Journey On The James (#1,195) by Earl Swift is background reading for as I prepare for the upcoming BookMania author event. It also marks a first for me! It's the very first book I've read on my brand-new Kindle which I got for Christmas. I have to admit I really, really miss being able to see the colorful book covers, but the Kindle does have its conveniences. For instance, I would not have been able to borrow Journey On The James from my local library in paper format, but they do have electronic versions of a number of books I have been wanting to read, so I'm sure I'll get more than my money's worth from this excellent gift.
Anyway, back to the book. It's a non-fiction book based on a series of articles journalist Earl Swift filed in 1998 with his Virginia newspaper as he traveled from the very headwaters of the James (or the Jackson River as it starts out as a trickle...) all the way to the mouth of the mighty James at Hampton Roads. He was aided and abetted by photojournalist Ian Martin who provided the Volvo for the many portages and camping equipment necessary over the course of following the river.
He relates his journey with humor and plenty of historical anecdotes. I found myself stopping often to Google for photos of many of the places he describes, both natural sites and structures. Much of what he found was discouraging about the state of the river itself and the way it is being polluted, but there's encouraging news here, too.
It was an interesting read, and I would especially recommend it to anyone within easy driving distance of the James along its long course. I'm sure there have been many changes in the quarter century since he wrote his book. I wonder how Earl Swift would judge the state of the river today?
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