How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon

by Jerry Borrowman

History turns on small points. From the world's most catastrophic game of chicken to the nail-biting success story at the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, discover fascinating events you've probably never heard of. In this compilation of eight true stories from the forgotten pages of history, learn about disasters caused by human error as well as calamities avoided by quick and clever thinking--the lawsuit that launched Abraham Lincoln's political career, the collapse of the Teton Dam, the invention that revolutionized the world of sound, and more. This book is truly love at first sight for lovers of history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

134 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2016

About the author

Jerry Borrowman is an award-winning author of 21 commercially published books including military fiction, non-fiction, and co-authored biography. Jerry is a two-time recipient of the prestigious George Washington National Medal from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge "for his contribution to the cause of freedom through his writing." Compassionate Soldier was the 2019 Gold Award Winner from Foreword Reviews in the War and Military category, and Invisible Heroes of World War II was the 2022 Silver Winner.

Jerry is known for his meticulous attention to historical detail, including the technology that is unique to each story.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was kind of disappointed with this book. There were eight chapters, with each chapter covering a different point in history that was directly impacted by decisions made by men at specific points in time. In itself, that was okay.

The problem I had was that each chapter was written with a minimal amount of historical data. I wasn't expecting huge, drawn out explanations of the details, but the chapters read more like articles from Mental Floss or History Channel magazine, just glossing over the historical events. Kind of a let down, and it left me wanting much more. I guess I'll have to research each of these events if I want something more in depth.

[Laura Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this non-fiction book subtitled, “Little Known Inspiring True Stories from American History”. The book covers 8 “little known” historic events/happenings. As a listener of the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast (it’s fantastic…check it out!) I may be a slightly biased reader, but I’d argue that some of these are not little known.

The book covers:

The Halifax Explosion (of 1917) and the Boston Christmas Tree
The Yellowstone Supervolcano
Abraham Lincoln and the Rock Island Railroad Bridge Disaster
Collapse of the Teton Dam
Cornelius Vanderbilt’s contributions to the Civil War
The Final Push of the Union Pacific (railway)
Lee de Forest and the Audion Tube
How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon

The stories were each very interesting and there were things I had not heard about before. The mention of Brigham Young (of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and his role in bringing the railroad to Utah was fascinating and I’d love to learn more about him. I have an inexplicable fascination with the Vanderbilt’s (a trip to Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC has only fueled it) and it was interesting to learn more about Cornelius’s role in the war. In addition, each chapter had a bit from the author about his personal connection with this piece of history. Whether it was a vacation that inspired desire to learn more or having had a chance to meet some of the players in person it was neat to read his accounts of the inspiration for each of the chapters.

However, I had a couple of issues with how the book was written. Each chapter starts off with a summary of the topic that essential gives away the punch line. This would be okay it was a paper or an article where people might be skimming, but if I’ve picked up a book on a topic, you can bet I’m planning to read the whole thing. I found it disjoining to read the summary part and then start diving into details, some of which were a repeat of what I’d just read. References are given throughout the book, which is great. But a number of them are references to Wikipedia pages. I’ll be the first to admit to using wiki for lots of stuff, but if I’m reading a book I expect a higher level of research that goes back to primary sources and doesn’t rely on an open data source that can be changed by anyone at any time. There were also some chapters like the one about Lee de Forest that started out in one place (talking about the invention of the audion tube) and ending up elsewhere (talking about speakers). While I could usually follow the connections I felt like they were two distinct stories each worthy of its own piece.

Finally, as I mentioned earlier I might be biased as I’m generally into history stuff, but the first two chapters were about things I was already very familiar with. Any Canadian kid has seen the Canadian Heritage minute commercial about the Halifax explosion (watch it here: https://youtu.be/rw-FbwmzPKo). And the Yellowstone Park supervolcano has been featured in multiple television specials. There’s lots of obscure American history (for example, the United States Camel Corps, yup they used camels for a while) out there and my expectations were that this book would cover more of that. Overall, it was an interesting read but it wasn’t compelling enough for me to want to shove it into the hands of everyone I know. If you’re looking for some interesting historical tidbits accompanied by that personal connection this is a good book to pick up.

