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The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi
A sweeping history of the Mississippi River―and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. 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 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. 20 illustrations; 3 maps
10 pages, Audiobook
Published June 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
June 23, 2024
I listened to the audio version of this book which was read clearly by Gabriel Vaughan. He has an excellent delivery and I enjoyed listening to the book. I'd happily listen to more read by this narrator.
An interesting and informative look at the social and geographical history of the Mississippi which, if you're a Brit like me, is a river firmly rooted in the southern states of the USA except its not - it follows an almost vertical line from Minnesota - a fact that constantly amazes me.
The story of the Mississippi is, I imagine, the story of most great rivers in "developed" countries ie it is man's desire to tame the waterway and make it conform to what he needs it for. However, rivers have other ideas and as climate change begins to bite deeper the Mississippi I'd becoming increasingly difficult to control.
I recently read a story about the history of Native Americans and this book (very sadly) reminded me very much of that. The river has been home to lots of civilisations - the current inhabitants of the US being merely the most recent. Unfortunately the story is very much the same for the people who live and work on or near the river - the people who constantly miss out are the ethnic minorities and the already poverty-stricken. Even to this day what is best for the environment or those whose precarious livelihoods rely on the river are the ones who will lose out the most.
It certainly appears from this history that environmental issues come a very poor second place to the needs of those who already make a fortune out of the Mississippi. It is a short-sighted view because the work to try to "fix" previous improvements now runs into the billions of dollars. It is a shame that the politicians are so beholden to their biggest contributors as it appears they will continue to make short term plans for an environment that requires long term solutions.
The whole book is well researched and fair in its conclusions and I can't say I enjoyed it because it depressed me but I did find it fascinating.
Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.
An interesting and informative look at the social and geographical history of the Mississippi which, if you're a Brit like me, is a river firmly rooted in the southern states of the USA except its not - it follows an almost vertical line from Minnesota - a fact that constantly amazes me.
The story of the Mississippi is, I imagine, the story of most great rivers in "developed" countries ie it is man's desire to tame the waterway and make it conform to what he needs it for. However, rivers have other ideas and as climate change begins to bite deeper the Mississippi I'd becoming increasingly difficult to control.
I recently read a story about the history of Native Americans and this book (very sadly) reminded me very much of that. The river has been home to lots of civilisations - the current inhabitants of the US being merely the most recent. Unfortunately the story is very much the same for the people who live and work on or near the river - the people who constantly miss out are the ethnic minorities and the already poverty-stricken. Even to this day what is best for the environment or those whose precarious livelihoods rely on the river are the ones who will lose out the most.
It certainly appears from this history that environmental issues come a very poor second place to the needs of those who already make a fortune out of the Mississippi. It is a short-sighted view because the work to try to "fix" previous improvements now runs into the billions of dollars. It is a shame that the politicians are so beholden to their biggest contributors as it appears they will continue to make short term plans for an environment that requires long term solutions.
The whole book is well researched and fair in its conclusions and I can't say I enjoyed it because it depressed me but I did find it fascinating.
Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.
November 12, 2024
Upholt writes an engaging and comprehensive history of the Mississippi, the name derived from the Ojibwe name, meaning "amassing of waters" or "great river".
Part 1 focuses on geological time and formation of the river, and moving into a social and cultural history of the Native American relationship with the river: for agriculture, for transportation, for social and spiritual rites, and the archaeology that sheds light on the history. This section was of particular interest and reminded me of David Graeber's The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity that was a 5* read for me a few years ago - highly recommended for further reading.
Part 2 and 3 move into the industrial and social history after European settlers colonized the region - the French, Spanish, and English, and early American history. The whole of the river - from Minnesota to Louisiana - is discussed, but much of the focus is on the lower third from Missouri to the Delta, specifically as industrialization takes hold. Later chapters discuss infrastructure and engineering of the river - dams, bridges, re-routing, and other environmental / biological engineering related to species and conservation efforts. These chapters called back (yet another) book I loved about the region and environmental history, Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes .
