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Canoeing in the Wilderness
Thoreau's famous trip through the Maine Woods reissued to entertain, encourage, and inspire contemporary naturalists.
Thoreau paints the woods and waterways of Maine with the same loving hand that described his Walden home, and entertains with the successes and difficulties of the trip and the quirks of his companion and their guide, Joseph Polis, told with a wit and insight that can only be found in Thoreau.
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher and leading transcendentalist. His writings on natural history and philosophy have become two sources of modern-day environmentalism.
Thoreau paints the woods and waterways of Maine with the same loving hand that described his Walden home, and entertains with the successes and difficulties of the trip and the quirks of his companion and their guide, Joseph Polis, told with a wit and insight that can only be found in Thoreau.
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher and leading transcendentalist. His writings on natural history and philosophy have become two sources of modern-day environmentalism.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1906
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510 people want to read
About the author
Henry David Thoreau
2,390 books6,721 followersHenry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau) was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, philosopher, and abolitionist who is best known for Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.
Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern day environmentalism.
In 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born in Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1837, taught briefly, then turned to writing and lecturing. Becoming a Transcendentalist and good friend of Emerson, Thoreau lived the life of simplicity he advocated in his writings. His two-year experience in a hut in Walden, on land owned by Emerson, resulted in the classic, Walden: Life in the Woods (1854). During his sojourn there, Thoreau refused to pay a poll tax in protest of slavery and the Mexican war, for which he was jailed overnight. His activist convictions were expressed in the groundbreaking On the Duty of Civil Disobedience (1849). In a diary he noted his disapproval of attempts to convert the Algonquins "from their own superstitions to new ones." In a journal he noted dryly that it is appropriate for a church to be the ugliest building in a village, "because it is the one in which human nature stoops to the lowest and is the most disgraced." (Cited by James A. Haught in 2000 Years of Disbelief.) When Parker Pillsbury sought to talk about religion with Thoreau as he was dying from tuberculosis, Thoreau replied: "One world at a time."
Thoreau's philosophy of nonviolent resistance influenced the political thoughts and actions of such later figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. D. 1862.
More: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/tho...
http://thoreau.eserver.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Da...
http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu....
http://www.biography.com/people/henry...
Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern day environmentalism.
In 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born in Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1837, taught briefly, then turned to writing and lecturing. Becoming a Transcendentalist and good friend of Emerson, Thoreau lived the life of simplicity he advocated in his writings. His two-year experience in a hut in Walden, on land owned by Emerson, resulted in the classic, Walden: Life in the Woods (1854). During his sojourn there, Thoreau refused to pay a poll tax in protest of slavery and the Mexican war, for which he was jailed overnight. His activist convictions were expressed in the groundbreaking On the Duty of Civil Disobedience (1849). In a diary he noted his disapproval of attempts to convert the Algonquins "from their own superstitions to new ones." In a journal he noted dryly that it is appropriate for a church to be the ugliest building in a village, "because it is the one in which human nature stoops to the lowest and is the most disgraced." (Cited by James A. Haught in 2000 Years of Disbelief.) When Parker Pillsbury sought to talk about religion with Thoreau as he was dying from tuberculosis, Thoreau replied: "One world at a time."
Thoreau's philosophy of nonviolent resistance influenced the political thoughts and actions of such later figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. D. 1862.
More: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/tho...
http://thoreau.eserver.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Da...
http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu....
http://www.biography.com/people/henry...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 28, 2020
An interesting insight into one of Thoreau's adventures going paddling in the wilderness. He has a travel companion and an Indian guide. You can really notice it's an 1800-era adventure and no modern day outing. Even though I was interested, it did not really grip me as the writing was very descriptive. It's more of a day to day sum up of things that happened instead of a flowing story. But that's okay, it's a product of time long gone.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read.
September 30, 2012
Either this is the slightest and breeziest duplication of Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle there is, or the subtlest and obscurely symbolic character study of a Native American canoe expert there is. Either way, this isn't the overtly philosophical and curmudgeonly Thoreau from Walden and Walking that I have come to love. This story's told pretty straight, to the point where he didn't seem present for it. I was oddly disengaged, but it was pleasant and slight enough to kill an afternoon with some pretty good writing and imagery. Not much more than that, though, I suppose.
