Bissell, the best who still inspires the best.

books:


	• High Water (Borealis Books) Richard Pike Bissell Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987 - 290 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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Bissell, the best who still inspires the best.

I started on the river as a deckhand in May, 1955; worked every job from that thru manager of a barge line company. I retired in 2004 but still make trips out there when I feel the urge. I never read anything even close to how Richard Pike Bissell brought back so many memories of how it really was and still is when it comes to working out there. His characters were so "real" that I seemed to "remember" literally each one of them sometime during my own experiences. I know he's "been there and done that" when I'm reading his stuff.

Recently, I read a statement by the best murder mystery writer in the business. Elmore Leonard stated that Bissell's writing inspired him in his own writings. Bissell's attention to detail with people is so intense that so many other writers allow it to just go right over their heads. And to their detriment. Leonard does the same in his thorough research of people and places before he ever sets a pen to it.
"Dutch" told me something once I'll never forget. "Bob, you have written a history of events. In order to do a story, you must have people."

That was Bissell.
Thank you Amazon.com, Borealis Books and the Minnesota Historical Society for keeping High Water available.

Robert R. Nally
US Coast Guard licensed Master/Pilot and Chief Engineer

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Life's Characters

Richard Bissell is a master of dialogue and character development. The story of one trip on a tow boat up the Mississippi unfolds almost as a back-drop, as conversations between characters reveal the lives of the boatmen and their perspectives on life.

One of these marvelous perspectives, on growing older, was "...there is such a short time between being scared and wondering how to purchase a ticket to Sioux City, and then all of a sudden knowing too much about tickets, trains, and especially Sioux City."

This is a wonderful book. If you are from the Midwest, you will appreciate the honest, uncomplicated, realistic way Bissell presents the people and places, without the sarcasm of Sinclair Lewis. And, no matter where you are from, you will recognize the character types and enjoy the subtle presentation of deeply thoughtful insight found in "High Water."

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Duke Snyder, the mate of the towboat Royal Prince, has his hands full on a perilous trip up the Mississippi River during the worst flood anyone can remember. He works with an unhappy crew, an angry captain, and too many barges to push against too much river. High Water, first published in 1954, reveals the drama, humor, and charm of the Upper Mississippi as seen from the river itself.