Upholt is a paddler, and sprinkles in some entertaining personal stories about his kayaking /canoeing on different sections of the Mississippi.
4.25/5*
Part 1 focuses on geological time and formation of the river, and moving into a social and cultural history of the Native American relationship with the river: for agriculture, for transportation, for social and spiritual rites, and the archaeology that sheds light on the history. This section was of particular interest and reminded me of David Graeber's The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity that was a 5* read for me a few years ago - highly recommended for further reading.
Part 2 and 3 move into the industrial and social history after European settlers colonized the region - the French, Spanish, and English, and early American history. The whole of the river - from Minnesota to Louisiana - is discussed, but much of the focus is on the lower third from Missouri to the Delta, specifically as industrialization takes hold. Later chapters discuss infrastructure and engineering of the river - dams, bridges, re-routing, and other environmental / biological engineering related to species and conservation efforts. These chapters called back (yet another) book I loved about the region and environmental history, Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes .
Upholt is a paddler, and sprinkles in some entertaining personal stories about his kayaking /canoeing on different sections of the Mississippi.
4.25/5*
August 16, 2024
Boyce Upholt says it like he sees it, and provides plenty of support, references, science and since he is taking the long view, has plenty of consequential examples of what humans can do to change the landscape. Wipe out whole species. Change environments by levels, degrees and turn a life-giving resource into a dangerous threat to whole communities.
The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi is the story of that river that has been in the center of many civilizations, most lately the one we call USofA. A thousand years from now. . .will it still ? This was a compelling read for me, fleshing out a name on a maps and in books I read. I once spent a few days quite close to this great muddy river, and she stretches her weighted presence across and through the lands, sweeping the known and unknown stories as far out to sea as she can. . .I was very pleased to find this book. The author never lets the reader forget that the Mississippi River is a wild thing, no matter how she is reshaped, caged or bound up. As a wild thing, she deserves our serious respect and consideration from all perspectives - present, past and future.
I hope to find other works from this author.
*A sincere thank you to Boyce Uphold, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi is the story of that river that has been in the center of many civilizations, most lately the one we call USofA. A thousand years from now. . .will it still ? This was a compelling read for me, fleshing out a name on a maps and in books I read. I once spent a few days quite close to this great muddy river, and she stretches her weighted presence across and through the lands, sweeping the known and unknown stories as far out to sea as she can. . .I was very pleased to find this book. The author never lets the reader forget that the Mississippi River is a wild thing, no matter how she is reshaped, caged or bound up. As a wild thing, she deserves our serious respect and consideration from all perspectives - present, past and future.
I hope to find other works from this author.
*A sincere thank you to Boyce Uphold, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
May 30, 2024
*This was a Goodreads Giveaway*
I love reading interdisciplinary anthropological/environmental histories of regions, geographic features, foods, etc. No place captures the American imagination like the Mississippi River, and until reading this book, I hadn't registered just HOW integral this river is to the American story.
The book gave a great history in how it was used by the Indigenous inhabitants, how the Europeans "discovered" it and kept trying to tame it (while being challenged by it). I got a great refresher in American history, and towards the end, an in-depth look at its environmental history.
After reading books like "Cadillac Dessert" and "The King of California", this feels like the South's version of how a crucial environmental resource has been changed by humans over time.
This book is perfect for people who are: from the South, the Midwest, or anywhere near the Mississippi; like American history; and people interested in Environmental History and how humans affect their landscapes.
I love reading interdisciplinary anthropological/environmental histories of regions, geographic features, foods, etc. No place captures the American imagination like the Mississippi River, and until reading this book, I hadn't registered just HOW integral this river is to the American story.
The book gave a great history in how it was used by the Indigenous inhabitants, how the Europeans "discovered" it and kept trying to tame it (while being challenged by it). I got a great refresher in American history, and towards the end, an in-depth look at its environmental history.
