The Sagebrush Ocean, Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Natural History of the Great Basin

By Stephen Trimble

Book Overview

Noted writer and photographer Stephen Trimble mixes eloquent accounts of personal experiences with clear explication of natural history. His photographs capture some of the most spectacular but least-known scenery in the western states. The Great Basin Desert sweeps from the Sierra to the Rockies, from the Snake River Plain to the Mojave Desert. "Biogeography" would be one way to sum up Trimble's focus on the land: what lives where, and why. He introduces concepts of desert ecology and discusses living communities of animals and plants that band Great Basin mountains--from the exhilarating emptiness of dry lake-beds to alpine regions at the summits of the 13,000-foot Basin ranges.

This is the best general introduction to the ecology and spirit of the Great Basin, a place where "the desert almost seems to mirror the sky in size," where mountains hold "ravens, bristlecone pines, winter stillness--and unseen, but satisfying, the possibility of bighorn sheep." Trimble's photographs come from the backcountry of this rugged land, from months of exploring and hiking the Great Basin wilderness in all seasons; and his well-chosen words come from a rare intimacy with the West.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874173434
• ISBN13: 9780874173437
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 3.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 9.2" x 12.4"
• Age Range: 15 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Magnificent Overview of the "Empty Quarter"

If you were to only have one book on the Great Basin - this should be it. It covers the flora & fauna of this least know section of the lower 48 in a comprehesive, yet not belabored fashion. Plenty of salient details with a minimum - though adequate - smattering of scientific jargon. Even though I have worked for a public land management agency in the "Basin" for over 2 decades, I learned much and enhanced my understanding of things I did know. The photography by Trimble captures the inescapable beauty of the area that is unknown to the typical drive-through-as-fast-as-you-can tourist. There is no finer book - verbiage or photographic - on this largely unpopulated jewell of complex arid ecosystems.

Captures the beauty of the sagebrush desert

Finally, a book that captures the unique beauty and solitude of the Great Basin. This is the ultimate book for any naturalist who wants to know more about this large and little visited corner of the world.

The Sagebrush Ocean : A Natural History of the Great Basin

This book was GREAT! Between the pictures and maps I found an author who shows a great deal of expression, passion and dedication to his work. Using common names for plants and animals except when specific subspecies are mentioned made the book much more readable for a layperson such as myself.My next trip to the Great Basin in Oregon will be more fulfilling and educational as much of my ignorance about this special area has been dispelled.To date this is the best money I have spent on a book about the Great Basin.(Originally wrote this in 1999 and feel even stronger about this book in 2004!)

The Sagebrush Ocean is the best Intro to the Great Basin.

If I were to recommend a single "must have" book about the Great Basin Desert, this would be the one! It is the single best one-volume introduction to the natural history of the Great Basin that I know of, and is well illustrated with his own photography. He was writing on behalf of the Desert Research Institute, and spent six years on this particular project. Stephan Trimble exemplifies the best traditions in writing about Natural History. He combines the scientific reason and clarity of a Voltaire, with the poetic sensitivity of Rousseau. My copy is so bedraggled from being packed all over the Basin, I've got to get a new one soon!

A must-read for Great Basin aficionados

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves the smell of Sagebrush after a rain and the austere wildness of the Great Basin. It is apparent that Stephen Trimble loves this land and makes it clear that the country between the Wasatch and the Sierra is brimming with life. Trimble evokes the Great Basin like no other. If you respect writers like Edward Abbey, 'The Sagebrush Ocean' is a great factual resource to back up any conservationist leaning.