22 THE sAvU>D:U, BON 2 BtUsieia kei 
Book Reviews 
THOREAU’S GUIDE TO CAPE COD, edited by Alexander B. Adams. 
Selections from Cape Cod, by Henry David Thoreau, illustrated with 32 
photographs by Mr. Adams, and including “A Biographical Sketch of 
Thoreau,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The Devin-Adair Co., 23 East 26th 
Street, New York 10, N.Y., 1962. With end-paper maps. $4.50. 
The publication of Thoreau’s Guide coincides with the establishment 
of Cape Cod National Seashore. Although the original text was written 
over 100 years ago, these pages will still lead a traveler to the most in- 
triguing and unspoiled portions of this windswept hook of land. Thoreau 
toured the Cape in several trips between 1849 and 1857, covering much 
of the peninsula on foot; his account, which first appeared in Putnam’s 
Monthly, was written specifically as a venture into commercial journa- 
lism. While much of the literary style, the perception, and the freedom of 
thought typical of Thoreau may be found here, one will only rarely en- 
counter the genius and philosophic richness that courses through Walden. 
Recognizing that Cape Cod contained routine as well as sparkling 
passages, Mr. Adams carefully selected the best portions of Thoreau’s text 
for this travelog. Each chapter, as “Eastham,” “The Plains of Nauset,” 
“The Sound of the Ocean,” “Gulls and Other Birds,” “Provincetown,” and 
so on, covers a specific community or aspect of the Cape. The editor has 
written a helpful preface to each chapter, giving some of the local history, 
explaining recent changes in the area, telling of roads, Jandmarks, and 
obstacles along the way. 
Mr. Adams toured the Cape in search of the seascapes and vistas de- 
scribed by Thoreau; the 32 photographs for the most part capture very 
well the sights, the spirit, and the appearance of the coasts that must have 
inspired the naturalist-philosopher a century ago. Thoreau’s words serve as 
captions for the pictures, as: “Some times we sat on the wet beach and 
watched the beach birds, sand-pipers and others, trotting along close to 
each wave, and waiting for the sea to cast up their breakfast.” 
Some of Thoreau’s writings have an almost prophetic ring: ‘The 
time must come when this coast will be a place of resort for those New 
Englanders who really wish to visit the seaside. At present it is wholly 
unknown to the fashionable world, and probably it will never be agreeable 
to them. If it is merely a ten-pin alley, or a circular railway, or an ocean 
of mint-julep, that the visitor is in search of ... I trust that for a long 
time he will be disappointed here.” In a sense, this book represents a new 
tribute to Thoreau. It serves its purpose, and more, for Mr. Adams has 
included a “Where to Stop” directory, so that the visitors to our new 
National Park may actually follow in Thoreau’s footsteps. 
I have only one criticism: Thoreau’s Guide deserves larger size and a 
more impressive format, in keeping with its text. The Sierra Club, for in- 
stance, has recently turned out some huge, spectacularly illustrated books 
on the outstanding nature areas near the Pacific Coast, and I feel that 
Thoreau’s writings should be republished in equally large and elaborately 
illustrated volumes. However, if this had been done, the cost would proba- 
