Originally published in 1895, this book details the Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869. This famous, three-month expedition is best known for being the first time that anyone traveled down the Colorado River by boat and the first recorded trip through the Grand Canyon. The 10-man expedition started in what is now Green River, Wyoming and ended at the mouth of the Virgin River.
“The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons” is Powell’s first-person account of his crew's unprecedented odyssey along the Green and Colorado Rivers and through the Grand Canyon. A bold foray into the heart of the American West's final frontier, the expedition was achieved without benefit of modern river-running equipment, supplies, or a firm sense of the region's perilous topography and the attitudes of the native inhabitants towards whites.
Powell, who has been described as an “historical badass,” was a famous explorer, geographer and professor. He also served as director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and is probably best known for his exploration of the Grand Canyon. To top it off, he accomplished much of this with only one arm.
Powell enlisted as a private in the Union Army, but was later commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was later promoted to captain and lost most of his right arm at the Battle of Shiloh when he was struck by a minie ball. Despite having his arm amputated, he later returned to duty and ended the war with the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel.
I’ve wanted to read Powell’s famous book for quite some time, especially after seeing it on a lot of “best of” lists. It was ranked No. 4 on National Geographic’s list of “100 Best Adventure Books,” and it’s one of nine books in the National Geographic Adventure Classics series. It was also ranked No. 13 on a “best of” list published by The Art of Manliness called “The Essential Adventure Library: 50 Nonfiction Adventure Books.” It was also one of 12 books in the Easton Press “Greatest Adventure Books of All Time” series.
One thing that made this book especially meaningful to me was that I actually read it during a recent family vacation to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was cool to see some of the things described in Powell’s book, and seeing the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River first hand helped bring the book to life. While there, we also visited Powell Point, which was named in Powell’s honor. Powell Point even features a large memorial to Powell and the men who accompanied him on his historic survey trip through the Grand Canyon.
In the end, how many of you have read “The Expedition of the Colorado River and Its Canyons”? What did you think about it? Did you like it or not? Do you think it’s one of the greatest adventure books of all time? Where would you rank it among your favorite all-time adventure books? Let us know in the comments section below.
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