January 27, 2025
Thoreau is such a little nut
February 8, 2023
It’s not really a thrilling narrative story with rising tension and interesting plot so much as an account of the author’s canoe trip in the 1850s.
Nonetheless I found it mildly enjoyable and interesting, even entertaining.
Nonetheless I found it mildly enjoyable and interesting, even entertaining.
August 11, 2021
Much of Thoreau's writing has aged well. As one of the world's greatest nature writers, he shares in detail what he sees. As the Introduction to this short book stresses, it is "minute" detail. Imagine yourself on a canoe trip. Now imagine writing down the setting up of camp, packing and unpacking the canoe, cooking...in "minute" detail. While Thoreau tries to transport readers on the journey, it is more a journal than a narrative experience. Consider this, “Our table was a large piece of freshly peeled birch bark, laid wrong side up, and our breakfast consisted of hard-bread, fried pork, and strong coffee well sweetened, in which we did not miss the milk.”
Still, be prepared, he has few good zingers, insights and observations. I love that Thoreau compared hunting for sport to butchery and that he admires those who have a natural connection with the outdoors. His Native American guide plays a big role in the pages and displays skills and knowledge Thoreau does not possess. The author shows no sign of superiority which is refreshing given this canoe trip took place in 1857.
Thoreau lived the life of simplicity and would have been a big supporter of Leave No Trace principles and sustainability. Here is a brilliant quote from the book stemming from logging he witnessed, “The Anglo-American can indeed cut down and grub up all this waving forest, and make a stump speech on its ruins, but he cannot converse with the spirit of the tree he fells, he cannot read the poetry and mythology which retire as he advances."
During a two-year stay in a modest hut, the author refused to pay a poll tax in protest of slavery and the Mexican war. He despised attempts to convert the Algonquins, "from their own superstitions to new ones." Not a fan of religion, he said it was appropriate for a church to be the ugliest building in a village, "because it is the one in which human nature stoops to the lowest and is the most disgraced." To know the book, one must know the author and this background to his beliefs is very helpful.
Lastly, I love reading these outdoor classics to continually discover little tricks. Now I know that if my boots ever get stiff on a long hike or canoe trip, I can soften them with "pork fat, the usual disposition of what was left at breakfast." If you want similar reads, try Woodcraft and Camping (1884) by George Washington Sears or Camping in the Canadian Rockies (1896) by Walter Dwight Wilcox.
Still, be prepared, he has few good zingers, insights and observations. I love that Thoreau compared hunting for sport to butchery and that he admires those who have a natural connection with the outdoors. His Native American guide plays a big role in the pages and displays skills and knowledge Thoreau does not possess. The author shows no sign of superiority which is refreshing given this canoe trip took place in 1857.
Thoreau lived the life of simplicity and would have been a big supporter of Leave No Trace principles and sustainability. Here is a brilliant quote from the book stemming from logging he witnessed, “The Anglo-American can indeed cut down and grub up all this waving forest, and make a stump speech on its ruins, but he cannot converse with the spirit of the tree he fells, he cannot read the poetry and mythology which retire as he advances."
During a two-year stay in a modest hut, the author refused to pay a poll tax in protest of slavery and the Mexican war. He despised attempts to convert the Algonquins, "from their own superstitions to new ones." Not a fan of religion, he said it was appropriate for a church to be the ugliest building in a village, "because it is the one in which human nature stoops to the lowest and is the most disgraced." To know the book, one must know the author and this background to his beliefs is very helpful.
Lastly, I love reading these outdoor classics to continually discover little tricks. Now I know that if my boots ever get stiff on a long hike or canoe trip, I can soften them with "pork fat, the usual disposition of what was left at breakfast." If you want similar reads, try Woodcraft and Camping (1884) by George Washington Sears or Camping in the Canadian Rockies (1896) by Walter Dwight Wilcox.
