author

Donald E. Trimble

b. 1916

A longtime U.S. Geological Survey geologist, he wrote about the Great Plains in a clear, approachable way that opened big landscape history to general readers. His work blends field experience, public science, and a strong feel for the American West.

1 Audiobook

The Geologic Story of the Great Plains A nontechnical description of the origin and evolution of the landscape of the Great Plains

The Geologic Story of the Great Plains A nontechnical description of the origin and evolution of the landscape of the Great Plains

by Donald E. Trimble

About the author

Donald E. Trimble, also known as Donald Eldon Trimble, was born on March 6, 1916, in Westhope, North Dakota, and grew up in Toppenish, Washington. Accounts of his life describe him working as a miner to help pay his way through Washington State University and the University of Minnesota, a background that fits the practical, field-based perspective seen in his writing.

During World War II, he served in the South Pacific as an Army anti-aircraft officer. After the war, he joined the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver in 1946 and spent more than three decades as a field geologist, mapping geology across eight western states. He also served as president of the Colorado Scientific Society.

For audiobook listeners and general readers, Trimble is especially known for The Geologic Story of the Great Plains, a nontechnical book published by the U.S. government in 1980. It explains how the region's landscape was formed in plain language, making a vast stretch of geologic time feel readable and surprisingly vivid.