"This book goes far beyond biography, into the nature and soul of the American West. It is Stegner at his best, assaying an entire era of our history, packing his pages with insights as shrewd as his prose." Ivan Doig
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"This book goes far beyond biography, into the nature and soul of the American West. It is Stegner at his best, assaying an entire era of our history, packing his pages with insights as shrewd as his prose." Ivan Doig
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent adventure and history book,
By A Customer
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This review is from: Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West (Mass Market Paperback)
Wallace Stegner combines the adventure of John Wesley Powell's historic running of the Colorado River and the story of government science. Powell's river running is a dramatic yarn, and Stegner draws on his strengths as a historian to debunk some of the exaggerations of Powell's own writings. Stegner has quite a way with words and brings Powell's story to life. The second half of the book is somewhat dry, but it is an important document of the history of government-funded science in this country. (Powell played an important role in government science.) He does an excellent job of enlivening the characters, and the history has important implications today. While this is not Stegner's best book, it is a good read, especially for fans of the American West.
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History of water in the west; rollicking adventure story,
By xaosdog "xaosdog" (Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West. (Paperback)
Stegner is a prolific historian of the American West, as well as a prolific author of fiction. To my mind, his nonfiction is always a notch better than even the best of his fiction; to my mind, Beyond the Hundredth Meridian is the best of the lot.To be sure, my view that this one is his best is likely colored by my impression that it treats the most important issues dealt with within Stegner's œuvre, namely, the question of water use in the American West. However, independent of the book's importance in understanding the history of water use, it is also a rollicking adventure tale of a one-armed madman shooting hellacious rapids the likes of which our continent no longer knows, while strapped to a wooden boat. Powell was a brilliant, eccentric man, and the United States would be a better place if the policies he suggested had been intelligently implemented (rather than first ignored and subsequently mis-applied). His life is well worth learning about.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powell Looks Even Wiser 100 Years Later,
By ram "quack1" (Louisville, Co USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West (Mass Market Paperback)
This book written in 1954 not only captures the story of this remarkable man, Major John W. Powell, but also discusses and reflects on the challenges of too many people living in the Western desert. As a resident of a now "drought impacted state" the wisdom of Powell's ideas and the lack of implementation of those ideas are represented in the chaos local and state governments are facing as they attempt to keep lawns green, golf courses open, and drinking water available for all of the "new" residences of the state. I only hope that some of this generations politicians pay attention to Powell's "topographical" analysis and begin shaping more effective land and water policy for the West. A terrific read with many classic Stegner quotes.
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