By Christa Sadler
The Colorado has carved through canyons, cultures and centuries. Here are nine chapters in its fast-flowing journey…
The Colorado examines nine episodes in the history of our interaction with the Colorado River, from early prehistoric cultures to the Spanish explorations of the lower reaches of the river, the dam building frenzy of the early and middle 20th century, and the current use of water throughout the region. This beautiful book combines current information, maps, and policy discussion in a stunning format that highlights the beauty and the grandeur of the river and its story. Designed as a companion volume to the film of the same name, the book nonetheless stands completely alone, and provides important history and context to one of the country’s most important—and most endangered—watersheds.
Table of Contents:
1. BEGINNINGS: The Colorado River Watershed and Prehistoric Peoples
2. A PADRE, A HORSE, A TELESCOPE: Eusebio Francisco Kino and the Land and Peoples of the Lower Colorado River
3. AN UNKNOWN DISTANCE YET TO RUN: John Wesley Powell and an Understanding of the American West
4. SHIMMERING DESERT: The Salton Sea and the Birth of Western Water Issues
The Law of the River—The Fight for the West’s Most Precious Resource
5. THE COLOSSUS: Hoover Dam and the Beginning of the Dam Building Era
6. CATHEDRALS IN THE DESERT: Glen Canyon Dam and the Waterscape of the New Southwest
7. EL CORRIDO DE JOE R.: Industrial Agriculture in the Land of the Colorado River
8. WELCOME TO THE ANTHROPOCENE: The Colorado River Basin and the Reality of Climate Change
9. PALETTE OF A NEW CREATION: Hope and Vision on the Colorado River Delta
ISBN: 978-0-692-98250-1
Cloth, 13 x 10 inches, 270 pages with more than 400 illustrations, including historic and current photos, charts, graphs, and maps. Includes resources and an extensive index.
$40 (Arizona residents add 8.951% sales tax)
Shipping: $9.00 per book USPS media mail (not applicable to Alaska, Hawaii or overseas. Please contact me for shipping prices to these locations.)
Praise for The Colorado
Purchase Online“It’s gorgeous, scholarly, and just fantastic! It’s obvious this was a lot of labor of love. It will become essential reading for all who want to know the place. The maps and the images really work well together, much like one of your lessons in the sand. Thank you many times over for your efforts; I’m privileged to have a copy.” —Howard W., Dallas, TX
“I can honestly say it is the most beautiful book I have ever had the pleasure of holding! (And it does weigh a ton – rightly so with so many fascinating chapters). I couldn’t put it down…it will provide many hours of interesting reading but as a visual person, I just had to spend time with the photographs and maps first.
I spent a career in graphic design so I pay attention to things like layout, sequence, typeface, colors, paper, printing – all the things that bring beauty and form to your stories and images. These are so important and so beautifully done in this book. Please pass on my congratulations to your design team.
You must be so proud of this accomplishment! It is the culmination of a lifetime of work and love. And it inspires me again to create paintings and prints with the colors of the river ‘that shall flow forever’.” —Bonnie and Kelly M., Sherborn, MA
“I’m loving this book! Reads like an environmental thriller! I feel like I’m in the canyon again, whole new worlds in a book. Wonderful!” —Cecile J., San Jose, CA
“The book is absolutely stunning. I showed it to our chief, and he was equally impressed. Congratulations on its completion, and for producing a book that is a treasure.” —Meredith H., Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ
“The book is nothing short of spectacular! Stunning. Beautifully designed and produced. I can see it becoming the definitive volume in Colorado River literature. Three cheers and congratulations!” —John Blaustein, author of Hidden Canyon
“One word: Stunning!” —Earle Spamer, author of Bibliography of the Grand Canyon and the Lower Colorado River and Geology of the Grand Canyon.
“The clarity and level of detail in the narrative was a great pleasure to read, and the photos, images, and timelines all made me feel like I could reach out and touch the real thing on the pages. Congratulations on such a great work.” —Kathy G. Florida
“This profusely illustrated large format book may be the most important book I read this year. This companion book to Murat Eyuboglu’s documentary of the same name is a look at the natural, human, and cultural history of the Colorado Basin, presenting insight into the re-engineering of the river since the early 20th century and the challenges posed of keeping it viable.
I especially appreciated the insight on the Salton Sea. I have long thought of it as an artificial intrusion on the landscape. I now see it as a vital contribution to the natural system and worthy of efforts to save as much as possible of the wetlands ecosystems established there over the last century.
The author also presents an excellent and readable overview of The Law of the River, the complicated set of agreements governing the use of the Colorado River by the 7 basin states.
I HIGHLY recommend this volume.” —Wayne Belcher, Hydrologist, Las Vegas, NV
“I finally have a better grip on the Salton Sea. I knew next to nothing about the dams on the Lower Colorado. The images really help you connect with it. Amazing job!” —Lisa K. Flagstaff, AZ
“…an exquisite piece of literature.” —Liz K. and Janet M., Appomattox, VA
“A beautiful and inviting book. …a delicious read.” —Vince Welch, co-author of The Doing of the Thing
“…this amazing book truly is art and education.” —Cyn H. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Combination package of Blu-Ray and DVD set and book
$45.00 (Arizona residents add 8.951% sales tax)
Shipping: $9.00 USPS media mail (not applicable overseas. Please contact us for shipping prices to these locations.)