Customer Reviews

Liquid Locomotive: Legendary Whitewater River Stories

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What a phenomenal book. Essentially this is a collection of adventure packed true river stories. Some of the stories inspired me to pack my gear and leave for the river that day, while others put life, death, adventure, and risk in new perspective. If you love to paddle, dream about paddling, or just enjoy adventure, then buy this book. Some of the stories can be a bit overrun with technical river lingo, but even the novice (me) can get through it easily. I honestly had to start rationing out or limiting the number of pages I would read a night. It is a book I did not want to end.

Outdoor adventure lover or not, this book is hard to put down. Suspenseful narratives are blended with the thoughts and feelings of individuals as they face challenges that stare death in the face.

John has collected and edited a great assortment of whitewater adventures that span the globe and include many legendary paddlers. From the Yangtse in China, to the wild whitewater of West Virginia and everything in between, these stories chronicle the great sport of whitewater paddling and are told by a wide collection of adventure writers. Get ready for a great ride from the comfort of your armchair. Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet

This collection of stories--mostly true accounts--of whitewater rafting starts out with a roar (of rapids, of course). The first story is an Into Thin Air-type tale of an ill-fated crew that tries to raft the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The crew is over-equipped (75 lbs of spices alone, and heaps of free gear donated by sponsors), inexperienced, and led by a man who thinks he is God's gift to expeditions...you can tell this will not end well. Some of my other favorite stories were by Jeff Bennet, especially the second chapter, which describes a traumatic flip, something I've become well aquainted with recently--and perhaps that understanding is why I appreciated this book so much. Other notable chapters are Pam Housten's "Selway" from her collection Cowboys are my Weakness--a woman and her lover take a harrowing trip down a treacherous river where a woman has just been killed. Also "Lava Falls at Night"--so bizarre it can only be true--a river guides' worst nightmare (besides Texan tourists, but thats another story altogether!) when her boat drifts free at night while she sleeps aboard, and floats down towards the most infamous rapid in the continental US! This is a must-read for river rats or any outdoor enthusiast, and includes a wide variety of well written stories. Some are humorous, some harrowing, true accounts and tall tales. One thing they all have in common--the river gods play their part in each.