In 1789, Alexander Mackenzie traveled the 1125 miles of the immense river in Canada that now bears his name, in search of the fabled Northwest Passage, only to confront impassable pack ice. In 2016, the acclaimed memoirist Brian Castner retraced Mackenzie's route by canoe in a grueling journey -- and discovered the Passage he could not find.
BRIAN CASTNER is an electrical engineering graduate of Marquette University who received a Bronze Star for his bomb disposal service in the Iraq War as an officer in the Air Force. He is the author of two books, The Long Walk (2012) and All the Ways We Kill and Die (2016). His journalism and commentary has appeared in Vice, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, GQ, The Washington Post, Outside, LitHub, Atlantic and other publications. The Long Walk was adapted into an opera that has been performed at prestigious venues nationwide.
"Discovering history, and not just new landscapes around the next
bend in the river, is one of the delights of Disappointment River.
And, during a time when so many American descendants of foreign
extraction rail against immigration, it's useful to recall that all
of us originated in a diaspora."
--Rinker Buck, Wall Street Journal "Whether recounting the historic
search for the Northwest Passage or his own epic journey on the
Mackenzie River, Castner is an able guide, a steady hand, a voice
of reason. You'll want to sit in his canoe and ride this out. I
couldn't put Disappointment River down."
--Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara and The Feud
"...[Castner] provides a lively biography of Mackenzie, the
youngest principal in the Northwest Company, contending not just
with the rigors of exploration, but also with early corporate
politics...A vital addition to the library of the far north and of
exploration."
--Kirkus, starred review
"An exhilerating historical narrative...Castner evokes vivid
personalities and drama from the archives ... Historians and
armchair travelers alike will be equally pleased with this
volume."
--Publishers Weekly "Vividly described, in well-wrought scenes that
alternate from inspiring to humorous to stomach-clenching...
Castner is a highly skilled writer and engaging companion."
--Anchorage Daily News
"Appealing on both historical and contemporary levels, Castner's
work will please readers fascinated by tales of discovery."
--Booklist "...Intriguing and enlightening...For anyone concerned
with the global effects of climate change, the meaning behind
Disappointment River becomes alarmingly clear."
--BookPage
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