by Vince Welch
Amos Burg (1901--1986), a native of Portland, Oregon, was the first to complete transits of the free-flowing, undammed Snake and Columbia Rivers by canoe, and in 1938 he became the first to navigate the length of the Colorado River in a rubber raft. In his daring explorations of waterways from the Southwest up through Canada and into Alaska, Burg is considered to be the only person known to have run all major Western rivers from source to mouth.
In The Last Voyageur, Amos Burg and the Rivers of the West author Vince Welch, himself a river guide, weaves a passionate and well-researched narrative using extensive material from Burg’s own rich archives. History buffs, paddlers, and adventure readers alike will delight in this remarkable regional history of the larger-than-life Burg, a quintessential man of the American West and one of the last "voyageurs" of North America’s great waterways.
Description
Details
Author |
Vince Welch |
Title |
The Last Voyageur: Amos Burg and the Rivers of the West |
Edition |
0 |
Series |
|
Publisher |
Mountaineers Books |
Publication Date |
October 1, 2012 |
Pages |
319 |
Format |
Paperback |
ISBN-13 |
978-1594857010 |
Reviews
Mr. Welch has produced an engaging book of not only an early 20th century explorer (indeed, Burg was elected to the prestigious Explorer's Club in 1931 in the wake of his trips down the Columbia (1930), Snake (1930), Slave (1929), Mackenzie (1929), Bell (1929), Porcupine (1929) and Yukon (1929) rivers), but one that explores these great rivers and lays out how they appeared before the dams arrived. If you're a paddler, this belongs in your library. (National Parks Traveler)
It will keep you on the edge of your easy chair. You'll want to read this Amos Burg book by Vince Welch more than once, that's for sure. (Boatman's Quarterly Review)