"The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi" by Boyce Upholt is a captivating exploration of the river's history and human interventions that have shaped American society over centuries. Upholt skillfully navigates the awe and respect Indigenous peoples held for the river, contrasted with European settlers' views of it as a conquerable force. From Jefferson's expansionist ambitions to modern environmental concerns, Upholt chronicles ambitious engineering projects—levees, jetties, dams—that aimed to control the river, often with damaging consequences for ecosystems.

Upholt's narrative weaves history, geography, engineering, and environmental science with elegance and clarity. Through meticulous research, he reveals the consequences of attempts to tame nature and explores ongoing efforts to restore what has been lost. "The Great River" offers a comprehensive and fast-paced read for those interested in the Mississippi's complexities and its impact on American society.

Overall, it's an essential exploration of how humans have shaped the land and been shaped by it, providing valuable insights into the past, present, and future of the mighty Mississippi.

Thank you to W.W. Norton and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A wide-ranging and deep look at man's efforts to control the Mississippi River. Even with the best of intentions, these efforts often result in disaster for the river, the land surrounding the river, and the people. Upholt does not castigate blame and writes with great sympathy, but people rarely win in their efforts to control nature. This is a great book that includes history, ecology, engineering, and wonderful human reporting.

In The Great River, Boyce Upholt takes on the task of telling the story of the Mississippi. He includes the technical aspects of controlling river’s flow, the cultures and activities of the people of the Mississippi basin, and the economic and commercial demands placed on the river. A mighty challenge!

=== The Good Stuff ===
* I have always been fascinated by the mechanics of the man’s attempt to manage the flow of the river. The Mississippi, if left alone, would have very large floodplains, numerous rapids and shallows, and a constantly changing pathway through the heart of America. In short, it would do exactly what man doesn’t want it to do. The Great River gives a good overview of the technologies and techniques used over the years to manage the river.
* While I have read much of the technical side of the river’s history, the book contained fascinating information on the inhabitants of the Mississippi River basin, including the civilizations that existing before the native American tribes that we commonly associate with the area.
* Upholt explains the complex and conflicting requirements man places on the river, and the political and cultural challenges they create. As an example, the demands of commercial navigation, commercial fisheries, sportsmen and farmers over flood control strategies and very opposed to each other. The book explains these and the resulting conflicts.
* The author writes in an easy-to-read style, and the pages flew by. He explains topics well, and avoids needlessly complicated vocabulary. The draft copy did not have the footnote indicators in place, but the list of references certainly seems credible.

=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===
* When discussing the hydraulics of flood control, Upholt is very scientific and concentrates on the engineering challenges and solutions. However, the book becomes much for “touchy-feely” on the topic of environmental and conservation claims.
* The author lets his own opinions seep into the discussion. As an example, he cites the reduction in the number of farmers in the river basin as a cause for concern. And yet the percentage of non-farm labor in an economy is often used as a predictor of the rise of standard-of-living.
* The biggest shortcoming of the book is that it simply tries to do too much. The engineering, cultural and political aspects of ‘managing” the Mississippi river are all fascinating topics, but at 4400 Kindle locations, is just too short to do them justice. The result is an overview that leaves the reader wanting more details.

=== Summary ===
If you have not read much on this topic, the book is an enjoyable overview and jumping-off point. I have read previous works describing the engineering challenges of the river, so I was a bit disappointed with that aspect of the book. But had never read the details of the various civilizations that have risen and fallen along the river, and enjoyed that material.
As a first book on the Mississippi River basin, this is an excellent book. However if you are already somewhat familiar with it, you will wish the book had another 300 pages to it.