Far from a simple history, Upholt’s book gives readers a direct sensory encounter with the beauty and boldness of the river ... This book tells an eloquent story of the ways the Mississippi River is a separate world, hidden in plain sight.
Absorbing ... Upholt manages to wrestle a staggering amount of details into a narrative that is at times a challenge to read. But thanks to his concise yet lively writing style, The Great River is worth the effort.
A majestic history ... Upholt’s crystalline prose evokes the grandeur of his subject ... It’s an exceptional natural history that never loses sight of the human players involved.
