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.