The Diary of John Wesley Powell: Conquering the Grand Canyon

In My Own Words

by John Wesley Powell, Laszlo Kubinyi (Illustrator)

Roop, Connie, Roop, Peter, Powell, John Wesley

64 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) was a U. S. soldier, geologist, and explorer of the American West. He is famous for the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers that included the first passage through the Grand Canyon. He studied at Illinois College, Wheaton College, and Oberlin College, acquiring a knowledge of Ancient Greek and Latin but never graduating. He was elected to the Illinois Natural History Society in 1859. Due to his deep Protestant beliefs, and his social commitments, his loyalties remained with the Union, and the cause of abolishing slavery. He enlisted in the Union army as a topographer and military engineer. In 1881 he became the second director of the U. S. Geological Survey, a post he held until 1894. He was also the director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution until his death.

Reviews

[Amy Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't interesting to me until I had seen the Grand Canyon and other canyons in the west and was able to picture better what Powell was talking about in his journals. Being an authentic diary of his journey, it lacks detail that someone not along beside him craves. This edition is edited for children, but I would like to see an annotated edition for adults. I wanted to see maps for every canyon he named, photos of the cliffs he talks about scaling, and some notes about how climbers in those days managed to mount 2,000 foot cliffs. I also wanted more detailed explanations about how he used barometers and thermometers to figure his altitude.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an edited (not sure exactly what that means) and illustrated version for kids. My eight year old needed to stay home from school one more day, so I was determined for him to learn something. This is the book. He reads ten pages and I read five to him. Good book. Interesting adventure!