Look Down That Winding River,: An Informal Profile of the Mississippi

A Colorful, Humorous Narrative

Ben Burman spent years working on steamboats and traveling up and down the Mississippi River and its tributaries from about 1920 through 1968. This book is about all the colorful, eccentric people he met along the way: steamboat captains, roustabouts, cooks, shantyboat owners, swamp fishermen, showboat casts, Chinese immigrants on shrimp platforms, musicians, and more.

His retelling of their "Unnatural History", superstitions and other tales had me laughing out loud. This is a non-fiction book but Burnam's natural writing style and sense of humor made for very enjoyable reading. For me, it was also educational, but don't let that put you off ? Burman blends the facts into the stories so they are well-balanced.

If you are interested in American history, like to read biographies, want to know more about the culture of states bordering the lower Mississippi, or just want a good laugh, you will enjoy this book.