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dkadastra's review against another edition
3.0
It was fine. Much drier than the title would have you believe, but it was a really interesting perspective on the history of the Mississippi as a cultural piece of the American west.
frazer91's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
rdlevitt's review against another edition
4.0
Who knew one river could hold so much history? A fascinating look at how the Mississippi was the "wild west" in a lot of ways (complete with pirates!), until it was eventually tamed by technology and settlement. Fun to read and so interesting.
beardomancer's review against another edition
5.0
I have never been one to read a nonfiction book of any sort without being under extreme duress, but I was completely invested by the end of the first chapter.
epersonae's review
4.0
A semi-chronological narrative of life along the Mississippi River, primarily before the Civil War, when the river valley was still part of the frontier. It was a dangerous place, both from nature (storms, earthquakes, the river itself) and from other humans (lots of drunkenness and piracy). Includes the origin of the term "lynching", which didn't always mean hanging. Found myself unreasonably amused by the fact that the voyageurs (boatmen, somewhat expendable) were known for their red shirts. Tidbits that I want to use for future D&D games: the Crow's Nest, an island of pirates in the middle of the river, which was destroyed by the New Madrid quakes; Natchez-Under-the-Hill, the sketchy/wild town down by the river, partially built into the bluffs, with the "respectable" town up above. Ends with Mark Twain's last visit to the river, when few boats traveled it, the traffic all having gone to rail, and when the course of the river itself was being tamed; in the epilogue, he revisits the "panorama" paintings that were all the rage in the early 19th century, and how the last one disappeared. (Fittingly, part of it may still be hidden under a wall somewhere in South Dakota.) Very engaging; probably wouldn't have read it if it hadn't been one of the few non-fiction books available in Overdrive, but glad I did anyway.
clairenhettinger's review
5.0
Wicked river
I've grown up near the Mississippi and I learned so much about the people and the area around the river. It was a very fun and quick read.
I've grown up near the Mississippi and I learned so much about the people and the area around the river. It was a very fun and quick read.
tabbycat26's review against another edition
3.0
Do you ever read a book? And then the narrator switches and it turns out to be a really good book but the narrator ends up making it very boring? Well this book had a lot of potential until the narrator messed it up. Definitely loved the premise of this book. It's definitely not a history book as the guy is not a historian. It's more of stories that have been gathered from different diaries.
librarianonparade's review against another edition
4.0
The Mississippi holds a place in the American mythos that no other river can claim - no other river has been written about, talked about, mythologised and anthropomorphised in the same way. From the 'Old Man River' of Mark Twain, from Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, to the visions of Abraham Lincoln on his wooden raft and the gracious steamboats plying their way up and downstream, laden with Southern belles and gamblers and rough-housing pilots, there is something about the Mississippi that has come to encapsulate a certain time and a place in American history.
This book is a look at that time and place, the great age of the Mississippi from the early 1800s to just after the American Civil War, when the rise of the railroads killed off most of the river traffic and the newly-empowered federal government set out to tame and control the river. It's a meandering tale, much like the river itself, full of anecdotes and tall tales, covering law and order, gamblers and drunkards, the voyageurs of the early days, the pilots of the steamboats, floods and tornados, the unique culture of the river valley, the role the river played in the Civil War, particularly in the Siege of Vicksburg.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, although the rambling nature does take some getting used to. But certain chapters stand out - the unique culture of New Orleans, the flattening of Natchez by a tornado, the sinking of the Sultana, the greatest naval disaster in American history, in particular.
This book is a look at that time and place, the great age of the Mississippi from the early 1800s to just after the American Civil War, when the rise of the railroads killed off most of the river traffic and the newly-empowered federal government set out to tame and control the river. It's a meandering tale, much like the river itself, full of anecdotes and tall tales, covering law and order, gamblers and drunkards, the voyageurs of the early days, the pilots of the steamboats, floods and tornados, the unique culture of the river valley, the role the river played in the Civil War, particularly in the Siege of Vicksburg.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, although the rambling nature does take some getting used to. But certain chapters stand out - the unique culture of New Orleans, the flattening of Natchez by a tornado, the sinking of the Sultana, the greatest naval disaster in American history, in particular.
ericwelch's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating, if often hyperbolic and disjointed, look at the Mississippi River and especially the communities surrounding it, not to mention the customs and eccentric characters that thrived on the river frontier. It might also be called, the Book of Lists.
I was surprised by the importance of prostitution to communities in the 19th century frontier society. Their importance was so crucial as to be almost "structural." Women were a rarity, often outnumbered by men 20-1, and it was common for some women who wanted to secure their financial future to marry several at once, visiting them on a rotational basis and being provided for. It was a system that suited all parties, apparently. The institution was so crucial to the army, they were imported to all forts, respected and called seamstresses. Brothels in St. Louis could be lavish places and held in high esteem by the community despite ostensible moral antagonism.
