Rating: 
Summary: Falling between stools
Review: The subject of the book and the title intrigued me so much that I took it on a long journey, hoping to wile away tedious hours with a good read. I was disappointed. The book jacket speaks of "a remarkable journey--two months of struggle against heat and cold, lack of water, dwindling supplies, nearly impassable terrain," but the author fails to communicate any of this danger in the account of his trek. The food drops, the accessibility of water, the closeness of civilization over the canyon Rim, the ease with which he traverses the Colorado river, all made for what appeared to be a comfortable and unexciting trip. If there were hazards and dangers, physical deprivation and pain, the author chooses not to reveal them in meaningful detail. Instead, he focusses on generalized and spurious philosophizing that became repetive and was not convincing. It was boring to read of the connections he was making between homo sapiens and the creation of this great wonder, the Grand Canyon, and I longed for some real adventure to break up the monotony. The work falls between stools. It is neither good philosophy nor lively adventure. The author may have had a life-changing experience on this trek (according to the book blurb), but, as far as this reader was concerned, the experience didn't come off the page. I was never interested in what happened next, and read rather dutifully to the end, happy that he had completed his journey and I could lay the book to the side. Footnotes written for a later edition were irritating and only interrupted the flow of the narrative. I have never seen the Grand Canyon. It may be that if I was more familiar with it, the book would have taken on a greater reality. But then I have never been in a perfect storm, nor climbed Everest, nor sailed with Shackleton in the South Atlantic, but recent books on these subjects have captivated me utterly. I look forward to a more exciting read about the Grand Canyon in due course.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing True Adventure
Review: This book suceeds on every level and is one of the best adventure books I've read. Much more than a hiking guide, it is an amazingly well-written of a journey more mental than physical, as Colin shares deep insights into life, geology and the history of the Earth as revealed by the Grand Canyon.
Backpackers will appreciate his accurate portrayals of hiking: the mixed emotions before setting of on a long and possible perilous journey, the still moments feeling at one with Nature, the way everyday minutia and worry eventually recedes into the background. If you have friends who want to know what backcountry hiking is all about (without actually going on one), this is the book to read.
Also, for Canyon afficionados (such as myself), Fletcher's book captures the majesty, awe, and grandeur of America's (or at least Arizona's) crown jewel.
Although written in the 1960's, this account does not feel dated. It is very much more than a 'been-there, done-that' journal of a record-setting performance, but instead has much to offer to any reader. Highly recommended.
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