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Journey on the James is a delightful amalgam of history, back-country culture, and the saga of an ever-changing yet changeless river.... If you thought you knew your Virginia history, think again-and then read Journey on the James. The author's recounting of pre-colonial days to the present is fascinating, especially about the ambitious 19th-century venture to provide a shipping channel from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River by way of a series of locks linking the James to the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. Swift's book will affirm and deepen the affection any Virginian or nature-lover has for the James. - Virginian-Pilot With humor and insight. Swift narrates his story on a day-by-day basis, telling not only of the hazards and the beauty of the river itself, but also of the people he and Martin met along the way. His historical notes, reflecting a great deal of research, add depth to the chronicle. This is no if-it's-Tuesday-it-must-be-Balcony-Falls travelogue, but a lively and colorful recap of a journey savored hour-by-hour. - Richmond Times-Dispatch A fascinating and entertaining read. - Hampton Roads Monthly I recommend this book to all my hiking and paddling friends both for what it is and what it is not. It is... most of all, an enjoyable book to read. It is not another one of those adventure books about some exotic place that I may never get to, written by the kind of intrepid explorer I will never be. Instead, it is the story of a guy, not so different from me, who took a trip on a river that I myself have paddled on, and took the time to get to know that river. Journey on the James was, for me, like taking a guided tour of both the past and the present of the James River. It reminded me that the things we see every day often have very interesting stories to tell. - Paul Sanford, Potomac Appalachian, newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club

A staff writer for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Earl Swift has been a Fulbright fellow and twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He has backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail and completed a circumnavigation of the Chesapeake Bay by sea kayak. He lives in Norfolk with his daughter, Saylor.