Public Television National Parks Film Welcomed By KC Publications After Nearly Five Decades of NPS Support
WICKENBURG, Ariz.-(Business Wire)-September 25, 2009 - At a recent National Parks Conservancy Association preview showing of the new Ken Burns film, “The National Parks, America’s Best Idea,” guest speaker KC DenDooven told the group he was pleased with the way Burns tells the National Parks story, something DenDooven has been doing himself for nearly 50 years.
In the film, being debuted Sunday, September 27, on the Public Broadcasting System, Burns goes far beyond a mere “travelogue,” focusing much of the story on the passion of some of the original supporters of the National Parks System concept such as Stephen Mather and Horace Albright, the first two directors of the NPS.
As publisher of the popular “Story Behind The Scenery” Series of National Parks books since the mid-1960s, DenDooven’s passion for the Parks system has led him to orient his publications similarly, focusing on the tale of how each one came to exist, rather than just describing scenic attributes of the parks. His ardor for his work was, in fact, first inspired by Albright, who served as his friend and mentor and one of the authors of his book on the National Park Service.
“Horace collaborated with me and, together with two later directors, Russ Dickenson and Bill Mott, Jr., actually authored my NPS book,” DenDooven said. “Horace, who was 94 at the time, called the book a ‘Folksy tale of how it all began and grew.’” The “National Parks Service: Story Behind The Scenery” book has sold more than 77,000 copies.
“Horace sparked my enthusiasm for the National Parks System and I carry that passion still yet,” DenDooven stated. “I have been a staunch supporter of the NPS throughout my publishing career and I am still planning yet more new books on different parks areas.”
DenDooven, 79, publishes books on 65 National Park areas, including National Monuments and historical areas. KC Publications, of Wickenburg, Ariz., has sold more than 35 million copies since the company’s founding in 1963. He said the “Story Behind The Scenery” series is the most frequently requested at National Park visitor centers.
The National Parks and National Monument books are available in two series. “The Story Behind the Scenery” series offers concise text with factual interpretation of the individual areas, while the “In Pictures … Nature’s Continuing Story” series provides a similar informative approach with larger photographs and extended interpretive captions rather than running text. Foreign language translations of many of the books are available.
In addition, KC Publications offers its “Voyage of Discovery” series describing the founding of the Western U.S. through day-to-day experiences of pioneering emigrants and showing the landscapes and natural barriers they overcame on their trek. Included are books on early explorers of the West, such as Lewis and Clark and John Wesley Powell, as well as individual books on each of the historic Pony Express, Oregon, California, Santa Fe and Mormon trails. Other series include several books on the Indians of the Southwest, including the people, their cultures and their artistry.
Information on the complete offerings from KC Publications is available online at http://www.nationalparksbooks.com. The company’s address is 2000 W. Wickenburg Way, Ste. 500, Wickenburg, AZ 85390.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6058626&lang=en
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