May 20, 2024
Canoe in the Wilderness, by Henry David Thoreau. (Audio book) This is a narrative of Thoreau canoeing through the Maine woods on a multi day excursion. In substance, it’s simply that —a journal of day to day activities of pleasant canoeing interspersed with a few tame whitewater stretches, portaging, and camping. What to me makes it marvelous, is Thoreau’s conscious but unstated admiration for the superior talents of a Native American guide. The guide constantly displays skills and knowledge Thoreau admires and compares to his own lack thereof. In so many stories, natives — working class whites or Indians — are condescended to despite have wilderness skills that are vastly superior to those they guide. In this case, Thoreau shows no sign of feeling superior in any way. Rather he is respectful of his guide’s skills & knowledge, and shows no discomfort when his guide purposefully demonstrated his superiority to Thoreau. It’s a delightful book with none of the turgid philosophical overlay of his other writing.
December 29, 2024
A day to day account from July 20-August 3, 1857 of Thoreau, another male companion, and an "Indian," Joe Polis who was their guide. I believe this publication is an excerpt of The Maine Woods: A Fully Annotated Edition.
I found much of it to be interesting and if I were a canoer or familiar with Maine, I would have reveled in the many details and would have made comparisons. What struck me was a general comparison of today's America with the then wilderness in 1857 already being readily exploited by hunters and loggers. Having just read Stalking the Wild Asparagus : Field Guide Edition by Euell Gibbons, I paid special attention to the wild food they found and ate and admired Gibbons for being right on all accounts.
Descriptions of Joe Polis were the best part, Thoreau having a lot of respect for him but noting as well as contending with the cultural differences. For example,
One of us observed to the Indian, "You did not stretch your moose hide last night, did you, Mr. Polis?" Whereat he replied in a tone of surprise, though perhaps not of of ill humor: "What for you ask me that question? Suppose I stretch 'em, you see 'em. Maybe your way talking, may be all right, no Indian way."
That is to say, That was rude, Mr. Thoreau. No point in asking if you saw I didn't.
Buddy read with my oldest friend. He's a long-time canoer, called Mr. Canoe Head by his now grown children, a moniker describing him as he appeared to them while carrying his canoe on the many camping trips as children.
I listened via Librivox and read along with text via Gutenberg. Narrated by Melissa Green (with a few odd pronunciations).
I found much of it to be interesting and if I were a canoer or familiar with Maine, I would have reveled in the many details and would have made comparisons. What struck me was a general comparison of today's America with the then wilderness in 1857 already being readily exploited by hunters and loggers. Having just read Stalking the Wild Asparagus : Field Guide Edition by Euell Gibbons, I paid special attention to the wild food they found and ate and admired Gibbons for being right on all accounts.
Descriptions of Joe Polis were the best part, Thoreau having a lot of respect for him but noting as well as contending with the cultural differences. For example,
One of us observed to the Indian, "You did not stretch your moose hide last night, did you, Mr. Polis?" Whereat he replied in a tone of surprise, though perhaps not of of ill humor: "What for you ask me that question? Suppose I stretch 'em, you see 'em. Maybe your way talking, may be all right, no Indian way."
That is to say, That was rude, Mr. Thoreau. No point in asking if you saw I didn't.
Buddy read with my oldest friend. He's a long-time canoer, called Mr. Canoe Head by his now grown children, a moniker describing him as he appeared to them while carrying his canoe on the many camping trips as children.
I listened via Librivox and read along with text via Gutenberg. Narrated by Melissa Green (with a few odd pronunciations).
June 1, 2017
Prospective reader alert: This is an edited document, excerpted from The Maine Woods, in which the editor, Johnson, assures us that "nothing essential has been sacrificed."
This is an interesting enjoyable read, a fascinating window into a largely bygone time. Thoreau is at his literary best when, encamped in a burned-over area in Maine, he uses lines such as: "The moon in her first quarter, in the fore part of the night, setting over the bare rocky hills garnished with tall, charred, and hollow stumps or shells of trees, served to reveal the desolation."
I especially liked the description of his Indian guide's mannerisms, language, and lore, and the many interactions with him recorded throughout their journey.
