The Doing of the Thing: The Brief Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom by Vince Welch (1-Aug-1998) Paperback

by Vince Welch; Cort Conley; Brad Dimock

Biography of America's great river runner, Buzz the first to run the Green and Colorado Rivers alone in 1937. Born in the coastal logging communities of coastal Oregon, Holmstrom built his own wooden boats and soloed several of the country's great whitewater rivers. He died mysteriously on the Grande Ronde River at age 37.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Adventure, Nature, Biography

Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

Reviews

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was at once a soaring, delightful, energizing but sobering read for me. The details of the river adventures of Buzz Holmstrom, particularly his own observations and musings, encouraged gracious retrospective opportunities as I could almost hear him speaking to me as a familiar friend sharing the amazement and consumptive focus of our river experience. Perhaps my familiarity with the northwest and the rivers he ran, even the Ohio from Pittsburgh through Louisville, made the read all the more compelling. I am grateful for his daring pioneering spirit and his humble desire to expand his circle of river friends and experience. I want to learn from him how to be more humbly respectful and grateful of the rivers I am privileged to share. I want to emulate his quiet appreciation of the river runners' circle that he was a part of and continue his legacy of encouraging others to enjoy the wonderful connection with the earth, the canyons, the rivers, and the friends that share it all. I am grateful for that wonderful bond of shared experience and appreciation for wonderfully unique opportunities to share with the rivers and with so many river friends.

[Ants · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is extremely well written and contains an amazing amount of historical data. The documentation from the earliest part of the book covers life for the early pioneers in Oregon. Besides the daily events, the backgrounds of the Holmstrom family are covered. When viewed from the beginning to end, the characters are as complex as life itself.

Buzz's achievements are highly commendable and surprisingly well documented from personal interviews, journals, letters, and other published sources. The authors are commended for efforts in bringing it together and into print.

Fascinating! But, I am a fan of historical narrative. I hope this books encourages these authors or others to produce more engaging books.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so hard to give this book a rating because it was filled with amazing moments but also sometimes very slow and hard to read. Still the guy is a real bad-ass, works at a gas station, builds his own boat and floats from green river wyoming through gates of lodore, cataract canyon and the grand canyon all by himself. I'm glad to know more about him and his life and as I was reading his experience through cataract canyon I was in cataract canyon myself, the timing couldn't have been better!

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating, slightly heartbreaking study of a complicated man and his remarkable achievements. the authors go out of their way to present the material in a balanced manner, providing the reader with information enough to draw their own conclusions. I wish more was known, but it will have to remain one of life's little mysteries. Sigh.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK writing, great history. Essential to know this story if you're to be a boatman in the west.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some passages made me shiver with recognition. Incredibly researched and well written.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really hard to write a book with two other guys as opinionated as I am.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not getting much done as I'm having trouble putting this book down!


Finished this book. Ending disappointing. Seems like the authors got tired.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmstrom means Home Stream.