Linda Lear

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, published in 1962, did more than any other single publication to alert the world to the hazards of environmental poisoning and to inspire a powerful social movement that would alter the course of American history. This definitive, sweeping biography shows the origins of Carson's fierce dedication to natural science -- and tells the dramatic story of how Carson, already a famous nature writer, became a brilliant if reluctant reformer. Drawing on unprecendented access to sources and interviews, Lear masterfully explores the roots of Carson's powerful connection to the natural world, crafting a " fine portrait of the environmentalist as a human being" (Smithsonian).

An inspired life of an inspiring crusader. A definitive biography of Carson, competent, careful and comprehensive.

“The definitive biography of one of the most important Americans of the twentieth century.”

”It was inevitable that a real biographer would come along and test Carson’s saintly reputation for feet of clay. Linda Lear has done exactly that with her exhaustively researched, crisply writing Witness for Nature, and Carson has passed the test.