Before pioneers cut roads through wildernesses, rivers carried people across the continent. The Roops become river guides here, taking readers on the Hudson, the Ohio, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, the Colorado and the Columbia rivers. Each river gets its own photo-essay, complete with maps, prints, photographs and paintings. Much of the colorful history of the nation is linked to rivers: Indians and explorers; Rip Van Winkle, Mike Fink and Johnny Appleseed; the Revolutionary War and the Civil War; the Erie Canal and the Hoover Dam. Dip in anywhere in the volume and follow a water route through American history, learning much about culture, geography and the growth of the nation along the way. The attractive format is supplemented by a thorough bibliography and a list of websites. Excellent for research or for browsing. (afterword) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