I, for one, do not subscribe to the 'humans as aliens' position that Thoreau adopts for a few paragraphs, negatively casting the relentless advancement of civilization into the wild. Ants make anthills, beavers make dams, people make cities. That's the way it is and I do not see much difference except for scale. We are of the planet and our actions, whether termed good or evil, natural or artificial, nurturing or poisonous, are what they are. Fortunately, these paragraphs are brief and do not overshadow the positive aspects of the narrative.
This is an interesting enjoyable read, a fascinating window into a largely bygone time. Thoreau is at his literary best when, encamped in a burned-over area in Maine, he uses lines such as: "The moon in her first quarter, in the fore part of the night, setting over the bare rocky hills garnished with tall, charred, and hollow stumps or shells of trees, served to reveal the desolation."
I especially liked the description of his Indian guide's mannerisms, language, and lore, and the many interactions with him recorded throughout their journey.
I, for one, do not subscribe to the 'humans as aliens' position that Thoreau adopts for a few paragraphs, negatively casting the relentless advancement of civilization into the wild. Ants make anthills, beavers make dams, people make cities. That's the way it is and I do not see much difference except for scale. We are of the planet and our actions, whether termed good or evil, natural or artificial, nurturing or poisonous, are what they are. Fortunately, these paragraphs are brief and do not overshadow the positive aspects of the narrative.
January 2, 2021
Cool trail report. But seriously, the views expressed and the descriptions of nature in this novel may once have been noteworthy, and this still makes for a pleasant, relaxing read, but nowadays you can find thousands of reports like this online and the only noteworthy point here is that Thoreau's gear is a bit different from what you'd see today. Also, minor spoiler alert, he makes no mention of issues with parking, locals vandalizing his car, or having to get a permit to wander about Katahdin. I will say it's a bit surprising how many people he runs across in the woods - I figured that was a modern issue.
May 6, 2020
A short (just under 100 pages) but wonderfully rich account of 2 weeks in the wilds of Maine with Thoreau, one of his friends and a Native American guide. As they navigate waterways in a canoe, and the land on foot, this is a hark back to simpler times imbued with Thoreau's passion for the natural world. His vivid prose transports you to the water - you can see the paddle breaking the water's surface in your mind's eye.
Maybe because I'm reading this while confined to the house, but it effortlessly transported me far away, to the woods and waters of Maine. Essential reading.
Maybe because I'm reading this while confined to the house, but it effortlessly transported me far away, to the woods and waters of Maine. Essential reading.
October 25, 2020
Thoreau admires and secretly one-ups his Indian guide. Thoreau purses flowers, and birds by ear; the Indian makes wild tea that's better than the black tea they brought, and literally calls a muskrat with his voice. Thoreau laments the crass commercialization of lumber, and then cuts trees for bedding each night. Leave No Trace had not been invented yet, and would be influenced more by his ideas than his practice. The Indian stand-up paddles his handcrafted birch canoe through the rapids.
So many mosquitoes. So many portages.
So many mosquitoes. So many portages.
September 20, 2022
Considering this is happened in 1850's, it's a pretty interesting read. I can't say there are many descriptions of the wilderness. It is more like a diary and perhaps an ode to the resourcefulness of Polis. Polis is interestingly described, it's a pity that there are no books from his perspective. Every now and then Henry and his friend got lost or screwed up, and Polis had to look for them. It would be interesting to hear his thinking: have they gone astray again? I really liked that Henry and Polis became friends in the end, even though they didn't see each other again after the trip.
October 8, 2023
Unexpected. Thoreau is an extremely evocative writer, and for someone who has canoed in the wilderness, this brought back memories of beavers, loons, moose, mosquitoes, birches, storms, portages. It felt like it might be awkward with cultural shifts in the 130-ish years since it was written, but his forays into reflecting on the nature of man, and the relationship between white men and native people were, albeit awkward in the language, very thought-provoking and beautiful. A meditative book which took a while to read, even though short, but was well worth the effort.
