Old Man River, Paul Schneider
Old Man River, Paul Schneider
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Old Man River
The Mississippi River in North American History

Author: Paul Schneider

Narrator: Alan Sklar

Unabridged: 13 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/14/2013


Synopsis

In Old Man River, Paul Schneider tells the story of the river at the center of America's rich history—the Mississippi. Some fifteen thousand years ago, the majestic river provided Paleolithic humans with the routes by which early man began to explore the continent's interior. Since then, the river has been the site of historical significance, from the arrival of Spanish and French explorers in the 16th century to the Civil War. George Washington fought his first battle near the river, and Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman both came to President Lincoln's attention after their spectacular victories on the lower Mississippi.

In the 19th century, home-grown folk heroes such as Daniel Boone and the half-alligator, half-horse, Mike Fink, were creatures of the river. Mark Twain and Herman Melville led their characters down its stream in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Confidence-Man. A conduit of real-life American prowess, the Mississippi is also a river of stories and myth.

Schneider traces the history of the Mississippi from its origins in the deep geologic past to the present. Though the busiest waterway on the planet today, the Mississippi remains a paradox—a devastated product of American ingenuity, and a magnificent natural wonder.

About Paul Schneider

Paul Schneider is the author of the critically acclaimed Brutal Journey; The Enduring Shore; and The Adirondacks, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book. He and his family divide their time between Bradenton, Florida, and West Tisbury, Massachusetts.


Reviews

3.5 stars This is a quirky mix of historical anecdotes with a bit of the author’s personal travels, endearing if not particularly cohesive. The geographical scope is quite broad, encompassing areas of the Mississippi River basin quite removed from the river itself (40% of the U.S. is in the Mississip......more

Goodreads review by John

Very good book about the history of the Mississippi watershed. From the beginning when everything was one continent to the Deep Water Horizon disaster. Don't be put off by the scale. It's a very readable overview at 330 pages. Has a wonderful bibliography with more books if you want to read more abo......more

Goodreads review by Eric

I would not have bought this book, it was a gift, but having read it now I recommend it without reservation. The book tells the story of the North American continent through the lens of the Mississippi River basin and its tributaries, which includes the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, the Cumberland, and......more