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Down the River (Plume)
 
 
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Down the River (Plume) (Paperback)

~ Edward Abbey (Author) "Our river is the Green River in southeast Utah..." (more)
Key Phrases: cook tent, Grand Canyon, Park Service, Air Force (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
List Price: $16.00
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Audio, Cassette --   -- $180.00

Frequently Bought Together

Down the River (Plume) + The Journey Home (Plume) + Desert Solitaire
Total List Price: $45.95
Price For All Three: $31.84

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Be of good cheer," the war-horse Edward Abbey advises, "the military-industrial state will soon collapse." This sparkling book, which takes us up and down rivers and across mountains and deserts, is the perfect antidote to despair.

Along the way, Abbey makes time for Thoreau while he takes a hard look at the MX missile system, slated for the American West. "For 23 years now I've been floating rivers. Always downstream, the easy and natural way. The way Huck Finn and Jim did it, LaSalle and Marquette, the mountain men, and Major Powell."

"Abbey's the original fly in the ointment. Give him money and prizes. Don't let anything happen to him." --Thomas McGuane --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

6 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Plume; Later Printing edition (January 30, 1991)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452265630
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452265639
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #189,301 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Edward Abbey
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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Our river is the Green River in southeast Utah. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
cook tent
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Grand Canyon, Park Service, Air Force, Josiah Gregg, Rocky Flats, United States, San Juan, New York, Glen Canyon, American West, New Mexico, Aravaipa Canyon, Louis Tewanima, San Francisco, Henry Thoreau, Hoffman Shorty, Paul Horgan, Walden Pond, Colorado River, Lee's Ferry, New Oraibi, Pony Express, René Dubos, Cataract Canyon, Clair Quist
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58 books cite this book:
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Down the River (Plume)
66% buy the item featured on this page:
Down the River (Plume) 4.6 out of 5 stars (9)
$10.88
Desert Solitaire
12% buy
Desert Solitaire 4.6 out of 5 stars (133)
$10.76
The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.)
8% buy
The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.) 4.3 out of 5 stars (108)
$10.79
The Journey Home (Plume)
8% buy
The Journey Home (Plume) 4.5 out of 5 stars (11)
$10.20
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A rebel with a cause, February 5, 2001
By Elisabeth Keating (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
After "Desert Solitaire" this is my favorite Edward Abbey book. The essay on rafting the Glen Canyon before the dam was built is sublime and makes you ponder the true value of wilderness to the soul-- a value which can't be tabulated because it is immeasurable.

Abbey's a rebel, defending the West from the industrialists and profiteers. He makes no apologies for being passionate about his cause, and why should he. His passion may not be "fashionable," but Abbey is a true American original, and the kind of person we need more of. His writing is edgy, beautiful, makes you want to grab a raft and head down the Colorado. Nature is where he finds himself-- as harsh and uncompromising as it is, it's real.

I also love Abbey's sense of humor. I wonder if he ever met Hunter Thompson-- that would have been a great conversation. One of the funniest essays I've ever read is in this book: "The Legend of Josiah Gregg." Watching Abbey debunk a book about the life of this supposed great frontiersman had me on the floor. Probably the funniest part was Abbey's interpretation of his memoirs: the way thunderstorms appeared over his head bellowing at him in a purposeful way, the way his campfire got out of control and he fled from it across the plains. His assessment of the Great Plains as a "barren wasteland devoid of life." In Abbey's eyes, Gregg is the Inspector Clouseau of the frontier.

All in all, a great read. Spending time with Abbey is a pleasure.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Some Of Edward Abbey's best Non-Fiction, June 24, 1999
By A Customer
If you have never read Edward Abbey before, start with Desert Solitaire, a previous collection of essays. Otherwise, READ THIS BOOK! It is a great group of stories about aventures Abbey had on the river (the Colorado, usually but not always.) You will come away wishing you had seen the things that he had described, and be able to understand why he had such a love for the Southwest, as many people do.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Several good essays about the West, September 29, 2005
By Mike Smith (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   
I don't believe this is Edward Abbey's best work, but it is a nice collection of several very well-written essays.
The book includes good examinations of the issue of silt in Lake Powell and a decent look at the Colorado River hermit Bert Loper.
It's a great book to read on river, or in the desert, and Abbey's salty character comes through in every page--though the book does drag a little toward its end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A paradise lost, and a civilization headed in the same direction
Abbeys prose are strong, harsh, and often humorous. The title story portrays an early journey down the Colorado river through a splendid canyon that has since been buried by Lake... Read more
Published 10 months ago by John D. Mattson

4.0 out of 5 stars It's an Okay book by Abbey
I have read many of Abbey's non-fiction books, but I don't think any of them matches the coherence (as in theme) and consistency (as in quality) of Desert Solitaire. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Howie

5.0 out of 5 stars An addventurs book that you will love!
Many things I liked about this book was that it had alot of addventure and excitment. The characters always have exciting attitude's. Read more
Published on April 25, 2003 by a student

5.0 out of 5 stars drifting along Ed's river
As a longtime Abbey fan, down the river is as powerful and exciting as any. The stories capture the imagination, and are filled with flowing, humorous, forceful prose. Read more
Published on October 25, 2001 by James R. Kane

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!
I got this book while hiking around Olympic Peninsula in the rainforest. Reading it under a tree beside the river I realized we're lucky in N. Read more
Published on July 30, 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars A moving look into the mind of an amazing writer.
This book provides a curious look into the life of the Colorado river before the Glen Canyon Dam. It is a collection of stories of life (and sometimes death). It is a good read
Published on January 29, 1997

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