Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie (SIGNED FIRST EDITION)

New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Minor edge and corner wear; lightly scuffed and scratched; spine is gently creased; some light shelf wear; black remainder mark on the base of the outer page edges; overall a very crisp and clean SIGNED FIRST EDITION! Flatsigned by the author on the title page! Color illustrated wrapper with white and yellow lettering. 306 very clean unmarked and uncreased informative and educational pages! "More than forty percent of our country was once open prairie, grassland that extended from Missouri to Montana. Taking a critical look at this little-understood biome, award-winning journalist Richard Manning urges the reclamation of this land, showing how the grass is not only our last connection to the natural world, but also a vital link to our own prehistoric roots, our history, and our culture. Framing his book with the story of the remarkable elk, whose mysterious wanderings seem to reclaim his ancestral plains, Manning traces the expansion of America into what was then viewed as the American desert and considers our attempts over the last two hundred years to control unpredictable land through plowing, grazing, and landscaping. He introduces botanists and biologists who are restoring native grasses, literally follows the first herd of buffalo restored to the wild prairie, and even visits Ted Turner's progressive--and controversial--Montana ranch. In an exploration of the grasslands that is both sweeping and intimate, Manning shows us how we can successfully inhabit this and all landscapes.........." (SIGNED FIRST EDITION).. Signed by Author. First Edition. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Remainder.