River Runners of the Grand Canyon

by David Lavender

Traces the history of those who have challenged the white water of the Grand Canyon and describes the course of the Colorado River through the canyon

Genres: History

147 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

David Sievert Lavender was a well-known historian of the Western United States, nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, who is best remembered by many for his River Runners of the Grand Canyon.

Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing this book referenced several times in the Notes of "Down the Great Unknown", I ordered a used copy & read it as soon as it arrived. Well worth the purchase, as it tells the interesting stories of the varied men & women who went down & up the river through the Grand Canyon, as well as the beginnings of the commercial running business. So interesting the different motivations & experiences of each of these people. It was a very fun book to read.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

River runners of the Grand Canyon by Lavender David Sievert
Lots of history from the beginning and the different vessels used to go down the river rapids.
Designed their own levels of change in volume of water and size of waterfall.
Like understanding how the boulders actually create the rapids. Liked Hopi folk stories as we met many of the women who were putting beads and jewelry together to sell to tourists on western rim of GC.
Enjoyed learning about the individual expeditions and the types of boats used and why. So fascinating.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Stephanie R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to learn some more history about the Grand Canyon after visiting the National Park a few weeks ago. I loved the informal way to share the history of the river runners. It was easier to read compared to other non-fictional pieces and it summarized the history succinctly and maintained my interest. After being on the Colorado, it is great to imagine river runners doing it for the first time!