Skip to content

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell Paperback - 2002

by Donald Worster

John Wesley Powell, the great American explorer and environmental pioneer, embodied the energy, optimism, and westward impulse of the young United States. "A River Running West" is a gorgeously written, magisterial account of this towering figure, a true story of undaunted courage. 42 halftones. 7 maps.


From the publisher

If the word "hero" still belonged in the historian's lexicon, it would certainly be applied to John Wesley Powell. Intrepid explorer, careful scientist, talented writer, and dedicated conservationist, Powell led the expedition that put the Colorado River on American maps and revealed the Grand Canyon to the world. Now comes the first biography of this towering figure in almost fifty years--a book that captures his life in all its heroism, idealism, and ambivalent, ambiguous humanity.
In A River Running West, Donald Worster, one of our leading Western historians, tells the story of Powell's great adventures and describes his historical significance with compelling clarity and skill. Worster paints a vivid portrait of how this man emerged from the early nineteenth-century world of immigrants, fervent religion, and rough-and-tumble rural culture, and barely survived the Civil War battle at Shiloh. The heart of Worster's biography is Powell's epic journey down the Colorado in 1869, a tale of harrowing experiences, lethal accidents, and breathtaking discoveries. After years in the region collecting rocks and fossils and learning to speak the local Native American languages, Powell returned to Washington as an eloquent advocate for the West, one of America's first and most influential conservationists. But in the end, he fell victim to a clique of Western politicians who pushed for unfettered economic development, relegating the aging explorer to a quiet life of
anthropological contemplation.
John Wesley Powell embodied the energy, optimism, and westward impulse of the young United States. A River Running West is a gorgeously written, magisterial account of this great American explorer and environmental pioneer, a true story of undaunted courage in the American West.

First line

John Wesley Powell was born on 24 March 1834 in Mount Morris, New York, a tidy village of brick churches and clapboarded houses newly planted in the back country.

Details

  • Title A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
  • Author Donald Worster
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1st
  • Pages 688
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Oxford University Press, USA, U.S.A.
  • Date 2002-11-28
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated, Maps
  • ISBN 9780195156355 / 0195156358
  • Weight 2.18 lbs (0.99 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.24 x 6.1 x 1.39 in (23.47 x 15.49 x 3.53 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 19th Century
    • Cultural Region: Southwest U.S.
    • Cultural Region: Western U.S.
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

About the author


Donald Worster is Hall Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas. His books include The Wealth of Nature, Under Western Skies, and the Bancroft Prize-winning Dust Bowl. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Donald Worster

  • Used
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used - Good Condition
Edition
[ Edition: First ]
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$4.10
$4.25 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
[ Edition: First ]. Good Condition. [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ][ Ships Daily ] [ Underlining/Highlighting: NONE ] [ Writing: NONE ] Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub Date: 11/28/2002 Binding: Paperback Pages: 673
Item Price
$4.10
$4.25 shipping to USA
A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Donald Worster

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.08
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2002. Paperback. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.08
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Donald Worster

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
6
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.11
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2002. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.11
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West Pt. 2 : The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.18
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.69
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
$7.69
$3.99 shipping to USA
A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
1st Printing
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Webster, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.00
$6.19 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. 1st Printing. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 9x6x1. 1st printing. Faint edge wear. 2002 Trade Paperback. 688 pp. If the word "hero" still belonged in the historian's lexicon, it would certainly be applied to John Wesley Powell. Intrepid explorer, careful scientist, talented writer, and dedicated conservationist, Powell led the expedition that put the Colorado River on American maps and revealed the Grand Canyon to the world. Now comes the first biography of this towering figure in almost fifty years--a book that captures his life in all its heroism, idealism, and ambivalent, ambiguous humanity.
Item Price
$8.00
$6.19 shipping to USA
A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Donald Worster

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$9.24
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Oxford University Press, USA, 2002-11-28. Paperback. Used: Good.
Item Price
$9.24
FREE shipping to USA
A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

by Worster, Donald

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780195156355
ISBN 10
0195156358
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Douglas, Wyoming, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 1 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$12.00
$5.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
U.S.A.: Oxford University Press. Clean Tight And Square. No Markings Or Creases. With Little Shelf Wear To Edges. . Very Good. Soft cover. 2002.
Item Price
$12.00
$5.50 shipping to USA