The Great River
The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi
Instant Bestseller The Mississippi River lies at the heart of America, an undeniable life force that is intertwined with the nation’s culture and history. Its watershed spans almost half the country, Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature, and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this wild and unruly river, and the centuries of efforts to control it. Over thousands of years,…
Finalist for the 2024 Willie Morris Award for Southern Nonfiction
A Chicago Public Library Must-Read Book of 2024
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America.