**I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were supposed to be little known and inspiring stories but it seems I am more well read than the average person because there were only two stories (including the title one) which I did not know about. I also did not find them particularly inspiring but mostly rather sad. So I was a bit disappointed in the book, however the articles were well written and the personal touch was an interesting idea.

[Mary L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories of disasters that have happened, have been prevented, or still might happen. There are eight different stories, each thoroughly researched about what happened and why and what its effect was on those who lived through it. A good read taken one event at a time.

[Quinn Lavender · Rating 3 out of 5]

6 "lesser known" stories from history are presented here. Overall, this is the kind of stuff that the trivia nerd in me goes crazy for. Did you know Halifax sends Boston a Christmas tree every year? That kind of info is pure gold.

The author adds his own "personal connection" to each story. For the story of the Teton Dam, this connection adds a important dimension to the story -- he had family members affected by the subsequent flood and he himself helped in the sandbagging operation...but his "personal connections" to the other stories feel like filler material. For one story (the story of the worst shipping explosion history) his personal connection was stopping at the historical site while on a cruise. For the story about the invention of the first amplification device (the triode vacuum tube in 1906), the author relates his use of Bose speakers as a DJ in high school -- a bit of stretch for a "personal connection."

In all, the book is still a quick read, and the stories he shares -- especially the stories about the Teton dam, Glen Canyon dam, Lincoln trial and ship explosion -- are interesting and well presented.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of “little known” historical events and disasters that changed the course of history.

Unfortunately Covenant Communication’s audio version did not really work for me. It felt a little like listening to a technical manual read by ‘movie phone’.

I also felt like there were some really big holes in the history shared and had a hard time understanding the authors qualifications and authority to write on the subjects discussed, as he was a finance major who had evidently taken at least one geology course in college. The author mentions reading written works of other authors, including Stephen Ambrose, but without seeing this author’s written text, it is difficult to see what was quoted and what was summarised and hopefully footnoted.

I’m sure looking at a physical copy would be helpful.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book consists of eight lessons in history with interesting and little known details added to each event. The author researched his topics well and also included his own personal connection with each incident. A few of the chapters were technically challenging to follow, but interesting nevertheless. I learned from each episode. Included: the 1918 explosion in Nova Scotia that killed thousands and could have been avoided; the court case that brought attention to Abraham Lincoln; the Teton Dam debacle; and many others.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes eight unsettling accounts of tragic and near tragic or predicted tragic happenings that impacted, or luckily failed to impact, or may impact our history. The eight accounts range widely from a horrible explosion when two ships collided, the failure of the Teton Dam, and the successful prevention of possible failure of the Glen Canyon Dam, to the inventions of audio and video which underlie much of our media, etc. The accounts are clear and informative, and well worth reading.

[Becky Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I rarely enjoy reading non-fiction, but this was a definite exception! I actually listened to the audiobook and the way the narrator delivered the story likely added to my enjoyment. These were really interesting short tales of United States History that I had never heard of before (mostly). I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 only because one of the stories (about sound waves) didn't capture my attention, but that's probably just because of my lack of interest in the subject. All the other stories were riveting & entertaining along with adding knowledge.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never would have chosen this book on my own but it was selected for my book club so I started it. I found it very interesting ands read the whole book quickly. It would be especially interesting if you’re in the Utah/Idaho area.

