September 25, 2009
The University of Washington Press has published a new edition of Nelson Institute interim director Gregg Mitman's book, Reel Nature: America's Romance with Wildlife on Film. From the early exploits of Teddy Roosevelt in Africa to blockbuster films such as March of the Penguins, Reel Nature reveals how changing values, scientific developments, and and new technologies have come to shape American encounters with wildlife on and off the big screen. Whether crafted to elicit thrills or to educate audiences about the real-life drama of wildlife, nature films have had an enormous impact on how Americans see, think about, consume, and struggle to protect animals around the globe. The 277-page paperback includes a foreword by Nelson Institute professor William Cronon and a new afterword by Mitman. Originally published 10 years ago by Harvard University Press, Reel Nature won the History of Science Society's Watson Davis and Helen Miles Davis Prize.