Guardians of the Parks is the unique story of the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA). Created on the heels of the National Park Service, NPCA began as a citizens' organization to keep watch over the nation's national parks. It was charged with the duty of ensuring that the National Park Service remain true to its original purpose: to preserve these wild spaces as "virtually the only places where humans could seek and find answers to questions about nature and their relation to it." This book chronicles NPCA's efforts from its founding to the present day. John Miles has given us an "inside narrative," a history of strong personalities - such as Robert Sterling Yard, Sigurd Olsen, Anthony Wayne Smith, and Paul Pritchard - all struggling to define their own organization and its goals, and also to develop a protected park system for all citizens to enjoy. This book tells not only their story, their motives, and lasting influence, but also the story of the national park themselves.