[Thomas C.Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the facts really interesting. Honestly, a few small things really have shifted the reality that we live in.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on real life events. Some are catastrophic some are not. I enjoyed the read.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were more interesting than others, but an overall engaging book.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stories that I was unfamiliar with. Thank you!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story was definitely my favorite. I liked the Lincoln one as well. All were at least interesting. A fun little read. Would recommend!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a history buff, I love to read about lesser known events and how people responded and behaved. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the eight historical events Borrowman covers in this book. I also found it interesting the way Borrowman explained his own personal connection to each story and why he included it in this book. Some of the events in this book I had heard of before such as the Halifax explosion and Abraham Lincoln's involvement in the lawsuit surrounding the Rock Island Railroad Bridge disaster that led his rise to national prominence. I was also already aware of the Yellowstone Supervolcano and the Teton Dam disaster. But I've found that it doesn't hurt to read multiple accounts of historical or geographical topics because there is never just one view and there is always more to learn. The account that I found the most compelling because I had never heard it before was the story about the almost failure of the Glen Canyon Dam. Stories of human ingenuity always fascinate me, especially since it's so much easier to come across stories of human failure. The saving of the Glen Canyon Dam involves both. I can recommend this book to those like myself who enjoy reading about lesser known events of human history that nonetheless left there mark on the world.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if you've read any books by Jerry Borrowman, but if you haven't yet, do! I love the way that he writes, usually historical fiction, but this book was a treat to read as well.

I loved that Jerry Borrowman talks about things that I have heard about my whole life, but never really understood. Things like the Teton Dam and the Yellowstone area. I grew up in the same area of Idaho as Jerry Borrowman did, and people would talk about the Teton Dam flood and I really just couldn't picture in my mind what had happened. But that happens to be one of the articles in this book and I really enjoyed reading about it and now I can kind of picture and understand a little bit what would have happened.

There are plenty of other really interesting stories in this book. Each of them is well-written, well-researched and interesting to read. I learned tons of things from this book! I loved every minute that I was reading it!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot both about things I'd heard of but never had a clear picture of (like the Teton Dam disaster) and things I never knew had happened (like the Halifax explosion). If there's just one thing this book is great at, it's illustrating how history turns on such tiny hinges. I think my favorite chapter was the one about the court case that propelled Abraham Lincoln onto the national stage (to think he might never have become President if a steamboat hadn't crashed into a railroad bridge--awesome!). I wasn't too crazy about the author taking space at the end of each chapter to establish his personal connection to the stories, but there was still some fairly interesting stuff in there, too, especially in the Teton Dam chapter. All in all, I'd recommend this book to just about any history lover.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very enlightening and well-worth reading! The book unfolds with the Halifax disaster ( of which I had never heard of before) then continues with several other interesting facts in history -school has never taught - and ends with "How 4 Feet of Plywood saved the Grand Canyon" and so many other places! This is a very informative and interesting "quick read". It isn't lengthy enough to get dragged out but it is packed with great, little known information. "WOW" your peers with these awesome tidbits of information!

The book Title and Cover are very simple and "to the point" as is the book. The author has presented this information in a personable writing style which one will truly enjoy.

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, of which I have Given.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book to my dad for Father's Day and it is the perfect gift. I'd never heard of the Halifax Explosion and the story behind the Boston Christmas tree and that's just one of the interesting stories included.
The Teton Dam was of specific interest to me because my parents helped with the cleanup of that disaster and I remember hearing stories about it.
This book is well-written, with small details that would be hard to find from a regular online search. It's a great conversation starter, coffee table book, and great gift for Dads.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Norm Jenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about history but often find myself bogged down by the excessive length of some books. Jerry Borrowman's book, "How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon," avoids that problem by providing fascinating history in bite size junks. His delightful prose makes you feel like you're there and his research is excellent. Jerry's personal connection to some of the stories is like frosting on a cake, delicious.

[Norm Jenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about history but often find myself bogged down by the excessive length of some books. Jerry Borrowman's book, "How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon," avoids that problem by providing fascinating history in bite size junks. His delightful prose makes you feel like you're there and his research is excellent. Jerry's personal connection to some of the stories is like frosting on a cake, delicious.

[Elizabeth Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book. I loved how easy to read each story was.

Full review for the Deseret News found here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick, informative read about some lesser known historical events. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the about eight historical events Borrowman covers in this book.

Content:
Sex/Nudity: none
Profanity/Language: none
Violence/Gore: mild (explosions, death)
Drugs/Alcohol: none

[Tenille · Rating 3 out of 5]

8 stories from history and I didn't know any of them! This was an interesting book. I enjoyed reading these stories and how we have learned. So much destruction, so much controversy. Great read!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon is an intereting book. It is a short read and took me no time to finish it.
4 stars.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about little known historic stories.