Down the Great Unknown, Edward Dolnick
Down the Great Unknown, Edward Dolnick
6 Rating(s)
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

Down the Great Unknown
John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon

Author: Edward Dolnick

Narrator: Danny Campbell

Unabridged: 13 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 06/11/2019

Synopsis

Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, dramatic story of the Powell expedition.On May 24, 1869 a one-armed Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. The Grand Canyon, not explored before, was as mysterious as Atlantis—and as perilous. The ten men set out from Green River Station, Wyoming Territory down the Colorado in four wooden rowboats. Ninety-nine days later, six half-starved wretches came ashore near Callville, Arizona.Lewis and Clark opened the West in 1803, six decades later Powell and his scruffy band aimed to resolve the West’s last mystery. A brilliant narrative, a thrilling journey, a cast of memorable heroes—all these mark Down the Great Unknown, the true story of the last epic adventure on American soil.

About Edward Dolnick

Edward Dolnick is the author of Down the Great Unknown, The Forger’s Spell, and the Edgar Award-winning The Rescue Artist. A former chief science writer at the Boston Globe, he lives with his wife near Washington, D.C.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Howard on June 17, 2021

5 Stars for Down The Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy thought the Grand Canyon (audiobook) by Edward Dolnick read by Danny Campbell. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon several times. I had heard about this trip through the Grand Canyon by Powell and his men but I’......more

Goodreads review by Don on April 21, 2015

I read the book in preparation for an upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon. I read it in my methodical style as I do such books constantly referring to maps and googling other references to increase my understanding. It has me super-excited about the trip! It is a great book about an epic 1000 mile jour......more

Goodreads review by Emily on October 09, 2022

Here is the TL;DR: Good idea for a book. Lost me at citing Dolly Parton in a Wonderbra. (I know. Why would you even...?) The Grand Canyon is something close to unfathomable. From the rim, its sheer magnitude seems to make comprehension impossible. It's big, yes - very big. What does that mean? The Ca......more

Goodreads review by Sweetwilliam on July 26, 2011

Good book. This is a nicely written account of the the Powell expedition but not a real page turner. I liked the digressions about Powell losing his arm at Shilo. If you want to know about the first trip down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, this is for you. I think the low draft rubber rafts......more

Goodreads review by Ben on July 06, 2017

This is a really well written account of John Wesley Powell's expedition from Green River Station, Wyoming to a Mormon settlement downstream of the Grand Canyon. Edward Dolnick continuously impressed me with his ability to describe all the features of whitewater with analogies and descriptions that......more

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