FIRST THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON

Although recently two highly acceptable biographies of John Wesley Powell have appeared for high school students (imprints of Messner and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy-1958), the thoroughness and vitality of this book indicates that there is room for still a third work on Powell geared to young readers. Written after twenty years of research by the author which included retracing by boat Powell's own itinerary, this text stresses three facts--that this was essentially a water adventure, that this was uniquely uncharted territory, even by Indians, and that this was the last major exploratory mission in breaking down the western frontiers of the United States. Steve Frazee's depiction of the one armed explorer portrays Major Powell as a man whose courage was richly matched by his intelligence and discretion. An informative and pertinent side trip in the study of American development.