When I first heard our assignment was to read this book, it didn't really appeal to me...I thought, how much can you write about canoeing the Columbia River anyway? It just seemed it would be one big, long, boring story about canoeing and "guy stuff." I enjoy a good adventure and the book cover showed some promise, but I certainly didn't share the same level of appreciation for canoeing as Robin Cody...until now.
I must admit the first part of the book was a bit too much for my taste, although it did hit some high points when Robin had to navigate through rough water and wind conditions as well as the dams and locks. However, the anecdotal details about where to pitch the tent, the camping conditions, creepy critters, etc. left me less than inspired to read on. In fact, it took me twice as long to read the first 100 pages as the remaining 200 pages!
Perhaps my lack of appreciation for the journey on the upper Columbia was partly because I was unfamiliar with the geography and landmarks in Canada and I was more interested in learning about "our" part of the Columbia...specifically the part between Oregon and Washington.
Once Robin hit Grand Coulee Dam, my interest piqued as well as my memory of his travels. I don't recall many of the details about our river to the north, but at least now I know the source of the mighty river. Prior to reading Voyage of a Summer Sun, I had no idea the Columbia River source was in Canada, let alone so far up north.
I enjoyed the historical information about the sites and sounds of the river and the stories of the chance encounters with helpful strangers. The river draws a special kind of people; hard working, honest, warm-hearted, selfless, respectful, and humble people. People who honor the river and revere its majesty and fury...well, except for the people who built Hanford.
They were only interested in building bombs and not at all concerned for the welfare of the river and certainly not the people who lost their homes and property or their health as a result of the toxic waste.
I suppose it's easy to sit back now and criticize since we won the war with Japan and enjoy a life of freedom in the most powerful nation on earth, but one should take pause to ponder what might have been had we not won the war, bombs or not.
Paul Revere’s great ride through the night to save the americans from the huge british force was a big piece of American history during that time. Many have written about Paul Revere but longfellow doesn't tell the whole story. Longfellow's poem doesn't tell the whole story but Paul’s letter does.
3. The book has many moods in it. For the most part, it is an informative book. The book is also a little bit humerous. Most of the time the author will give information about his story, but he will throw some humor in with it. The author was talking about how fishes would land onboard the raft and one time they found a Gempylus (eel looking fish) in Torsteins's sleeping bag.
The United States was justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for many reasons. First of all, just to start out, the bombings had nothing to do with Japan, it was about the Cold War and the real reason America used these weapons was to show Russia that the US possessed them. Second, the war in the Pacific had been raging for almost four years. The two battles immediately preceding the bomb decision were Iwo Jima and Okinawa, two battles where the Japanese fought to the death and the cost in American casualties was horrific. It was predicted that the invasion of the Japanese mainland at the Island of Kyushu -- scheduled for November of 1945 -- would be even worse. The entire Japanese military and civilian population would fight to the death. American casualties -- just for that initial invasion to get a foothold on the island of Japan would have taken up to an estimated two months and would have resulted in up to 75,000 to 100,000 casualties. And that was just the beginning. Once the island of Kyushu was captured by U.S. troops, the remainder of Japan would follow. You can just imagine the cost in injuries and lives this would take. Also It is not beyond the possibility that a million or more Americans could have been killed had we landed. The Japanese had correctly guessed where we intended to land, and were ready and waiting for us. The casualties would have been high. Another reason the atomic bomb was justified is the bomb was dropped with a desire to save lives. It is a matter of math. How many Americans lost their lives fighting how many Japanese at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa. The mathematical formula showed the closer we got to Japan the more we lost.
I have a few dislikes about the book. My first dislike about the book is that it was full of vulgar language. I did not like the use of vulgar language in this book. I see no need in having it. Another dislike about the book is that it did not have any pictures. Pictures help people visualize what is happening in a story better.
The bombings of 1945 by the United States of America on Japan were very controversial events. Many historians believe these acts were aggressive and unnecessary. In addition, analysts argue that the U.S. should have used alternative methods instead of the bomb, but most do not realize the repercussions of these different tactics. On the contrary, the bomb was needed to ease tension quickly and effectively. Ultimately, the bomb proved more effective than any other method, and also proved to be a technique that is sufficient for America’s needs. The effort made by the U.S. to bomb Japan after their disapproval of the Potsdam Declaration was needed to end conflicts in the Pacific because of Japanese resistance, to save American lives, and to portray the U.S. as a nation of power and dominance.
In conclusion, I liked this book because it told about two different perspectives, one from the past and one from the present. It showed me the struggles Lewis and Clark faced, during their expedition, and what it was like to explore unknown terrain. I learned that the information gathered and the proof of an overland passage to the Pacific helped to open up the entire continent for rapid expansion and settlement to the new nation. It also told me about a family following in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and their excitement in doing so. I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends.
... the ending of the book seemed too abrupt to me, and could be improved by making that a little smoother. It seemed like he was rushing to finish the book toward the end of the book, and quickly wrapped up the story at the end, I think that could be improved, but still nicely written.
I also agree with the statement “No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.” I can’t vouch for the entire population of people who have read this book but I will say that that was my personal feelings. I even tried making some hooks once. It didn’t go so well.
What I did not like about this book was all of the wasted space and time. The book itself had a really good story but could have been told much better. I found that after the problem was stated at the start of the book it all just turned into Terry going after the same useless leads over and over again. The author could have left all of that out of the book and it would have been much more exciting instead of getting the feeling of dragging on until near the end when it picks up again.
Overall I think this is a great book. I would recommend this book to others but you would have to read the first two books before this one. I would recommend this book because it has a great story line and there is never a dull moment.
---. “Wreck at Disaster Falls.” Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Washington: GPO, 1875: 26.
“My God, what have we done?” were the words that the co-pilot of Enola Gay wrote in his logbook after helping drop two bombs, one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki, that killed an estimated two-hundred thousand individuals. The bombings were completely unnecessary. Japan was already defeated because they lacked the necessary materials to continue a world war. The Japanese were prepared to surrender. There was no military necessity to drop the atomic bombs nor is there any factual information stating that the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped to “save the lives of one million American soldiers.” The United States bombed Japan in August of 1945. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were uncalled for and could have been avoided.
Zaslow, Morris. The Defended Border, Upper Canada and the War of 1812. Toronto: MacMillian of Canada, 1983
Canada, also known as the “Great White North” is the second largest country in the world with a rich history located North America. Canada was originally inhabited by the Aboriginal people who crossed the Bering land bridge. The Aboriginals called this land “Kanata,” meaning “village.” These people would later be known as “Indians," named by the first explorers who mistakenly thought they were in the East Indies.
The descriptions of fishing procedures and equipment are often confusing, they are a vital part of the plot. Which gives the reader a better insight to what these fishermen went though. Without these details, readers would not be able to picture the dangers of the storm the way Junger wanted them to. The book is interesting, but never melodramatic. There is just enough tension in the conflict between man and nature to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Junger never tries to saturate his readers with so much emotion that they roll their eyes in disgust. He makes the fear and desperation realistic and believable.