Description
Book SynopsisAn Amazon Best Book of the Year
How rivers have shaped American politics, economics, and society from the beginnings of the Republic to today.
Trade Review"Original [and] poignant. . . . [T]ells the story of how rivers have shaped the United States from its founding." -- Robert Glennon - New York Times Book Review
"An original and thought-provoking exploration of the sinuous course that water has carved through our economic and political landscape." -- Gerard Helferich - Wall Street Journal
"In [Doyle’s] telling, rivers become a lens on federalism, energy and conservation—a rolling narrative taking us from George Washington's quest to find a passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River, through decades of levee-building, flood control, water wars and much more." -- Nature
"Authoritative…Even readers with an allergy to learning history will come away with a greater understanding of how rivers have literally made our country." -- Tracy Ross - Outside Magazine
"A vigorous look at American history through the nation’s waterways…Doyle speaks well to issues that are as pressing today as in the first years of the republic." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Readers interested in everything from American history to business, engineering, environmental concerns, and canoeing will find Doyle’s work absorbing and educational." -- Booklist
"Just like its topic,
The Source flows magnificently from end to end, carving out a story that spans a continent and several centuries. Martin Doyle weaves together a gripping mix of American history, geology, engineering, economics, and politics to show that American rivers are one of the inspirations of the constitution, the connective fabric of our industry, a triggering cause of environmental movements, and a source of power—physical, economic, and political." -- Michael E. Webber, author of Thirst for Power
"Brilliantly conceived,
The Source is a unique synthesis that recasts American history and flows with the power of unexpected insight." -- David R. Montgomery, author of Growing A Revolution
"Move over
Cadillac Desert and
The Last Oasis; a new classic on American rivers has arrived. One of the world’s leading authorities on hydrology, Martin Doyle shows how rivers have served as the arteries and veins of the United States since the country’s very founding. It is a rich history both impressive and unsettling." -- James Salzman, author of Drinking Water: A History