After reading books like "Cadillac Dessert" and "The King of California", this feels like the South's version of how a crucial environmental resource has been changed by humans over time.
This book is perfect for people who are: from the South, the Midwest, or anywhere near the Mississippi; like American history; and people interested in Environmental History and how humans affect their landscapes.
December 14, 2025
Had the honor of supplying a jacket blurb; here’s what I wrote:
Few books have ever chronicled a landform as beautifully as The Great River, a thorough and wise meditation on the United States's mightiest watershed. Like a savvy riverboat captain, Boyce Upholt expertly pilots his narrative across shoals of history and through oxbows of science; like the Mississippi itself, his book braids and bends, carrying its readers from deep time to the Anthropocene on a swift current of reportage. What emerges is a river neither wholly natural nor entirely conquered by engineers — a basin at once enchanting in its own right, and a fitting exemplar of all we've done to nature.
Few books have ever chronicled a landform as beautifully as The Great River, a thorough and wise meditation on the United States's mightiest watershed. Like a savvy riverboat captain, Boyce Upholt expertly pilots his narrative across shoals of history and through oxbows of science; like the Mississippi itself, his book braids and bends, carrying its readers from deep time to the Anthropocene on a swift current of reportage. What emerges is a river neither wholly natural nor entirely conquered by engineers — a basin at once enchanting in its own right, and a fitting exemplar of all we've done to nature.
August 7, 2024
The Mississippi River is arguably the most well-known river in the United States - it was our western border after the Revolution, it then marked the start of the American West, it now touches many states (either itself or its tributaries), and even paces our counts of seconds. Boyce Upholt takes us back to the days before European exploration of the Americas to the indigenous tribes that settled along the mighty river and welcomed its rising and flooding waters, its twists and turns, its adjacent, fertile valleys. Their communities thrived until they disappeared or were forced to move. Next came the settlers, pioneers and entrepreneurs who sought riches, trading opportunities, a new way of life or a new place to live. And thus began our struggle to control the great river. To clear the water of obstacles, to straighten its path, to make it deeper, to increase its speed, to span it with bridges, to build levees, to divert flooding...we even built a miniature copy out of concrete to study its ever-changing conditions. It's a fascinating trip, a wonderful history lesson, and a reminder to think before trying to impose our dominance over mother nature, as ecosystems, livelihoods, and lives are always hanging in the balance.
October 20, 2024
The story of a wild untamable force of nature, and all of the people who have been hell bent on taming it, with what can be optimistically described as mixed success.
The Mississippi River watershed drains one of the largest basins on Earth down to a relatively small outlet on the Gulf of Mexico, and it has done so for millions of years. The sheer immensity and diversity of the forces involved with attempting to control such a river has, thus far, eluded our grasp. Even though we have most certainly modified it over the centuries, especially the last two centuries, it continues to defy our attempts to control it in a way that one cannot be blamed for ascribing intention towards.
Ultimately, this book does a great job of explaining and demonstrating the incredibly complex system that makes up the Mississippi, from the geological, hydrological, ecological, and sociological perspectives. It’s a great bit of narrative history, and if you want to learn more about this topic I highly recommend this book.
The Mississippi River watershed drains one of the largest basins on Earth down to a relatively small outlet on the Gulf of Mexico, and it has done so for millions of years. The sheer immensity and diversity of the forces involved with attempting to control such a river has, thus far, eluded our grasp. Even though we have most certainly modified it over the centuries, especially the last two centuries, it continues to defy our attempts to control it in a way that one cannot be blamed for ascribing intention towards.
Ultimately, this book does a great job of explaining and demonstrating the incredibly complex system that makes up the Mississippi, from the geological, hydrological, ecological, and sociological perspectives. It’s a great bit of narrative history, and if you want to learn more about this topic I highly recommend this book.
