In 1930 two novice paddlers--Eric Sevareid and Walter C. Port--launched a secondhand 18-foot canvas canoe into the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling for an ambitious summer-long journey from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. Without benefit of radio, motor, or good maps, the teenagers made their way over 2,250 miles of rivers, lakes, and difficult portages. Nearly four months later, after shooting hundreds of sets of rapids and surviving exceedingly bad conditions and even worse advice, the ragged, hungry adventurers arrived in York Factory on Hudson Bay--with winter freeze-up on their heels. First published in 1935, Canoeing with the Cree is Sevareid's classic account of this youthful odyssey. The newspaper stories that Sevareid wrote on this trip launched his distinguished journalism career, which included more than a decade as a television correspondent and commentator on the CBS Evening News. Now with a new foreword by Arctic explorer, Ann Bancroft.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Great book!:
One of the best books I have ever read. Well worth it, not overally detailed yet the reader understands clearly what these two boys were up against. Highly recommend
REMARKABLE ACCOUNT OF A REMARKABLE JOURNEY:
Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid is one of the more unique works I have had the pleasure of reading over the past several years. In 1930, Sevareid (Yes, the famous news man), and his good friend and school mate, Walter C. Port, set out on an adventure that few of us could ever dream. They traveled by canoe from Minneapolis all the way to Hudson Bay! This journey covered 2,250 miles and went through some of the harshest wilderness in North America. There are several facts that make this adventure even... more info
Paddle along on an inspiring odyssey:
These young fellas took the plunge on a grand voyage way, way before the existence of a GPS device could guide them. There was no heated SUV to retreat to at day's end, nor a support team to hand the paddlers hot coffee and sandwiches at pre-planned meeting points along the way. Instead, their experience was a spontaneous, grab-the-paddles-and-go surge into the wilderness, powered by naivete and the invincibility of youth. Follow the true account as the travelers, continuing by the seat of their pants and... more info
Canoeing by Themselves With Occasional Help:
First of all, the title of the audio book "Canoeing With The Cree" is misleading. This work is not about Cree Indian canoeing style. Nor is it about a trip taken with Cree Indians. It is about two boys, Eric Sevareid (later a famous journalist and TV reporter) and Walter Port aged 17 and 19 respectively, who take the trip of a lifetime canoeing some 2200 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay over the course of one summer. Although they do occasionally paddle with or get assistance from both Indians and... more info
