River Horse Audiobook By William Heat-Moon, William Least heat-moon cover art

River Horse

A Voyage Across America

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

River Horse

By: William Heat-Moon, William Least heat-moon
Narrated by: Jay O. Sanders
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.99

Buy for $14.99

In this abridgement of River-Horse, the pre-eminent chronicler of American back roads -- who has given us the classics Blue Highways and Prairyerth -- recounts his singular voyage through American waters from sea to sea. Along the route, he offers a lyrical and ceaselessly fascinating shipboard perspective on the country and its rivers, lakes, canals, and landscapes. Brimming with history, drama, and wisdom, River-Horse belongs in the pantheon of American travel literature.

In his most ambitious journey ever, Heat-Moon sets off aboard a small boat he named Nikawa ("river horse" in Osage) from the Atlantic at New York Harbor in hopes of entering the Pacific near Astoria, Oregon. He and his companion, Pilotis, struggle to cover some five thousand watery miles -- more than any other cross-country river traveler has ever managed -- often following in the wakes of our most famous explores, from Henry Hudson to Lewis and Clark.

En route, the voyagers confront massive floods, submerged rocks, dangerous weather, and their own doubts about whether they can complete the trip. But the hard days yield up incomparable pleasures: strangers generous with help and eccentric tales, landscapes unchanged since Sacagawea saw them, riverscapes flowing with a lively past, and the growing belief that efforts to protect our lands and waters are beginning to pay off. And, throughout its course, the expedition enjoys coincidences so breathtaking as to suggest the intervention of a divine and witty Providence.

Teeming with humanity and high adventure, Heat-Moon's account is an unsentimental and original arteriogram of our nation at the edge of the Millennium. Travel Writing & Commentary North America Water Sports Adventure Sailing Witty Africa
Fascinating Adventure • Illuminating History • Very Good Reader • Vivid Descriptions • Inspiring Journey

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant

Where does River Horse rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Somewhere in the middle

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

What I expected - appropriate based on the non-fiction style.

What about Jay O. Sanders’s performance did you like?

I felt like I was in the story, on the boat with them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were a number - I liked the moments with the locals along the river.

Any additional comments?

Big emphasis on the front part of the trip in New York, but interesting trip and fun listen.

Interesting travel story with history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Least-Heat Moon captures the sense of the people and land of America. Another wonderful adventure story.

Wonderful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
the voyage from Atlantic to pacific by river waterways. it is fraught with danger.. it also describes the carious rivers on the way. very interesting book.

great adventure

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
After blue highways I knew that I had to listen to river house. The adventures of seeking ones need to find out about the unknown was wonderfully depicted in this book. Sometimes he can rattle on but I found the book a reminder to face our challenges are pursue those yearnings.

A wonderful river trip

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What did you love best about River Horse?

From Atlantic to Pacific, through Dams & Locks, this little boat brought you back to the past time where water is blue and mountain is gree, fishes still jumping in the river. Through this journey, one can enjoy the wonderful landscape, but also noted that many had been changed in the past 200 years. A wonderful book.

Back to a memorable past where boating is life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews