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Juniata, river of sorrows: One man's journey into a river's tragic past
A stirring documentary of Dennis McIlnay's trip on the 100- mile Juniata River in central Pennsylvania, and a moving portrait of some of the Juniata's earliest -- and bloodiest -- events.
- GenresNonfictionNatureHistory
260 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 4, 2022
Update: I read this book a few years ago, and at the time I thought it was just "okay." I'm so glad I gave it another go. This time I enjoyed it quite a lot more, and had a lot less difficulty reading it. This probably has to do with the fact that not only am I a few years older, but I am also more familiar with the areas that Dennis McIlnay was discussing throughout the book. For fans of local history and for fans of nature, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Review 2008: Okay, so let's see...I thought this book was alright. I really liked how McIlnay organized his book because when he would jump back and forth between a chapter on his experience on the river and a chapter on the history of the local area, it kept it interesting. And even though he wrote about the history of the Juniata River Basin, the history wasn't dry or boring...he kept it simple enough to keep people interested. I won't lie, there were parts of this book that were a little boring and there were times when I just couldn't bring myself to keep reading, but overall, it's a good book.
Review 2008: Okay, so let's see...I thought this book was alright. I really liked how McIlnay organized his book because when he would jump back and forth between a chapter on his experience on the river and a chapter on the history of the local area, it kept it interesting. And even though he wrote about the history of the Juniata River Basin, the history wasn't dry or boring...he kept it simple enough to keep people interested. I won't lie, there were parts of this book that were a little boring and there were times when I just couldn't bring myself to keep reading, but overall, it's a good book.
July 17, 2019
A very nice summer read.
Every good river should have a book as good as this written about it.
No, The Juanita in Pennsylvania is not the Nile, or even it's beautiful neighbor, the Susquehanna.
But it is a thing of beauty and I get to cross it twice a day for the past 35 years.
The author floats down the 100 mile length of the river from it's source, describing the scenery and the quality of fishing (in detail) along the way.
Every other chapter he dives into the detailed history of the river and the people who have lived along it, (Such as the Lenni Lenape Indians). He avoids the legends and sticks to the confirmed facts of history by quoting multiple, reliable sources.
Some of his writing may go as far as being considered scholarly research.
I can't wait to take my dog out onto the river in a few weeks time.
Every good river should have a book as good as this written about it.
No, The Juanita in Pennsylvania is not the Nile, or even it's beautiful neighbor, the Susquehanna.
But it is a thing of beauty and I get to cross it twice a day for the past 35 years.
The author floats down the 100 mile length of the river from it's source, describing the scenery and the quality of fishing (in detail) along the way.
Every other chapter he dives into the detailed history of the river and the people who have lived along it, (Such as the Lenni Lenape Indians). He avoids the legends and sticks to the confirmed facts of history by quoting multiple, reliable sources.
Some of his writing may go as far as being considered scholarly research.
I can't wait to take my dog out onto the river in a few weeks time.
abandoned-for-now
August 8, 2022I picked up other stuff and had to return this to the library. Will start again when I get my own copy.
May 12, 2025
Informative and interesting history of the Juniata Valley and exploration of the Juniata River in Pennsylvania.
December 29, 2008
Great read if your interested in history, (local for me) or fishing. It helps that the author autographed my copy!
July 15, 2013
Interesting Pennsylvania history and a lot of information on fishing
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews