A lavishly illustrated, comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of the natural and human elements that comprise the Upper Connecticut River watershed

A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. The Mississippi River lies at the heart of America, an undeniable life force that is intertwined with the nation’s culture and history. Its watershed spans almost half the country, Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature, and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this wild and unruly river, and the centuries of efforts to control it. Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded “the great river” with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. The river was ever-changing, and Indigenous tribes embraced and even depended on its regular flooding. But the expanse of the watershed and the rich soils of its floodplain lured European settlers and American pioneers, who had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. Centuries of human attempts to own, contain, and rework the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson’s expansionist land hunger through today’s era of environmental concern, have now transformed its landscape. Upholt reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems but may not work much longer. Carrying readers along the river’s last remaining backchannels, he explores how scientists are now hoping to restore what has been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power—a lesson that is all too relevant in our rapidly changing world.

In the third and final installment of The Loss of Certainty trilogy, T. P. Jones once again delves into America's heartland to portray the gritty drama of life in the Midwest. Constant rains on top of melting winter snow fuel fears of a record flood in Jackson, Iowa. Construction of the town's dog track on an island in the Mississippi River is jeopardized, threatening Jackson's financial future. Even more ominous, city officials learn that the existing floodwall and levee system might fail to protect the city itself. With little time to lose, the people of Jackson must set aside old grievances and long-held prejudices to work together. Tensions build while they debate whether to add to the system, and as they argue, the river continues to rise.

Red River Rising" is a masterful collage connecting the dots between alignments of nations and events prophesied two-and-a-half millennia ago with todays front-page headlines.

The great Mississippi flood of 1927 and how it changed America.

A well-crafted tale of secrets and evil lurking under the surface in the Mississippi river town of Pilotville, Louisiana, during the great flood of 1927.