Book Description

Dust jacket notes: "The beauty of the American West is familiar to most Americans. We in this country have experienced its grandeur and its unique beauty in countless words and photographs - but all of them created by fellow Americans whose cultural viewpoints and emotional associations are similar to our own. That is precisely why Peter McIntyre was chosen to do this book. Mr. McIntyre, a world-famous New Zealand artist, had previously visited only a few of the larger U.S. cities when his paintings were being exhibited in this country. The Sunset book editors wanted an altogether fresh and different view of the West, through the eyes of an artist who is not only known master of a wide variety of techniques, but is also an acute observer with an outstanding ability to convey his impressions in both graphic and written form. Here are those impressions - the first discovery of all that is Western, made during a 40,000 mile Sunset-sponsored painting tour by one who had never really seen the American West before. Peter McIntyre gives us an unbiased and unhampered view of the wonders that fill this vast area: its natural and man-made beauty, the relics of its past, the sweep of its new and vital growth, its diverse customs and ways of life, and its variety of mood and atmosphere. It is a vivid portrait of the West of today, as well as of that rich Western heritage that stands unique in American and world history. This portrait is brought to you in a fitting format. The fifty-six color plates have each been printed in six colors, rather than the four which are usually standard in color reproduction. Throughout the volume - from the gold-stamped, full-cloth binding to the careful hand-mounting of the color plates - you will find expert book craftsmanship and exceptional quality. This is a book for anyone who loves the West, a wonderful tribute to what Peter McIntyre himself calls 'the most incredible area on the surface of the earth.'"