New in paperbackThe Republic of Nature reframes standard accounts of American history based on the simple but radical premise that historical events are shaped by natural circumstances. From the natural philosophy of the founding fathers to the environmental forces behind Brown v. Board of Education, the book's focus on nature reveals a powerful new perspective on the most familiar icons of U.S. history.Mark Fiege is an associate professor of history at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and the author of Irrigated Eden: The Making of an Agricultural Landscape in the American West. "For readers swayed by Fiege's persuasive pages, American history will never look quite the same again. A book to savor on Sunday afternoons." -J. R. McNeill, Science "Fiege makes a powerful case for always asking the question 'How does nature matter?' when thinking about any present or historical issue or social policy." -Tikkun "No one who cares about the American past can afford to ignore what Fiege has to say."- from the Foreword by William Cronon