Niagara Falls: An Intimate Portrait

Once a place sacred to the Iroquois, Niagara Falls has been exploited by profiteers, protected by preservationists, harnessed for mechanical power, and reincarnated into the honeymoon capital of the world. Niagara Falls: An Intimate Portrait, the companion to the PBS television program, celebrates the history of the falls and examines human progress - and human folly - on a grand scale. Fifteen million people are lured to Niagara each year by the sheer power and majesty of the water. You'll meet some of them: Maid of the Mist captains, wedding chapel ministers, honeymooners of all nationalities, light-show engineers, and thrill seeking daredevils. You'll also learn about the early explorers; the warriors who fought bloody battles for control of the falls; the first bridge builders and hydroelectric engineers; and the movie stars and tightrope walkers who attracted an awestruck public.
Through color photographs and archival images, interviews with people who work at the falls, and a detailed chronology of events, this book weaves together the contemporary and the historical to create an unforgettable, intimate portrait of Niagara Falls - a place entirely beyond the ordinary.

John Grant is the executive producer of the Niagara Falls PBS television program. His company, Driftwood Productions, produces travel and history programs for cable and public television. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including Legendary Lighthouses and West Point: The First 200 Years. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania.

Ray Jones is the author or coauthor of numerous books on travel and history, including the bestselling Legendary Lighthouses. He was formerly a writing coach at Southern Living magazine and founding editor of Albuquerque Living magazine. He lives in Pebble Beach, California.