River-Horse: Across America by Boat - Softcover

Half-Moon, William Least

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140298606 ISBN 13: 9780140298604

Publisher: Penguin, 2001

Synopsis

The author of Blue Highways and PrairyErth "takes us on a lifetime voyage full of imagery, insight and appreciation." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

In his most ambitious journey ever, William Least Heat-Moon sets off aboard a small boat named Nikawa ("river horse" in Osage) from the Atlantic at New York Harbor in hopes of entering the Pacific near Astoria, Oregon. He and his companion, Pilotis, struggle to cover some 5,000 watery miles, often following in the wakes of our most famous explorers, from Henry Hudson to Lewis and Clark.

En route, the voyagers confront massive floods, dangerous weather, and their own doubts about whether they can complete the trip. But the hard days yield incomparable pleasures: generous strangers, landscapes untouched since Sacajawea saw them, riverscapes flowing with a lively past, and the growing belief that efforts to protect our lands and waters are beginning to pay off.

Teeming with humanity, humor, and high adventure, River-Horse is an unsentimental and original arteriogram of our nation at the millennium.

About this title

Review:

William Least Heat-Moon, author of Blue Highways and PrairyErth, is a pre-eminent chronicler of American back roads. Both dreamer and achiever, he is poetically minded, yet has the skill and strength to turn his fantasy into reality. River-Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America tells the story of his ambitious attempt to cross America entirely by its interior waterways, following in the wakes of famous explorers Lewis and Clark.

Together with his co-pilot, Heat-Moon set out to cover 5,000 miles of water, more than any other river traveller in America's history. Their vessel was a 22-foot fibreglass powerboat named Nikawa, Osage for "river horse", small enough to fit onto the back of a trailer but just large enough to hold the bare essentials. Starting from New York Harbour, where the water is so dirty "you could bottle it and sell it for poison", the hearty travellers headed for the distant waters of the Pacific ocean.

The book is illustrated with maps, a hand-drawn diagram of the boat and a selection of scenic photographs. In general, rather than swamping the reader in technical detail, Heat-Moon's prose flows with the beauty of the open river, calling to mind the novels of Mark Twain. Though some may find Heat-Moon's language a tad precious ("The sun rose and with it our appetites for a hearty meal") the more romantically-minded will be swept away. --Daren King

Review:

"Heat-Moon's exuberant erudition propels the reader with historical vignettes, ecological and geological detail, and often hilarious encounters with local eccentrics." --Time

"Heat-Moon's prose is clear, straight-forward and lively and his vision unclouded." --Chicago Sun-Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0140298606
• ISBN 13: 9780140298604
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 528