their experiences. Here are a few of Martin鈥檚 favorites.
The Emerald Mile
by Kevin Fedarko
This聽compelling, meticulously-researched, poetically written book聽tells the greater story of the Grand Canyon聽through the adventure of a聽trio’s illegal, record-breaking expedition down the Colorado River in 1983.
The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons
by John Wesley Powell
A must-read for anyone journeying down聽the river through聽Grand Canyon, this first-hand narrative of the 1874 scientific expedition聽through the Green聽and Colorado rivers is true聽adventure at its finest.
Sunk Without A Sound
by Brad Dimock
Sunk is a historical mystery/adventure book portraying newlyweds聽Glen and Bessie Hyde in their attempt to run the Colorado River through Grand Canyon alone in 1927鈥攐n their honeymoon. Their disappearance in the聽lower canyon is ghost-story fodder to this day.
The Anthropology of Turquoise
by Ellen Meloy
A poetic, intimate investigation into humanity’s聽connection to the natural world through the examination of the聽rock and color turquoise. Meloy, who married a river ranger, meditates on our environments, granting permission聽to stop, observe, and contemplate our landscapes.
The Secret Knowledge of Water
by Craig Childs
An expose into the extremes of water in the Southwest, Childs, a聽storm chaser, adventurer, and desert native, writes, “There are two easy ways to die in the desert: thirst and drowning.” His聽solitary sojourn thrusts readers into devastating flash floods and聽the secret聽microcosm of desert potholes.
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
Abbey’s聽irreverent persona and fierce聽passion for desert landscapes have made him an iconic聽character in the fight for conservation of Southwest wildlands. Desert Solitaire is both an unapologetic, unpolished love letter and a聽forewarning聽against聽development.