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A Good Read...

5K views 28 replies 25 participants last post by  mr. compassionate 
#1 ·
So I thought I'd start a thread on good books related to what we do.
Could be rafting, kayaking, cooking, camping, and trailer crap as well, whatever.
We have piles of info at our finger tips but sometimes, it's nice to read a good book.

The reason being is I just got one of Bill's books, "The Guide's Guide Augmented" and wow, really kewl. I thumbed through it for an hour or so and then started reading if from the beginning. I'm only a third of the way through the 312 pages of this thing and it is completely awesome. I am sure that some of you old salts have already read it or have the original copy. But I thought I'd bring it up as a great read.

I got it from ::
Books | Whitewater Voyages

I also found, and was able to procure, through eBay, one of his books from 1978 called "Whitewater Rafting". I am still waiting for that in the mail so I'll keep y'all posted on that. I dig anything from the 70's.

Out of respect I should note that the Author of these books is William McGinnis. The dude rocks...

I'll admit, it's odd to go seeking out books like this for as long as I've been pulling and pushing the sticks but I like being educated; now anyhow. Before I was just young and dumb running $hit I probably wouldn't do now.
I recommend a Swift Water Class, and keep up on the education.

So, if ya got a good book to share, let us goof-balls know...
-
 
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#2 ·
So many books, so little time...............
For starters, find the Monkey Wrench Gang by Ed Abby; not for knowledge as a guide, but a ripping good read anyway.

George Henry, who has seen and done more on the river than most of us can even comprehend has a very entertaining book, Row Away From the Rocks

A Book that I think is either Soggy Sneakers or Soggy Tennis Shoes, my copy is at least 30 years old, lots of good tips and advice for running before self bailers, aluminum ........... everything, and throw bags.
 
#18 ·
Oh, great response folks.

I wanted to add ::

Western Whitewater
"From the Rockies to the Pacific"
By Jim Cassady, Bill Cross, and Fryar Calhoun
Publisher is North Fork Press - ISBN 0-9613650-4-8
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I'll second this - the essay's are great and river descriptions set the standard for guidebooks as far as I'm concerned.

Another good book is The Complete Whitewater Rafter by Jeff Bennett as there's lots of good technical information about running rivers and he also includes history of river running and how we came to the modern types of boats and setups we have now days.

-AH
 
#7 ·
Anything worth doing. Can't think of the author right now but it is a great book about 2 friends that rowed the Salomon river to the ocean. Also set a record for longest distance traveled buy human power in 24 hours.
 
#11 ·
Been reading a fair bit of Craig Childs lately, mostly on foot exploration in the southwest, Anasazi history, miss adventures, and so forth. To all the awesome river running books listed I'll ad The Liquid Locomotive, and some Neally if you can get your hands on it! Whitewater Tales of Terror was awesome!
Oh, big water little boats, and of course, Exploration of the Colorado River and it's Canyons.
 
#14 ·
Great thread - thank you. Here are some of my faves: Merciless Eden by Doug Timms about the Main Salmon; Indian Creek Chronicles by Peter Fromm about life for a year in the Selway Wilderness; Anything Worth Doing by Jo Deurbrouck; Half way to Half Way; and River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's darkest journey by Candice Millard.



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#15 ·
You can't go wrong w Craig child's. Great author. Also, down the great unknown is a great read, and finally, if you've ever run diamond down or are familiar with the Las Vegas, Hoover dam area, desert riverman is a great book.


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#22 ·
For shear amazing perseverance, get a copy of Verlen Kruger's The Ultimate Canoe Challenge: 28,000 Miles Through North America

Thanks for the shout-out MattMan for Big Water Little Boats: Moulty Fulmer and the First Grand Canyon Dory on the Last of the Wild Colorado

For factual history, Otis Marston's From Powell To Power: A Recounting of the First One Hundred River Runners Through the Grand Canyon

And here's a tip of the hat to the authors working on the books we'll be talking about in the next few years! Nothing better than messing about on boats with books!
 
#24 ·
I would skip Marston's Powell to Power. It's a publication sorely in need of an editor to pare down Marston's rambling and long winded account of river running history. There was little new in it that couldn't be found elsewhere, without Marston's bias against others and chip-on-his-shoulder attitude. Other books tell river history much better.


Here's one not yet mentioned: The Doing of the Thing: The Brief, Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom


https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Thing-Brilliant-Whitewater-Holmstrom/dp/1892327074
 
#27 ·
Thanks for the laugh JohnyRyan. I'll sure give you credit for seeing Marston was not God's Gift to creative historical fiction writting. Most of the "elsewhere" writers were not born or in grade school when Marston pulled his source material together. If folks want the story from as many folks on those early river trips as possible, not just "elsewhere's" favorite person, Marston is THE go-to-source. You can go after me, but good luck going after Dock. All the elsewhere's used his work, sometimes an embarrassingly large amount of it. Guess they didn't see the biases and chips you do. So it goes...
 
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