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Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild Audiobook
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(3.09) - 303 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Acclaimed journalist and author Lee Sandlin delivers a riveting glimpse of a dangerous and colorful place in America's historical landscape-the Mississippi River of the 19th century. Long before it was dredged into a shipping channel or romanticized into myth, the untamed Mississippi-the lifeblood of communities that rose and fell along its banks-spawned a motley array of pirates and dignitaries, visionaries and thieves.
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"I had a lot of fun reading this book! I'd say that the style got a little muddy, sometimes, and I wondered why Sandlin chose to focus on some of the stories he focused on...but, all-in-all, I loved reading about the river I grew up with - The Mighty Mississipp!"
— John (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A gripping book that plunges you into a rich dark stretch of visceral history. I read it in two sittings and got up shaken.”
— Garrison Keillor -
“Gripping stuff…Appreciators of what Greil Marcus calls the Old, Weird America will savor Wicked River. Its many ghastly scenes, vividly rendered by Mr. Sandlin, started showing up in my dreams…I was surprised, upon finishing Wicked River, to read that this confident and swift-moving book is the author's first. It makes one eager for the next.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“In this lush, exuberant, action-packed and history-drenched book, Sandlin has brought the river back home again…A vivid torrent of facts and passions, in an inspired agitation of water and words…Wicked River is the best kind of history book. It is organized around people and their fates, not wars and dates and treaty signings. It artfully separates reality from fables, but it recognizes that fables have a story to tell, too, that our tall tales and our songs and our exaggerations and our mythologies can be as revelatory as topographical maps and temperature charts.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Marvelously captured…A superb book debut…Sandlin writes of a recurring sense of looming catastrophe that gripped many residents…Fascinating.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Entertaining…Chicago essayist and journalist Lee Sandlin tells tales about the Mississippi in the days when the river and the people who floated on it or lived along it were wild and untamed in the extreme…Sandlin has done an impressive amount of research. For all that, his prose manages to avoid the snags and shoals of academic English… A lot of fun to read."
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Wicked River Listener Reviews
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Matthew M. , 12/8/2024
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" A history you didn't know. "
— Brian, 2/5/2014 -
" Good. Sometimes very interesting, sometimes a bit meandering and unfocused. "
— Jorge, 1/26/2014 -
" These are a series of interesting essays about the Mississippi. It doesn't quite hold together as a book--there is no narrative drive. I thought that if it was a travel book that used the history to talk about a trip down the modern Mississippi it might be more successful. Still, some of these essays are really interesting and fun to read. Sandlin has a knack for finding great quotes and examples that are as entertaining as they are explanatory. "
— Ethan, 1/23/2014 -
" Possibly the most fascinating -- even gripping -- history book I've ever read, easily as difficult to put down as a good piece of fiction. Definitely made me think. An excellent piece of Americana; cannot recommend it enough. "
— Sarah, 1/19/2014 -
" Well written. The author even made the effort to try to get the science correct having a reference on River Mechanics "
— Charlie, 1/18/2014 -
" Seemed to get lost in the story telling. Sometimes I wondered if this was supposed to be a history of the river. "
— Drew, 1/13/2014 -
" One of the best I've ever read about the Mississippi, Covers the period from 1811 through 1865. Excellent, fast read. "
— John, 1/11/2014 -
" I wanted this book to be more about the river and a little more authoritative in tone. Though I enjoyed the sketches of life along the river, some of the topics and chapters were as convoluted and murky as the Mississippi itself. "
— Jen, 12/20/2013 -
" Attention Historal Novel writer: Best research book of the Mississippi River fron early 1800's through the Civil War around. "
— ElsieMarie, 12/12/2013 -
" Wonderful anthology of the people of the Mississippi Valley especially the lower Mississippi. My only complaint were a few facts I knew to be wrong lead my to wonder what other minor errors there were. Overall this was minor. I really enjoyed it. "
— Katelyn, 11/26/2013 -
" Interesting at times but I guess I was looking for more about the folklore of the river and the music... "
— Ben, 5/16/2013 -
" In a society bound to the river (that tries to kill you every spring), stalked by disease and casual violence, things may get a bit wierd. I very much enjoyed this look at mid America just after the turn of the 19th century. This is not Mark Twains Mississippi. "
— Patricrk, 8/5/2012 -
" Thoroughly meh. Over and over again, the thesis, "The Mississippi used to be wild, man, WILD!" Research feels slight, somehow. "
— Rachel, 3/18/2012 -
" This was an exciting book that takes you through the history of the river and it's changes and how it changed to towns along it's path. Very well annotated and full of rich information. "
— Mary, 3/12/2012 -
" Well-researched book, provided a fascinating on-the-ground look into what frontier Mississippi life was like. "
— Oliver, 3/7/2012 -
" Good. History and folklore. Ends around 1890. Readable for a non-history reader. "
— Eileen, 9/17/2011 -
" Story of the Mississippi River...thought-provoking history of a powerful body of water just blocks from where I lived for ten years. "
— JoAnn, 8/22/2011 -
" Not bad. Started out great. I love books like these. Dragged a wee bit in the middle. "
— Ryver, 6/18/2011 -
" Good. History and folklore. Ends around 1890. Readable for a non-history reader. "
— Eileen, 3/2/2011 -
" This book was amazing! I really enjoyed it. "
— Mel, 2/13/2011 -
" Not bad. Started out great. I love books like these. Dragged a wee bit in the middle. "
— Ryver, 2/12/2011 -
" One of the best I've ever read about the Mississippi, Covers the period from 1811 through 1865. Excellent, fast read. "
— John, 12/31/2010 -
" Loved this book about the Mississippi River, so interesting. I learned a lot. "
— Carol, 12/5/2010 -
" I wanted this book to be more about the river and a little more authoritative in tone. Though I enjoyed the sketches of life along the river, some of the topics and chapters were as convoluted and murky as the Mississippi itself. "
— Jen, 12/3/2010 -
" An interesting and informative about the history of life along the Mississippi River when it was a wild river. "
— Scott, 11/10/2010
About Lee Sandlin
Lee Sandlin is a regular
contributor to the Chicago Reader.
His essay “Losing the War” was included in the anthology The New Kings of Nonfiction. He lives in Chicago.