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The Land between the Rivers: Thomas Nuttall's Ascent of the Arkansas, 1819
An adventure story from the wilds of early America, The Land between the Rivers recreates the journeys of the English botanist Thomas Nuttall, one of American history's most well-traveled scientists.
During the early nineteenth century, Nuttall explored the waters, valleys, plains, and mountains of the Great Lakes, Ohio River, Mississippi River, as well as the Missouri, Arkansas, Red, and Canadian river valleys of the former Louisiana Territory.
In this fascinating account of Nuttall's travels through the wilderness of the middle west, author Russell Lawson-using Nuttall's own journal-captures the sense of excitement of the early wanderer. As much a delight for the mind as the senses, The Land between the Rivers details the unremitting weather and rugged geography of uncharted lands within the Louisiana Territory. A sense of discovery pervades the narrative as Nuttall's odyssey builds to its climax in the prairie wilderness of what is now Oklahoma. Sickened by "ague"-in his case, malaria-Nuttall at times was barely able to go on; yet he continued to search for and catalog plants and animals.
The Land between the Rivers expands our knowledge of the work of one of the country's earliest botanists. We also learn a great deal about the early explorers, the inhabitants of the unsettled land, and about the land and culture of the times.
During the early nineteenth century, Nuttall explored the waters, valleys, plains, and mountains of the Great Lakes, Ohio River, Mississippi River, as well as the Missouri, Arkansas, Red, and Canadian river valleys of the former Louisiana Territory.
In this fascinating account of Nuttall's travels through the wilderness of the middle west, author Russell Lawson-using Nuttall's own journal-captures the sense of excitement of the early wanderer. As much a delight for the mind as the senses, The Land between the Rivers details the unremitting weather and rugged geography of uncharted lands within the Louisiana Territory. A sense of discovery pervades the narrative as Nuttall's odyssey builds to its climax in the prairie wilderness of what is now Oklahoma. Sickened by "ague"-in his case, malaria-Nuttall at times was barely able to go on; yet he continued to search for and catalog plants and animals.
The Land between the Rivers expands our knowledge of the work of one of the country's earliest botanists. We also learn a great deal about the early explorers, the inhabitants of the unsettled land, and about the land and culture of the times.
- GenresHistory
160 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2004
17 people want to read
About the author
Russell M. Lawson
30 books17 followersI am a writer of historical narrative, recreating the lives of people such as the explorer Captain John Smith, the English scientist Thomas Nuttall, the Swiss/Mexican explorer and scientist Jean Louis Berlandier, the missionary explorer Daniel Little, the scientist and clergyman Jeremy Belknap, the American patriot Ebenezer Hazard, and the mountaineer Captain John Evans. I write local histories of places in New England and Oklahoma. I write and edit encyclopedia. My first fictional work, "The Curse of the Bronze Amulet," set in 18th century New Hampshire, has just been published by Black Rose Writing.
I am a prolific writer, with more on the way!
I am a prolific writer, with more on the way!
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 17, 2011
It was pretty good, could have gone into more detail about life on his adventures. Glad that I had taken dendrology so that I had an idea of what plants were being mentioned.
Displaying 1 of 1 review