US history buffs and fans of our country's spectacular National Parks System are in for a powerful treat with this expertly researched narrative of "exploration and preservation in Reconstruction America." Following three key people—geologist/explorer Ferdinand Hayden, Lakota leader Sitting Bull, and financier /railroad builder Jay Cooke—Megan Kate Nelson illuminates the complex and tumultuous story of how Yellowstone became the world's first National Park. Saving Yellowstone offers a fascinating snapshot of post-Civil War America and our fraught relationship with the land.