June 14, 2024
Ah, makes you feel like you're back in school, wondering why you have to learn so much about Oxbow lakes when you'll never use that information in real life. Then we learnt about deltas, bringing me back to school again when I was 12 years old there was a poor unfortunate soul named Charles (who sat directly in front of me) who was quite flatulent and after one particularl event we all shifted our desks in a fan shape, causing our teacher Mr. Parsons to delightfully exclaim, 'Oh, you've formed a delta with your desks!' But I digress. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC/audiobook which was both interesting and informative and had a smooth narrator to boot.
November 23, 2025
super interesting! civil engineers would be all about this if they could read
June 24, 2025
Entertaining book on the Mississippi River. The book is replete with little factoids about the river (i.e. avulsions: where the main flow of the river changes from one stream to a new channel) and certainly was a learning experience. The first 100 pages or so cover the period roughly 1100 to 1803 ... when the United States completed the Louisiana Purchase, and then focuses on the "American" era of the river.
The author spends a lot of time on the Army Corps of Engineers and its constant effort (some call it meddling) to harness the river ... an almost impossible chore with nature. An example of this is where the main channel of the Mississippi River wants to alter its flow (an avulsion) ... as quoted in Wikipedia: "If the Mississippi were allowed to flow freely, the shorter and steeper (nearby) Atchafalaya (River) would capture the main flow of the Mississippi, permitting the river to bypass its current path through the important ports of Baton Rouge and New Orleans (roughly 60 and 140 miles downstream, respectively)." Just imagine what bypassing New Orleans would do to the region!
As to the river itself, the author spent most of his time on the Lower Mississippi section of the Mississippi River, although he did touch on the Upper Mississippi and the Ohio River as they related to the Lower Mississippi. I sometimes got a bit confused with the Mississippi Delta (where the river flows into the Gulf) and the delta (more precisely the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta which is the millions of acres of alluvial soil in the floodplain between Memphis and Vicksburg).
This book was the author's life's work ... and his knowledge is evident. Interesting tale, sometimes confusing in terminology, but still a good read.
The author spends a lot of time on the Army Corps of Engineers and its constant effort (some call it meddling) to harness the river ... an almost impossible chore with nature. An example of this is where the main channel of the Mississippi River wants to alter its flow (an avulsion) ... as quoted in Wikipedia: "If the Mississippi were allowed to flow freely, the shorter and steeper (nearby) Atchafalaya (River) would capture the main flow of the Mississippi, permitting the river to bypass its current path through the important ports of Baton Rouge and New Orleans (roughly 60 and 140 miles downstream, respectively)." Just imagine what bypassing New Orleans would do to the region!
As to the river itself, the author spent most of his time on the Lower Mississippi section of the Mississippi River, although he did touch on the Upper Mississippi and the Ohio River as they related to the Lower Mississippi. I sometimes got a bit confused with the Mississippi Delta (where the river flows into the Gulf) and the delta (more precisely the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta which is the millions of acres of alluvial soil in the floodplain between Memphis and Vicksburg).
This book was the author's life's work ... and his knowledge is evident. Interesting tale, sometimes confusing in terminology, but still a good read.
August 9, 2025
Had to reread the first half because I realized I retained almost none of the audiobook. There were sections I found to be dense and redundant, but overall I was fascinated to read about all of the engineering that has happened along the river and how it has changed the humanity that relies upon it.
Read
March 24, 2025Nice and thorough. If I was a U.S. history teacher this would be the majority of my class
October 5, 2025
Quick review of this one since I did not listen as thoughtfully as I’d have hoped and came away with a loose sense of this book rather than an analytical understanding. An interesting piece, focused largely on human relationships with the Mississippi River and how it has largely been viewed as an inconvenience to be amended / fixed / conquered rather than an ecosystem to live amidst. I wish on occasion it covered less ground and dug in a bit deeper, but that’s just a personal preference
November 18, 2025
Considering that I had already read Tyler Kelley's "Holding Back the River" in 2025, which covers a lot of the same issues of the failing effort to keep the Mississippi River a tame commercial enterprise, why pick up this book? For me, I was looking for somewhat more recent reportage on the creeping rot of the Army Corps of Engineers' flood-control system, and Upholt does deal more with both the great flood of 2019, and the drought that followed, which was a major disruption to river navigation.
