Via The History Press.

Next time you’re strolling through Rock Creek Park, and you pass by one of the hundreds of idyllic, picturesque spots in the nearly four-and-a-half square mile park, remember: you’re standing in the middle of where one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place.

A History of Rock Creek Park: Wilderness and Washington, D.C., Scott Einberger’s recently published engrossing and fascinating deep dive into the history of one of D.C.’s most iconic areas, isn’t just an essential read for anyone remotely interested in the city’s history, it’s the perfect gift for the history nerd in your life. (Or, just to get yourself, if you’re looking for a good book to hunger down while avoiding your family this holiday season).

From it’s significance in the Civil War—as one of the few battles that President Abraham Lincoln personally observed—to a favorite spot for Presidents in years to come to relax in, Einberger’s book is well researched, but also accessible for non-history nerds. Through his experience as a National Park Service ranger, and volunteer coordinator for Rock Creek Park, Einberger injects his own deep appreciation and experience with the park in the book’s thoughtful prose.

“Whichever way you read this book, the bottom line is that Rock Creek Park is more than just pretty scenery,” he writes in the book’s intro. “The park story is a gluing together of nature, humankind and a great city. In some instances, it’s humankind and the city working against nature.”

Indeed, the history of Rock Creek Park that Einberger tells is deeply intertwined with the history of the city and how it evolves. Through a series of essays, you learn about the different chapters in the Park’s history, its political importance throughout the administrations (Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson LOVED to hang out there), how it factored into the civil rights movement, and the always evolving environmental threats to the park, and how its been portrayed by writers and poets.

“This story—some of which will be sobering, some of which will be gratifying, all of which will hopefully be thought provoking—begins here,” he writes. And that’s just what this book is: not a dry textbook, but the story of one of the city’s most iconic and revered places.

You can get A History of Rock Creek Park: Wilderness and Washington, D.C. online here for $16.57, or in most local book stores.