The Great River
The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi
1 of 1 copy available
Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded "the great river" with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. But European settlers and American pioneers had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of human attempts to own and contain the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson's expansionist land hunger through today's era of environmental concern. He reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems, but may not work much longer, and explores how scientists are scrambling to restore what's been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 11, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781696615440
- File size: 297106 KB
- Duration: 10:18:57
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from April 22, 2024
Journalist Upholt debuts with a majestic history of the Mississippi River, beginning with how a subterranean rift and the movement of glaciers created and shaped the waterway over tens of millions of years. Exploring Native Americans’ historical relationship to the Mississippi, Upholt notes that Southeastern tribes farmed fish in the river and maintained a culture of “reciprocal obligation” that mandated they share any surplus with neighboring villages. This philosophy was challenged by European colonizers who sought to commodify the natural world and tame the river, building levees and dams to make it more reliable for commercial transport and create fertile farmlands in the floodplains. These efforts had disastrous consequences, Upholt argues, noting that the depletion of marshlands that once acted as buffers against rising waters has worsened storm-related flooding and that the erection of dams sometimes submerged Native American farmlands and burial mounds. The foregrounding of Native American history highlights alternative ways of relating to nature besides domination, and Upholt’s crystalline prose evokes the grandeur of his subject (“On some mornings, the water lifts into mist so thick you realize there is no end to the air and no beginning to the water, so your boat floats upon and within the river at once”). It’s an exceptional natural history that never loses sight of the human players involved. -
This informative and insightful audiobook history of the Mississippi River and its regions quickly and necessarily focuses on questions of protection and preservation. The Mississippi is the center of American prosperity but is difficult to control and at every point is vulnerable. Narrator Gabriel Vaughan is a steadfast guide through a tangled history of levy building and floodplain management. He is most effective when the narrative frame is the author's own history. The narrative advances southward toward the river's delta and egress, and there environmental issues are overlain with a history of racial injustice and exploitation. During sections of tough listening, what Vaughan sometimes lacks in polish he more than makes up in impact and empathy. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
September 13, 2024
Journalist Upholt debuts with a dynamic history of the Mississippi River. Upholt describes human interactions with the river, starting with Indigenous peoples who lived on its banks for millennia. European explorers and pioneers saw the river as something to conquer and make work for them. Starting in the early 19th century, the Corps of Engineers began efforts to manipulate and tame the river. Competing ideas and interests as well as the engineering challenges of trying to control something as massive as the Mississippi have complicated plans for the river ever since. Today, levees meant to protect the land along the river's path are longer than the Great Wall of China. The conundrum remains, can the Mississippi be tamed? Even if it can be, should it be? Narrator Gabriel Vaughn gives a consistent and well-paced performance, walking listeners through the ups and downs of this magnificent river's past. Listeners may want to grab a print copy, however, in order to view maps of the area. VERDICT Upholt's thought-provoking natural history considers the past and the possible future of the Mississippi River. An excellent recommendation for those interested in the intersection of history, the environment, and public works.--Cynthia Jensen
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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