Perhaps the big difference between Kelley and Upholt is that Upholt takes a somewhat longer view than Kelley, who was mostly concerned with period reporting, whereas Upholt basically starts his book with Hernando de Soto's misguided "expedition." If I was going to pick one, I'm giving Upholt the nod just on the basis of being more recent.
Perhaps the big difference between Kelley and Upholt is that Upholt takes a somewhat longer view than Kelley, who was mostly concerned with period reporting, whereas Upholt basically starts his book with Hernando de Soto's misguided "expedition." If I was going to pick one, I'm giving Upholt the nod just on the basis of being more recent.
September 30, 2024
River history! I was absolutely swept along by the flow of fur trappers and steamboats and underfunded congressional oversight and self confident civil engineers and Black farmers and musical blues and a solid phalanx of squirrels on the move. Swamps full of those who escaped slavery and pirates and muskrats. I loved reframing history and geography by the framework of this large stretch of water and mud.
But the most compelling part by far is that of the indigenous mound builders who may have taken a look at their ever-changing world and together scooped up handfuls of mud and piled them high as a prayerful testament to the celestial patterns. It feels very familiar to practice imitating something mysterious and larger than yourself with your local community. <3
But the most compelling part by far is that of the indigenous mound builders who may have taken a look at their ever-changing world and together scooped up handfuls of mud and piled them high as a prayerful testament to the celestial patterns. It feels very familiar to practice imitating something mysterious and larger than yourself with your local community. <3
October 11, 2025
(2.5 rounded up) While written well and sprinkled with fascinating facts of the Mississippi and America’s symbiotic relationship, I personally found this dry and had a hard time staying engaged with the content.
For those interested in American history and/or water ways and how they have been formed (both naturally and mechanically), this is the book for you!
For those interested in American history and/or water ways and how they have been formed (both naturally and mechanically), this is the book for you!
December 13, 2024
Interesting book. Like Rising Tide on nerd steroids
June 7, 2024
I received a copy through Netgalley and was not otherwise compensated for this honest review.
I have a shelf full of books about water and I run a public education series about Water & Infrastructure. I knew nothing about the book when I requested it, but I wanted to learn more about the Mississippi River.
Living in the Western United States, I have read about and traveled extensively in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Watershed and the Colorado River Watershed. But, despite living 14 years in the Mississippi Watershed, I have never *seen* the river. The watershed is so vast, the river banks are so tall, what is there to see that is worth the journey?
I was expecting a natural history book, but this is so much more. It's a tough read full of genocide, slavery, and ecocide. It's a book about destruction and futility. It reminds me of Water Always Wins: Going With the Flow to Thrive in the Age of Droughts, Floods, and Climate Change.
All that killing. All that dynamite. All those plans and dreams. It's not going to make a drop of difference on the scale of the history of this planet and this river.
There's too much in this book for me to cover. But two notable things I learned stand out.
My K-12 history education failed to teach me the accomplishment of the Native Americans. How is it that I learned about the Central American pyramids of Chichen Itza but not of the North American Mounds?
Secondly, in school, I was taught that Thomas Jefferson was a learned man who donated his books to found a public library. But, in college, I learned that his "Natural Philosophy" was nothing more than prejudice dressed up in pretty words.
Until I read this book, I did not know that Jefferson's and John Locke's unfounded (and completely wrong!) natural philosophy theories were used to carve up the Mississippi Valley into rectangular farms that disastrously paid no attention to land, water, weather or ecology.
