The 35 peaks chosen by Beckey for his portraits are outstanding representatives of their region or range, from Clingmans Dome, a gentle, forested crest in the Great Smokies, to Mexico's Pico de Orizaba, a huge and solitary volcano rising out of an arid plain.

Over eons of geologic time the North American continent has given birth to some of the world’s most spectacular marvels--mountain peaks and ranges that exemplify nature at its grandest, from the weathered swells of the Appalachians to the rugged and forbidding towers of Alaska. In this magnificent volume, legendary mountaineer Fred Beckey takes a descriptive, historic, and scenic odyssey among these high regions and combines his firsthand experience and research with 140 full-color photographs by leading wilderness photographers to create an unparalleled celebration of North America's mountains.