Rating: 4 out of 5
Exploration of the wilderness is a topic that evokes many emotions. Few wildernesses have been more inhospitable to the European than the great expanse west of the Appalachians. As such, the author’s investigation of the exploration of the Mississippi, with all of the required caveats, makes for an interesting read. The majority of the characters who were involved in that story belonged to a league of their own, not only for exhibiting superb character (though not always so superb leadership), but also for their daring. Unfortunately, for some, their main distinguishing characteristic was their arrogance and falsehood.
So, who stands out? Of course, the main name that comes up with regards to the Mississippi is the Sieur de la Salle; Mr Severin’s history starts much earlier, however, also detailing de Soto in detail that I had not previously experienced. Once we got through to the later part which covers, for example, Zebulon Pike and Giacomo Beltrami, the overall character of the ‘explorers’ became somewhat more nebulous – mostly these were glory seekers with other interests in mind than just exploration. However, the same could be said about Louis Hennepin who mostly made up the stuff that he published.
Think wasn’t what I expected – for some reason, I was expecting less focus on individuals and more on a chronological story – but in the end the book worked rather well, if only to get a better grasp on a number of individuals and to understand how they fit into the bigger picture. Of course, for all of the described folks, a much more detailed biography could be authored (and has been), but this is a fine introduction!