I read in high school that Jefferson negotiated a great bargain with the French for the Louisiana Purchase. But I did not know that the low price was because he didn't purchase the territory. He only purchased the right to negotiate with the Native Americans. Jefferson then orchestrated a carefully worded plan to steal the land from the Tribes and pass it on to an army of "Citizen-Farmers" that would vote perpetually to reinforce his preferred political preferences.
By the end of the book, I was ready to start a campaign to get Jefferson's name off a local elementary school.
I highly, highly recommend reading The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi, but I recommend reading the early chapters in small doses. The emotional toll of reading about all that death and destruction is tough. I can only imagine the toll on the author to research and write that.
I have a shelf full of books about water and I run a public education series about Water & Infrastructure. I knew nothing about the book when I requested it, but I wanted to learn more about the Mississippi River.
Living in the Western United States, I have read about and traveled extensively in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Watershed and the Colorado River Watershed. But, despite living 14 years in the Mississippi Watershed, I have never *seen* the river. The watershed is so vast, the river banks are so tall, what is there to see that is worth the journey?
I was expecting a natural history book, but this is so much more. It's a tough read full of genocide, slavery, and ecocide. It's a book about destruction and futility. It reminds me of Water Always Wins: Going With the Flow to Thrive in the Age of Droughts, Floods, and Climate Change.
All that killing. All that dynamite. All those plans and dreams. It's not going to make a drop of difference on the scale of the history of this planet and this river.
There's too much in this book for me to cover. But two notable things I learned stand out.
My K-12 history education failed to teach me the accomplishment of the Native Americans. How is it that I learned about the Central American pyramids of Chichen Itza but not of the North American Mounds?
Secondly, in school, I was taught that Thomas Jefferson was a learned man who donated his books to found a public library. But, in college, I learned that his "Natural Philosophy" was nothing more than prejudice dressed up in pretty words.
Until I read this book, I did not know that Jefferson's and John Locke's unfounded (and completely wrong!) natural philosophy theories were used to carve up the Mississippi Valley into rectangular farms that disastrously paid no attention to land, water, weather or ecology.
I read in high school that Jefferson negotiated a great bargain with the French for the Louisiana Purchase. But I did not know that the low price was because he didn't purchase the territory. He only purchased the right to negotiate with the Native Americans. Jefferson then orchestrated a carefully worded plan to steal the land from the Tribes and pass it on to an army of "Citizen-Farmers" that would vote perpetually to reinforce his preferred political preferences.
By the end of the book, I was ready to start a campaign to get Jefferson's name off a local elementary school.
I highly, highly recommend reading The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi, but I recommend reading the early chapters in small doses. The emotional toll of reading about all that death and destruction is tough. I can only imagine the toll on the author to research and write that.
April 23, 2025
history, ecology, hydrology, geology, politics, it’s got it all!
December 11, 2024
Unfortunately for this book I had just come off of reading The Dawn of Everything and The Devil’s Element so there was a lot of repeat info.
The first and last chapters could have been published together as an excellent essay. The middle was a lot of stories about men (at war with each other or the river). According to this book there has never been a woman influential in the history of the Mississippi River.
There were some interesting pieces about the use of forced labor to tame the river and separate it from its floodplains (though the horrors of enslavement and convict labor were somewhat glazed over). The book didn’t go as far as to suggest what that implicates for the potential task of restoring the river.
The first and last chapters could have been published together as an excellent essay. The middle was a lot of stories about men (at war with each other or the river). According to this book there has never been a woman influential in the history of the Mississippi River.
There were some interesting pieces about the use of forced labor to tame the river and separate it from its floodplains (though the horrors of enslavement and convict labor were somewhat glazed over). The book didn’t go as far as to suggest what that implicates for the potential task of restoring the river.
February 3, 2025
So glad I read especially living in Memphis. Especially was interested in the last third which focused on the environmental, economic, and human impact of the levees and MRT project. Appreciate that he does not try to offer easy answers.
