Look Down That Winding River: An Informal Profile of the Mississippi

by Ben Lucien Burman, Alice Caddy (Illustrator)

The spirit of the steamboat era comes alive as an ex-pilot recalls his adventures on showboats, tugs, and shrimp platforms

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Ben Lucien Burman was an American author and journalist born in Covington, Kentucky. He also fought in both World War I and World War II, and graduate from Harvard University. He was married to Alice Caddy who illustrated many of his children's books, including his most popular books, the Catfish Bend series, which became popular with both children and adults. The series is set in Catfish Bend, Mississippi, and tells a tale of many animal residents in Catfish Bend. The series was eventually published in eleven different languages.

Ben Burman died from a stroke at the age of 88.

Reviews

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
Good writing, fascinating topic. Last chapter not as great as the others. Some very very strange characters living very unusual lives. I want to know more. A quote to sample.

Dinner arrives, stone cold, at a house the author is visiting.
"Preacher Gibbs apologized and pointed to a little building sitting a good city block away from which the refreshments had come. "That's the kitchen out yonder," he said ruefully. "With Choctaw houses you've got to chain em to a tree for when high water comes or they'll float away. Chain broke on the kitchen and she come down over there by the trees. When the next flood comes we'll get her back by the house."

And.that is nowhere near the strangest thing going on along the Mississippi.

[Irish Gal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and sometimes funny accounts of the eccentric people who lived and worked along the Mississippi (back when this was written), and about how a riverboat works. I like his writing style and am trying to get my hands on some of his fictional works.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Profile of a vanished subculture and a way of life on the Mississippi River.