The Powell Expedition: New Discoveries About John Wesley Powell’s 1869 River Journey

Science writer Lago (Where the Sky Touched the Earth) relies on his own river-running experience and impressive research as he investigates competing claims and even a potential murder mystery linked to the first documented exploration of the Colorado and Green Rivers. Led by John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran and scientist, the 1869 expedition comprising four ill-chosen boats and 10 unprepared crew members braved both a tricky political climate for funding and the wondrous, powerful Grand Canyon itself. Unfortunately for white-water enthusiasts, the action-packed, multiriver expedition receives only cursory attention here; instead, Lago focuses on the equally remarkable story of a dysfunctional crew (three of whom disappeared and are presumed murdered) and an accidental, controversial river run that predated Powell’s expedition. To his credit, Lago also seeks to find the truth behind earlier, biased historical accounts that highlighted Powell’s achievements but omitted or denigrated some of the men who journeyed with him. Ironically, Powell feels less fleshed out than his crew members and his unreliability as a narrator of his own story leads to further questions. This is no straightforward river adventure, but rather a collection of multiple intriguing theories about various disputed facts, making for excellent campfire stories after a long day on the river. Illus. (Dec.)