Only on very rare occasions does a work appear that, although strongly rooted in a particular academic discipline, transcends its bounds and exerts an appeal that impels the interest of readers out side the field. Landscape and Memory is just such a work. Written by a distinguished historian, this book will appeal not only to his fellow historians, but to cultural and other geographers, and to psy chologists, environmental scientists, and numerous other scholars. Beginning on an autobiographical note which vividly links au thor to subject and helps to provide overall perspective, this massive and far-ranging work is organized around the three elements of wood, water, and rock: the “forest primeval,” the “river of life,” and the “sacred mountain.” The focus throughout is on Western culture, al though there are frequent references to Oriental and other non-Western cultures.