The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

4.34 AVERAGE

paigepoo's review

4.5
adventurous informative inspiring fast-paced
Read this after taking a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.  Added so many layers to the enjoyment of this trip.  The writing is wonderfully entertaining, colorful, and informative. The author doesn’t just narrate the speed run down the river but also provides stories and insight on the exploration of the canyon, geology and natural history , native peoples,  dam building and engineering, weather phenomena, culture of river guides, dory and raft design, tourism on the river, and so much more. 

lindasdarby's review

4.0
Fantastic BUT could have been so much shorter. There was a fair amount of detail that felt unnecessary. The story kept winding and some of it took the narrative so far of course(pun intended). By the time Fedarko got back to the story I was trying to recall the details before Fedarko had wandered off on some minutiae that maybe wasn't really necessary to the story. I almost quit reading this book many times. When I say the book was bogged down in details I can't say it enough but once Fedarko finally got started on the story of what the book was ACTUALLY about it was fantastic. So yes I gave the book 4 stars because I respect the material and the work that went into it and the last 5 hours of the 17 hour book were fantastic. I just think there should have been some heavy editing.

mattbeatty's review

5.0
I loved this. A quote on the cover compares it favorably to Cadillac Desert, Desert Solitaire, and Encounters With the Archdruid--and this is accurate. I instantly want to read it again and savor the river history and stories.

hotstove's review

4.75
adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

shafjac's review

5.0
Best book I've read in a long time. At first it just seems like it's about some dudes trying to break a speed record for running a river, but it turns out to be a history of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon dam, conservation ... and then the adventure aspect of running the Colorado in flood stage. Impressively well-researched and very well-written. Any of my peeps that are into the outdoors or history -- read this.
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rick2's review

4.0
This book starts slow. The first 50 pages or so were irritatingly verbose and flowery. But once it settled in, and I got used to the language, it was immensely enjoyable. Like one of the better books this year enjoyable.

It's a fantastic depiction of the wild life of several river guides while simultaneously being a history of the Grand Canyon and the Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams. All the while lyrically portraying the natural surroundings à la Edward Abbey.

Having been on several river trips, I was able to tap into a small remembrance of those peaceful times. Combined with the sheer terror felt by many of those present during the flooding of 1983.

Highly recommended to those who love nature, miss being outside, or are looking for adventure escapism in this time of Corona.

meghano_campano's review

4.5
adventurous informative tense medium-paced
It is a little slow at the beginning, you have to get through a lot of stuff about dams, but once it picks up it really goes. Such an interesting story and makes you fall in love with the river over and over again. 

mariah_reads's review

3.0
Almost too much background and not enough just of the ride. Very meandery

c2llanes's review

4.5
adventurous funny informative tense fast-paced
LOVE a niche sport story, and dorymen guides in the grand canyon absolutely qualifies. this is also a great way to learn more about john wesley powell’s original journey and a little bit about the history of western water without committing to cadillac desert. grua is a completely captivating character, and i was totally hooked on his whole deal

katherina_lei's review

2.0
The actual story was only a very short portion. There was a lot of technical explanations and history, which could have been interesting if it didn't drag on forever! I was so annoyed at the book and my crushed expectations I was not able to enjoy it.