River Horse, The Logbook of a Boat Across America by William Least Heat-Moon

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River Horse, The Logbook of a Boat Across America by William Least Heat-Moon. 1995. MA. Houghton Mifflin Co. 506 pp

Reviewed by Diana Fields

Exploration seems to be coded into human DNA, some more than others. Most of us are only able to experience exciting travel adventures by reading about the journeys of others who are fortunate enough to make exploring a way of life. William Least Heat-Moon is just such a man and his book ‘River Horse” is an excellent adventure that allows the reader to imagine being along for the 5,000 mile ride across America from the Hudson Bay to the Pacific Ocean by way of a dozen beautiful rivers and a couple of awesome lakes, from New York to the State of Washington aboard "Nikawa" (Osage "Ni" is River and "Kawa" is horse), a 22 foot C-Dory with no kitchen or head.

William Least Heat-Moon, author of the New York Times best-seller “Blue Highways” has gone from the highways to the waterways with his travelogue River Horse, The Logbook of a Boat Across America“Nikawa” begins her journey from a dock in Newark Bay on Earth Day, April 22, 1995, with a proper send off from the mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Just ten minutes out and the tiny boat is nearly cap-sized in the wake of a freighter. Off to a shaky start, but supported or rather scolded by his first mate Pilotis, who is really the only one with actual boating experience, Heat-Moon bravely carries on undaunted, as only one ignorant of his fate can be, looking for traces of a vanishing America. His journey is full of highs and lows, pleasure and pain. Nothing is sugar coated and at times there are a few off-color anecdotes, but that is to be expected from sailors.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that William Least Heat-Moon is also a very literary man or at least William Trogdon is. His chapters are full of literary references and various quotes from great literary works. His descriptions are vivid and at times almost poetic. He has been influenced by John Steinbeck and his work “Travels with Charley” and Mark Twain with his adventures on the Mighty Mississippi River. As both philosopher and writer, his book is filled with reflections on the progress of man and whether it is progress or not. As in Blue Highways, Heat-Moon is still looking “for an America stripped of the commercial fog and tabloid mentality that often masks the great strengths of her people”. Some may find offence with his sometimes blunt appraisal of the human race, but it isn’t telling us anything we don’t already know, he is just a little more upfront about it than most.

In addition to Heat-Moon’s well-written philosophical narrative, each “waterway” section of the book begins with an excerpt from travelogues and journals of adventures that have traveled before him, voices from the past. These add to the history of the places and give an insight to the changes that have taken places. Heat-Moon also has a passion for maps and the naming of places. He passes along vast bits of historic trivia that keep the trip as interesting as his mis-adventures keep it exciting. There are small topographical maps throughout to allow the reader to visually follow the route. Of the over 5,000 miles traveled, only less than 100 miles where on land. Heat-Moon spent years researching his route and planning his trip to every last detail, or so he thought, until his first marina shower and he found out he hadn’t packed his towel.