May 4, 2025
This is the book I've been wanting to read for years and I'm glad someone finally wrote it!! I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. It's fantastic and I think a must read for anyone interested in learning about the Mississippi. Excellently done!
July 29, 2024
This is an informative and thoughtful examination of the Mississippi River’s geology and geography, both natural and human-made; Indigenous, European, and American settlement; and current concerns, all of which are refracted through Upholt’s intimate knowledge of, and firsthand experience with, the river. It reflects thorough research, excellent journalism, and personal passion for the wilderness. Despite cataloging a litany of ill-informed engineering decisions made largely for the economic well-being of riverine elites, the author seems to remain cautiously optimistic that humans can, somehow, learn to live more harmoniously with this incredible natural treasure.
January 5, 2025
I listened to the audiobook of The Great River. The book provided an informative history of the Mississippi River and later reviewed the levels of mismanagement imposed on the river. The best parts of the book, for me, were where the author went over the actions of the inept US government bureaucrats in the Mississippi River Commission. It was shocking that they thought they could turn the Mississippi into something it was never meant to be and destroy the environment and waste enormous amounts of money while doing it.
October 5, 2025
This book reads like a textbook and is pretty dry in a lot of places but there is some interesting and important American history in it.
I only recommend it if you are really really interested in rivers and how they are controlled- I admit I skimmed over a lot of the technical stuff, but overall it was informative.
I only recommend it if you are really really interested in rivers and how they are controlled- I admit I skimmed over a lot of the technical stuff, but overall it was informative.
August 31, 2024
I’ve been looking for a good explanation of all the science and debates and politics surrounding the Mississippi River and its engineering and this fulfilled that need so perfectly
April 13, 2025
great history of the river might of read this twice
June 28, 2025
This book illustrates the stupidity of humans. The Mississippi won, and will continue to. Fascinating story.
May 25, 2024
I won the book as a GoodRead Giveaway.
This book is primarily about the lower Mississippi, although the entire Mississippi drainage area is covered to some degree. It starts with what is know/speculated about the formation of the river at the end of the last ice age and continues through the early inhabitants of the areas around the river, including the mound builders. Documented history starts with early Spanish explorers who happened to encounter the Mississippi and continues through early settlement by American pushing west and continues through the current day. Early inhabitants tried to live with the river, but since the early 1800's others have tied to control the river.
Much of the book is focused on these attempts to control the river, mainly by the Army Corp of Engineers. However, Mother Nature is a formidable opponent and the river is not really tamed. The politics behind these efforts is touched on, but not the focus. I found the discussion of the engineering and hydrology interesting, as well as the outcomes which can only be guessed at and more often than not are not as expected.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in natural history.
This book is primarily about the lower Mississippi, although the entire Mississippi drainage area is covered to some degree. It starts with what is know/speculated about the formation of the river at the end of the last ice age and continues through the early inhabitants of the areas around the river, including the mound builders. Documented history starts with early Spanish explorers who happened to encounter the Mississippi and continues through early settlement by American pushing west and continues through the current day. Early inhabitants tried to live with the river, but since the early 1800's others have tied to control the river.
Much of the book is focused on these attempts to control the river, mainly by the Army Corp of Engineers. However, Mother Nature is a formidable opponent and the river is not really tamed. The politics behind these efforts is touched on, but not the focus. I found the discussion of the engineering and hydrology interesting, as well as the outcomes which can only be guessed at and more often than not are not as expected.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in natural history.
July 15, 2024
I enjoyed this history of the Mississippi River, from being home to First Nations people to the many attempts by the Army Corp of Engineers (and others) to tame the river for navigability, agriculture and energy production uses. The impact on the river and it's ecosystems from this human meddling was vast and often not considered until the damage was done. Well written and researched, the author wrote the story of the river in an engaging way that kept this reader interested and fascinated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews