Rivers of the World

Rivers of the World vividly written and meticulously researched is a rich and thorough treatment of some 200 of the world''s rivers this comprehensive treatment of the major rivers of the world author James R. Penn''s purpose is not just to feature geographic data but to tell a story of historical drama poetic significance and cultural relationships. The book shows glimpses of Chairman Mao boosting his image by swimming in the Yangtze; Indian middlemen residing on both sides of the Columbia River exacting tolls from travelers like Lewis and Clark; and near the Dordogne in southwest France Paleolithic cave art paintings and designs in rock shelters and subterranean caverns which are textbook examples of early human creativity and artistic impulse nearly 200 entries ranging from a few paragraphs to several pages Rivers of the World covers all of the great rivers of the world including the Nile Niger Amazon and Mississippi as well as smaller waterways that illustrate important themes or represent trends. The book includes bibliographies for each river.