Pennsylvania Wilds: Images From the Allegheny National Forest

Lisa Gensheimer
Forest Press (2006)
ISBN 0977065707
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)


This beautiful coffee table book, with narrative by Lisa Gensheimer and photographs by Ed Bernik, takes the reader/viewer on a spectacular journey through the Allegheny National Forest from its creation to the present.  Both the author and the photographer capture the mystifying world of nature and people, not only the wonders of the landscape but the personalities of the inhabitants.

“Pennsylvania Wilds” gives a historical overview of the Allegheny National Forest beginning 375 million years ago when the area was a warm inland sea.  Gensheimer explains the evolution from water to land that occurred over time as well as provides a map of glacial deposits.  She also writes about the archaeological findings of pre-historic cultures as well as Native American inhabitants, the settling by Europeans, and the shift to modern times. Today’s residents are “people who live in the shadows of the trees [and] are as strong and resilient as the forest itself.  They are independent thinkers – creative entrepreneurs who find in the forest a source of sustenance, inspiration, and at the end of the day, quiet solitude.” (p.37)

Geshneimer puts together the history and the present lives of people in a short, concise narrative interspersed with historical and recent photographs.  However, this is just a prelude for what is to come in the rest of the book.  The “Images from the Allegheny National Forest” are spectacular! Pages from 45 to 135 are filled with incredible photographs that the reader can get lost in for hours.  From the weathered faces of the residents to the flora of the forest, from the debris left in the field to the places of worship, from paved roads to a heritage mural…it’s all there. As a bonus, inside the back cover is a CD with a travel guide, map, screensaver, and more than 50 reasons to visit the area.

It’s hard for me to put into words what I got out of this “Pennsylvania Wilds” because every aspect of it touched a different chord in me. First of all, I love the cover – I could almost smell the moss on the forest floor. Secondly, the feel of the pages were very inviting. The short history and transition into the present gave me a very broad overview of the area. And, then there were the photographs!  Incredible!

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