hzs 's review for:

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

5.0

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This started out a little dry, with a tremendous amount of history. It’s very well-written and serves an important purpose; it just wasn’t what I expected. That being said this is a really terrific book about some very interesting real life events. I have never been to the Grand Canyon nor gone on any kind of river trip but everything was explained in a such a way that I now have a huge appreciation for all of the work that goes into these trips. The side story is about the dam constructions along the river and that is equally interesting with great detail about the engineering and design of the dams themselves. To top it all of this is a story full of fascinating characters who are described in vivid detail, such that you understand their motivations and drives and backgrounds.

I highly recommend.