"I had seen the photographs and the drawings of this great work. And yet, until about ten minutes ago I had no conception of its magnitude, its permanent beauty and its importance." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, upon first viewing Mount Rushmore, August 30, 1936. Now in paperback, The Carving of Mount Rushmore tells the complete story of the largest and certainly the most spectacular sculpture in existence. More than 60 black-and-white photographs offer unique views of this gargantuan effort, and author Rex Alan Smith-a man born and raised within sight of Rushmore-recounts with the sensitivity of a native son the ongoing struggles of sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his workers.

Rex Alan Smith is also the author of Moon of Popping Trees, the story of the Wounded Knee Massacre, and the co-author of Abbeville's One Last Look.