Preview
  • My First Summer in the Sierra

  • By: John Muir
  • Narrated by: Brett Barry
  • Length: 6 hrs
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (465 ratings)

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My First Summer in the Sierra

By: John Muir
Narrated by: Brett Barry
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Publisher's summary

It was June of 1869 when John Muir reluctantly accepted a job herding sheep from the central valley of California to the headwaters of the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers, high into the Sierra Nevadas and deep into the Yosemite region. He felt ill equipped for the work, and yet the opportunity thrilled his adventurous spirit. With a notebook tied to his belt, he set out for a summer he would never forget.

My First Summer in the Sierra is Muir’s classic account of that extraordinary journey. It was not published until 1911, by which time he had become well known for his work as a naturalist and conservationist. One hundred years later, we can still experience Muir’s transcendent joy, as he climbed the mountains, explored the lakes and streams, and studied the region’s flowers and trees. His words have since beckoned countless travelers to Yosemite National Park.

©1911 John Muir (P)2011 Silver Hollow Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about My First Summer in the Sierra

Average customer ratings
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Escape to Yosemite and marvel at its wonders

Loved it and found myself lost in the story with descriptions of places I have been lucky enough to experience.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Pure poetry brings dreams of CA wilderness

For anyone whose soul sings to the rhythms of nature, listening to John Muir's prose is pure joy.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Inspiring!

A beautiful chance to reflect and such a poetic telling of Muir's time as a Shepard. A truly connected man in his element, can't be beat!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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Poorly Narrated

I’m sure that Muir’s internal voice was much brighter than this narrator. The narrator reflects a specific voice in history far more than the actual voice of the author. It’s as though one was allowed to write about wonder whilst not expressing true joy. I’m sure that wasn’t the true Muir.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Inspirational

My First Summer in the Sierra

John Muir
Narrator Brett Barry

I am glad I read/listened to this book!

John Muir is famous for being a naturalist and conservationist. I have read several books either about him or which included him. This is the first I have read which he wrote himself.

I would suggest the audiobook narrated by Mr. Barry. He did a wonderful job of bringing Mr. Muir to life. I could imagine myself sitting around a campfire with him telling the story excitedly, his love of nature evident and contagious.

As to the narrative itself, Muir’s extensive expertise and knowledge of plants, animals and geology is fascinating.

Now I will have to look for anything else by John Muir.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written book.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, John Muir's writing is so beautiful, however they could have picked someone better to read the audio book. He sounded a lot like a computer reading the book.

How could the performance have been better?

He sounded like a computer/robot reading the book. A little more animation or passion in reading the beautiful words in this book would have been nice and easier to enjoy.

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Great book!

I enjoy John Muir's writings. He has such a grand vocabulary and his metaphors are inspiring and witty!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book

Great book by Muir. He was Scottish, so a Scot actor could have been better.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Very taxonomic

There are some great snippets, but mostly descriptions of Flora, fauna, and geology in scientific terms that the average listener may not be looking for. Still love John Muir though.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

My first summer in Shanghai

Listening to this audiobook took me to a different world from my day to day life in Shanghai. The author's passion and enthusiasm for the natural world comes through in his detailed descriptions of his surrounds and the reader puts in a solid performance (although I felt at times I needed a picture book to match with the Latin names). This book definitely made me want to return to California!

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4 people found this helpful