America: A View from Above » (Special Value)

Peter Skinner was born and raised in Great Britain and holds a M.A. in modern history from Oxford University. He currently lives in New York City, where he is a writer, reviewer, and editor. He specializes in public affairs and in travel literature. He is the author of World Trade Center and High Above New York.

Jim Wark is an aerial photographer who specializes in capturing unusual landscape and cultural images throughout North and Central America. His vision of America from on high reflects both his experience as a naval aviator, and his reverence for the Earth’s geography gained during a career in mining and geology. Wark utilizes a high-wing bush type plane with a large side opening for unobstructed camera work. His Christen Husky aircraft has the capacity to operate in rough areas, allowing remote sites to be used as operating bases.

America defies easy depiction, but aerial photography uniquely reveals its many treasures. From Alaska to Florida, the immense landmass extends across five time zones, from icy Arctic seas to the tropical warmth of the Caribbean. The nation’s features are sculpted on a massive scale. From the Appalachians to the Cascades, the ranges offer myriad challenges to climbers; the Grand Canyon is but one of many geological showcases; the great parks—Yellowstone and Yosemite among them—are admired the world over; and every state offers diverse scenery and abundant wildlife.

Nature is unfettered. Hawaii’s active volcanoes rise from valleys filled with brilliantly hued tropical flora; the vast Mississippi Valley is a mosaic of croplands; the Florida Everglades are a world of water, sedge, and bird and aquatic life; while Alaska offers magnificent glaciers and forest-flanked fjords. The nation’s coasts range from New England’s rocky headlands and islets to California and Florida’s limitless stretches of golden sand. America’s cities are a story of their own: historic New England towns, vibrant New York, majestic Washington, French-flavored New Orleans, glittering Los Angeles, relaxed San Francisco and proud Chicago.