Mount Rushmore

About this book

This is the story of the "four faces" carved in granite in the Black Hills of South Dakota -- the sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. The story of how the memorial came to be is a fascinating one. The carving was plagued by great financial difficulties from inception to completion, by engineering challenges and personality conflicts. The author has recounted events objectively, yet vividly, with warmth and humanity. The man who worked the longest and hardest on the project was sculptor Gutzon Borglum. He was the temperamental genius who molded a mountain into a monument to his beloved America. The carving represents the "most flamboyant attempt ever made by man to preserve his heritage for future generations." Due to his efforts, countless thousands of Americans make their way to this "shrine of democracy" every year. - Back cover.