Produced as a celebration of Acadia National Park's 100th birthday, this book is worthy of its subject. Extravagant is the one and only word to describe them both. The publisher, Rizzoli, a specialist in lush, large format, full color art presentations, may have bested all previous decades of their exquisite full color volumes.

Acadia National Park, created in 1916, protects and preserves 45 thousand acres on two islands and a mainland peninsula on the "rugged coast of Maine" and attracts more than 2.5 million visitors a year.

Like its subject matter, the book is impressive in it size and weight. You must be strong of lap...the volume's trim size is basically 12" by 12" (less a scootch in one direction) and contains 224 glossy pages. Rizzoli did not pinch even one penny to produce this gorgeous book. (The price, although it might seem extravagant, is a true bargain.)

Tom Blagden has worked as a professional photographer since 1980 and has produced several volumes celebrating his home state of South Carolina and several exhibit format books with the Nature Conservancy. For this exhibit format book on Acadia he received the National Outdoor Book Award. The essays that accompany the photographs are respectful and informative.

It's hard to rave on about visual beauty. What your eyes take in, your core will devour. You don't need a holiday to give this book to your favorite Maine lover.

Friends of Acadia's website