Religious camp meetings were immensely popular. One such event pulled a gathering of 20,000 people at a time when the population of New Orleans was about half that. The events became occasions of ecstatic behavior with "jerkings," falling", other kinds of physical religious behavior we would now label pejoratively as "holy rollers." It also included orgies, the sexual component of ecstatic behavior being quite strong, and until the vigilantes moved in to put a lid on it, it was quite common for groups to move off into the woods to consummate their religious fervor resulting in a high birth rate about nine months after the camp meeting.
Corruption was endemic. It was assumed and understood that everyone along the river would cheat, shorting the steamboats on piles of wood, counterfeiting (although very much frowned on it was helped by the number of different banks issuing money, species being quite rare and always in demand.) Con men thrived.
The story of Stewart's pamphlet and John Murrell was fascinating. Stewart had written and published a pamphlet that purported to report on his infiltration into the infamous Murrell gang. Murrell supposedly had revealed to him that Murrell was orchestrating a vast conspiracy that would result in an enormous slave rebellion on July 4th, 1835. The names of many so-called conspirators who belonged to this "Mystic Klan" were fomenting the rebellion were included. The ultimate purpose was so they could rob and pillage virtually the entire south. Always fearful of slaves revolts, the end result of publicity surrounding the pamphlet was the formation of vigilante committees and extensive use of "Lynch Law." Fear of slaves spilled over into antagonism toward river-town gamblers in Vicksburg and soon bodies were hanging from trees on virtually every road. Some people, after interrogation by the "committees," were lucky to get off with 1,000 lashes. Neighbors would inform on neighbors they didn't like and it must have been like scenes out of mob actions of the French Revolution. (Tom Sawyer and Huck talk about looking for "Murel's treasure.")
Lots of really good stories and cultural history. If you are looking for information about the river itself, however, you might be better served by [b:The Big Muddy: An Environmental History of the Mississippi and Its Peoples, from Hernando de Soto to Hurricane Katrina|13687170|The Big Muddy An Environmental History of the Mississippi and Its Peoples, from Hernando de Soto to Hurricane Katrina|Christopher Morris|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348606093s/13687170.jpg|19307823]
I was surprised by the importance of prostitution to communities in the 19th century frontier society. Their importance was so crucial as to be almost "structural." Women were a rarity, often outnumbered by men 20-1, and it was common for some women who wanted to secure their financial future to marry several at once, visiting them on a rotational basis and being provided for. It was a system that suited all parties, apparently. The institution was so crucial to the army, they were imported to all forts, respected and called seamstresses. Brothels in St. Louis could be lavish places and held in high esteem by the community despite ostensible moral antagonism.
Religious camp meetings were immensely popular. One such event pulled a gathering of 20,000 people at a time when the population of New Orleans was about half that. The events became occasions of ecstatic behavior with "jerkings," falling", other kinds of physical religious behavior we would now label pejoratively as "holy rollers." It also included orgies, the sexual component of ecstatic behavior being quite strong, and until the vigilantes moved in to put a lid on it, it was quite common for groups to move off into the woods to consummate their religious fervor resulting in a high birth rate about nine months after the camp meeting.
Corruption was endemic. It was assumed and understood that everyone along the river would cheat, shorting the steamboats on piles of wood, counterfeiting (although very much frowned on it was helped by the number of different banks issuing money, species being quite rare and always in demand.) Con men thrived.
The story of Stewart's pamphlet and John Murrell was fascinating. Stewart had written and published a pamphlet that purported to report on his infiltration into the infamous Murrell gang. Murrell supposedly had revealed to him that Murrell was orchestrating a vast conspiracy that would result in an enormous slave rebellion on July 4th, 1835. The names of many so-called conspirators who belonged to this "Mystic Klan" were fomenting the rebellion were included. The ultimate purpose was so they could rob and pillage virtually the entire south. Always fearful of slaves revolts, the end result of publicity surrounding the pamphlet was the formation of vigilante committees and extensive use of "Lynch Law." Fear of slaves spilled over into antagonism toward river-town gamblers in Vicksburg and soon bodies were hanging from trees on virtually every road. Some people, after interrogation by the "committees," were lucky to get off with 1,000 lashes. Neighbors would inform on neighbors they didn't like and it must have been like scenes out of mob actions of the French Revolution. (Tom Sawyer and Huck talk about looking for "Murel's treasure.")
Lots of really good stories and cultural history. If you are looking for information about the river itself, however, you might be better served by [b:The Big Muddy: An Environmental History of the Mississippi and Its Peoples, from Hernando de Soto to Hurricane Katrina|13687170|The Big Muddy An Environmental History of the Mississippi and Its Peoples, from Hernando de Soto to Hurricane Katrina|Christopher Morris|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348606093s/13687170.jpg|19307823]