Reviews
In fabulous yarn-spinning sentences, [Schneider] whirs through the geologic eras in which the river was formed...A fabulous romp...Schneider is a marvelously personable tour guide...Schneider has a real knack for capturing life on the river., A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year., Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!, Schneider's book stands out... It's another reminder of how we took the river's heritage for granted for far too long, and why it's worth scrambling today to reclaim and maintain as much of it as we can., "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion , "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus, "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion , Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking., "[A] vivid history."-The New Yorker "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative."-- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus , "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative."-- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus , "[A] vivid history." -- The New Yorker "In fabulous yarn-spinning sentences, [Schneider] whirs through the geologic eras in which the river was formed...A fabulous romp...Schneider is a marvelously personable tour guide...Schneider has a real knack for capturing life on the river." -- Barnes and Noble Review "Schneider''s book stands out... It''s another reminder of how we took the river''s heritage for granted for far too long, and why it''s worth scrambling today to reclaim and maintain as much of it as we can." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book." -- James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad ''Old Man River,'' since my childhood in the 40''s, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider''s Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, ''the river''s history is our history.'' Travelling with Paul Schneider''s words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking." -- Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man''s shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it''s the best detective story you''ll read this year." -- Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture." -- Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman''s Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable." -- Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world''s greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana." -- John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative." -- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider''s multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!" -- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking." -- Kirkus, "[A] vivid history."- The New Yorker "In fabulous yarn-spinning sentences, [Schneider] whirs through the geologic eras in which the river was formed…A fabulous romp…Schneider is a marvelously personable tour guide…Schneider has a real knack for capturing life on the river."- Barnes and Noble Review "Schneider's book stands out… It's another reminder of how we took the river's heritage for granted for far too long, and why it's worth scrambling today to reclaim and maintain as much of it as we can."- Minneapolis Star Tribune "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman''s Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative."-- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus, Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana., Praise for Brutal Journey "Schneider's thorough research and vivid writing create a fast-paced, moving story, one that is difficult to believe and impossible to forget."- New York Times Book Review "[Schneider's] got a vigorous, clear style... he captures a delicious mix of the horrifying and the cheering."- Washington Post Book World Praise for The Adirondacks "A biography of a place, a life of the Adirondacks... irresistible."-James Gorman, New York Times Book Review "Absolutely fascinating."-John Bert"A delicious look at America's original summer paradise."- Elle, "[A] vivid history."- The New Yorker "In fabulous yarn-spinning sentences, [Schneider] whirs through the geologic eras in which the river was formed…A fabulous romp…Schneider is a marvelously personable tour guide…Schneider has a real knack for capturing life on the river."- Barnes and Noble Review "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman''s Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative."-- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus, Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book., "Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative."-- Cedar Rapids Gazette "Stunning...With such an expert hand on the tiller, Old Man River is an astonishing journey."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Nonfiction lovers with eclectic tastes and readers bored by a single-discipline approach will love Schneider's multiple-angle portrait of the Mississippi watershed. The territory Schneider studies is what some dismiss as "flyover country," but what fascinating stories "flyover country" has to tell!"- Booklist "Another chockablock, environmentally focused, ambitious volume from Schneider...A wild ride well worth taking."- Kirkus "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down. As I read his story of the Mississippi, I feel like I am revisiting early America on board a raft with Huck and Tom and runaway Jim. I think Mark Twain would be one of the first to congratulate Mr. Schneider on his splendid new book."-James Lee Burke "I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river, the peoples past and present who lived there, what they loved and what they loathed (often foreigners), how they lived and died and explored and ought in the Old Man's shadow. His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just, author of An Unfinished Season and Exiles in the Garden "A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney, author of Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff "Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland, author of Notes from the Century Before and Sex and the River Styx "Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. It is a pageant of astounding color and variety, sweeping from mammoths, mastodons and paleo-Indians to the British Petroleum disaster, and from Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in America, to fabulous New Orleans. We meet an extraordinary cast of characters, the Spanish conquistadors, French voyageurs, Iroquois raiders, explorers and empire builders of different hues and tongues, river pirates, bare-knuckled boatmen, the ranks of the blue and gray, slaves and civil engineers. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional. This is a lucid, immensely diverting excursion that could only have been written by one who not only knows but loves the Mississippi, and fears for the future of this entrancing and mighty, but acutely vulnerable, highway. It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, author of Nelson: The Sword of Albion , "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down."-James Lee Burke "Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river . . . His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just"Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland"A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney"Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional... It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, "Paul Schneider recounts history as a novelist might. Once you start one of his books, you find yourself unable to put it down."-James Lee Burke "Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking."-Charlayne Hunter-Gault "A terrific, wonderfully written account of the river . . . His tale unfolds from the beginning of north American time and it's the best detective story you'll read this year."-Ward Just"Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable."-Edward Hoagland"A fascinating and passionate profile of the river that shaped American history and culture."-Rosemary Mahoney"Paul Schneider takes us on a hugely entertaining journey along one of the world's greatest waterways. The scope is breath-taking, and the seamless blend of history, culture and science is exceptional_ It is a great read for anyone who values Americana."-John Sugden, I have heard and sung the painful ballad 'Old Man River,' since my childhood in the 40's, but it was only when I read Paul Schneider's Old Man River , I took a deeper look at the Mississippi River and truly understood with greater clarity how, as the author puts it, 'the river's history is our history.' Travelling with Paul Schneider's words and heart is an eye-opening adventure well worth taking., Praise for Brutal Journey "Schneider's thorough research and vivid writing create a fast-paced, moving story, one that is difficult to believe and impossible to forget."- New York Times Book Review "[Schneider's] got a vigorous, clear style_ he captures a delicious mix of the horrifying and the cheering."- Washington Post Book World Praise for The Adirondacks "A biography of a place, a life of the Adirondacks_ irresistible."-James Gorman, New York Times Book Review "Absolutely fascinating."-John Bert"A delicious look at America's original summer paradise."- Elle, Reminiscent of a Ken Burns documentary...this historical book becomes surprisingly moving and meditative., Vividly peopled and comprehensively marshaled, this account makes a fine and flowing read, summarizing the ineffable.
