High Water (Borealis Books) [Paperback]

Richard P. Bissell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Borealis Books | Publication Date: October 15, 1987

First published in 1954, this Mississippi River classic is filled with a rare blend of excitement and pathos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The story of these crewmen and their hopeless fight to bring the Royal Prince into port pushing her cargo ahead of her is so compelling that every sensitive reader will resent each drop of rain that swells the waters moving down against them." -- Herald Tribune

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press (October 15, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873512219
• ISBN-13: 978-0873512213
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bissell, the best who still inspires the best., January 10, 2007

By 

Robert Nally - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: High Water (Borealis Books) (Paperback)

I started on the river as a deckhand in May, 1955; worked every job from that thru manager of a barge line company. I retired in 2004 but still make trips out there when I feel the urge. I never read anything even close to how Richard Pike Bissell brought back so many memories of how it really was and still is when it comes to working out there. His characters were so "real" that I seemed to "remember" literally each one of them sometime during my own experiences. I know he's "been there and done that" when I'm reading his stuff.

Recently, I read a statement by the best murder mystery writer in the business. Elmore Leonard stated that Bissell's writing inspired him in his own writings. Bissell's attention to detail with people is so intense that so many other writers allow it to just go right over their heads. And to their detriment. Leonard does the same in his thorough research of people and places before he ever sets a pen to it.
"Dutch" told me something once I'll never forget. "Bob, you have written a history of events. In order to do a story, you must have people."

That was Bissell.
Thank you Amazon.com, Borealis Books and the Minnesota Historical Society for keeping High Water available.

Robert R. Nally
US Coast Guard licensed Master/Pilot and Chief Engineer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life's Characters, September 2, 2007

By 

Michele M. Donahue (Frenchtown, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: High Water (Borealis Books) (Paperback)

Richard Bissell is a master of dialogue and character development. The story of one trip on a tow boat up the Mississippi unfolds almost as a back-drop, as conversations between characters reveal the lives of the boatmen and their perspectives on life.

One of these marvelous perspectives, on growing older, was "...there is such a short time between being scared and wondering how to purchase a ticket to Sioux City, and then all of a sudden knowing too much about tickets, trains, and especially Sioux City."

This is a wonderful book. If you are from the Midwest, you will appreciate the honest, uncomplicated, realistic way Bissell presents the people and places, without the sarcasm of Sinclair Lewis. And, no matter where you are from, you will recognize the character types and enjoy the subtle presentation of deeply thoughtful insight found in "High Water."

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Discovery, July 29, 2009

By 

Lee Goldberg (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: High Water (Borealis Books) (Paperback)

In an interview with Barnes & Noble, Elmore Leonard said his writing was deeply influenced by the works of Richard Bissell. So I immediately went to Amazon to get a copy of Bissell's work...and I am glad I did. And after reading HIGH WATER, a tale of a first mate on a Mississippi steam boat during an epic flood, it was easy to see the influence Bissell has had on Leonard's approach to character and dialog. Bissell has that same naturalistic, funny, amiable way with characters, whether they are "good guys" or "bad guys," that makes even the most minor players in the tale memorable and interesting. His plotting is loose and yet surprisingly powerful. And his eye for the telling details is sometimes astonishing in its simplicity and truth. I can see why Leonard, as a young writer, was impressed, and why he adopted some of the same techniques. HIGH WATER is worth reading, not only for insight into Leonard's writing style, but on its own considerable merits . I loved it and look forward to devouring Bissell's other work