Whidbey and Camano, two of the largest of the numerous beautiful islands dotting Puget Sound, together form the major part of Island Country. Taking this county as a case study and following its history from Indian times to the present, Richard White explores the complex relationship between human induced environmental change and social change. This new edition of his classic study includes a new preface by the author and a foreword by William Cronon.

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"An example of environmental history at its best. . . . A fresh appraisal of human contact with the environment, with special attention to the apparent motives of each wave of settlement—Indians, farmers, loggers, tourists and sportsmen—and the consequences of that settlement."