April 14, 2020
Not sure why I decided to give this one a try, as in general I did not like reading Walden either. Thought I would see if it was him, but wasn't thrilled with this one either. A little dry at times, and the bias (historical time, but still) shown didn't help. I usually enjoy nature books, and thought this one sounded interesting, but skimmed after awhile and overall was not my favorite. Would recommend if you like HDT.
February 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this nature-lore book. I learned a ton- so many cool natural wonders. I was rather saddened by even at that time in 1857 how much Joe Polis said the Indians were already forgetting of their culture and tribes. I can’t imagine how it must have looked. I often wonder that when reading about American historical books. To see it that wild would be a wonderful, amazing thing.
January 17, 2021
A short read well worth the time. With his detailed descriptions, Thoreau paints a tableau of the landscapes and the people of a long gone era. He transports his reader into the wilderness of Maine, USA nearly 200 years ago, a time where local guides like Mr. Polis could still be found living and sharing their traditional ways. This book captured my imagination and will stay with me a long time.
July 21, 2021
Unsurprisingly dated in its perspectives on social roles and indigenous groups, but nonetheless a charming and conversational record of Thoreau’s journey through Maine. A bit dry due to its diary-esque style, but nonetheless another interesting insight into the 19th century’s premier environmentalist.
November 25, 2022
I wanted and expected to like this. The language and attitude expressed by the author are kind of cringe-worthy now. The route they took had all kinds of natural obstacles; but given the wilderness in the title, I was surprised at all the old dams Thoreau described portaging. By the 1850’s, these dams were already old.
May 19, 2019
A riveting, simple, clear, exciting, and oftentimes amusing account of Thoreau and two companions canoeing streams, rivers, and lakes through the Maine woods.
This brief adventure is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
This brief adventure is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
September 28, 2020
Wilderness Adventure
I truly enjoyed reading this voyage through the woods, streams. The enjoyment of camping, the midnight rains. Learning can be used for making tea, flour, soups. A great outdoors adventure.
I truly enjoyed reading this voyage through the woods, streams. The enjoyment of camping, the midnight rains. Learning can be used for making tea, flour, soups. A great outdoors adventure.
August 5, 2021
I love canoeing and camping in the back woods.
I love history.
With this I did not have any expectations.
The good: Mildly interesting . it is a short book.
The Bad: Easily forgettable. Did not provide much value.
I love history.
With this I did not have any expectations.
The good: Mildly interesting . it is a short book.
The Bad: Easily forgettable. Did not provide much value.
January 13, 2023
An enjoying relaxing narrative of Henry David Thoreau's canoeing venture Into the Wilderness near Bangor Maine with a companion and a Native American guide.
There was a funny story about a dog that accompanied them on the first leg of their Journey while they were riding in a coach.
There was a funny story about a dog that accompanied them on the first leg of their Journey while they were riding in a coach.
January 31, 2024
Well I am again surprised that I have enjoyed something written in the 1800's as much as I did. It is pretty much Thoreau recounting a canoe trip he made. His observations made this a worthwhile read.
November 28, 2024
From what I understand, this is just a portion of one of Thoreau's other works. Given his importance in wilderness literature, I appreciated his well written thoughts on a canoe journey in what was once a very remote portion of the country. I will be reading more from him.
July 7, 2025
It's an interesting historic read.
I gave this a try, but not sure what I was expecting lol. It was a travel log of Thoreau's trip and has some interesting asides and tidbits of the time along the canoe trip. But it was a slow read.
I gave this a try, but not sure what I was expecting lol. It was a travel log of Thoreau's trip and has some interesting asides and tidbits of the time along the canoe trip. But it was a slow read.
July 9, 2018
Fun window into adventuring in the 1800s
March 30, 2020
3.5 stars
August 20, 2020
This a marvelous book for everybody who enjoys spending time in the great outdoors. If you read, you will be inspired to take paddle in hand and seek out a canoe.
November 28, 2020
Surprisingly dull. Obviously it is skillfully written but is really just a blow by blow log of a canoe trip, with little to no deep thoughts or feelings to be found.
June 19, 2022
Interesting historical narrative about a canoe trip in Maine during the 1800s.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews