Product Description

The true story of a cheap vacation that got a little out of hand. In 1955 Bill Beer and John Daggett, at the time both recently out of the military, and in their mid 20s, footloose, and more or less unemployed conceived the idea of swimming the Colorado River through the 279 miles of the Grand Canyon-principally because they couldn't afford a boat. This simple idea escalated into a national news story and has been one of the legends of the Grand Canyon ever since. Never equalled nor duplicated, their illegal venture and many of its dangers, comic episodes, innovations, side effects and long term ramifications are the story of this book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #347912 in Books
• Binding: Paperback
• 171 pages

From Publishers Weekly
April 10, 1955: the water temperature was 51F, and a fierce wind buffeted two men as they entered the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. The author and John Daggett had set out to swim the river through the Grand Canyon. At a time when fewer than 200 people had run the river in boats, this was daredeviltryand illegal. Their equipment was primitive: Army-surplus rubber boxes to carry gear, thin rubber shirts, woollen long johns and swim fins; they also took a movie camera to record the adventure. Twenty-six days and 280 miles later, bruised and battered, they left the river at Pierce Ferry. Beer relives the miseries and exhilaration of that singular journey, a gripping story of endurance. In an afterword, he discusses other, legal trips through the Grand Canyon (he has swum the occasional rapid from a boat) and assesses the present state of the environment; he has high praise for the Park Service. This will appeal to readers who enjoy adventure. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Scientific American
Every complete history of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River gives at least a generous paragraph to the water-soaked saga of Beer and Daggett. What once was considered a foolish risk is now legend. ...We Swam the Grand Canyon offers the reader a full range of vicarious experience: agony, suspense, hope, humor, despair-and, always, the River and the Canyon.

Review
"Beer..msterfully delivers the excitement, comedy and sense of awe of the trip" --USA TODAY, October 26, 1989

"Every complete history of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River gives at least a generous paragraph to the water soaked saga of Beer and Daggett. What once was considered a floolish risk is now legend" --Arizona Highways

"It is high time for this astounduing saga to see the light of day. To grip us with its inspirations, agony, despair, hope, determination and fun. Without it, the Grand Canyon story would be missing an indispensable chapter; one that will gladden and enrich us all." --Martin Litton 1988

"Every complete history of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River gives at least a generous paragraph to the water soaked saga of Beer and Daggett. What once was considered a floolish risk is now legend" --Arizona Highways

"It is high time for this astounduing saga to see the light of day. To grip us with its inspirations, agony, despair, hope, determination and fun. Without it, the Grand Canyon story would be missing an indispensable chapter; one that will gladden and enrich us all." --Martin Litton 1988

Customer Reviews

A must-read for anyone planning a Grand Canyon river trip.
We Swam the Grand Canyon is a personal account of a "vacation" that Mr. Beer and a friend took through the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River. Unlike Major John Wesley Powell, who is credited with the first boat descent through "The Big Ditch", Beer and his companion decided to do the trip, for various reasons that he goes into in his book, without boats! His writing style is straightforward and unadorned, peppered with humor and self-depricating modesty and well suited for a tale of this proportion. He tells of overcoming the pair's most difficult challenge; not the terrifying rapids, but the continual bone-numbing cold of the water. He also covers their trip's near-fatal brush with the Grand Canyon authorities, and how the swimmers convinced the skeptical rangers to let them continue their unusual tour. In all, a delightful read, especially for someone planning a trip down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon themselves. Informative and entertaining, this book is also a great confidence-builder for those who fear they may flip their boat in the Colorado rapids. Also, if Mr. Beer is accurate in his Amazon comment, this book will shortly be difficult to acquire; he died this summer after a long retirement in the Virgin Islands.

Ridiculous & charming
This account of a unique 1950's trip down the Grand Canyon is highly entertaining, especially because the whole thing seems like such a bad idea. Beers and his friend's equipment & preparation were laughable, and they had no escape plan or backup. But they plunge into the Colorado River (pre-Glen Canyon Dam, even), validate every stereotype about 50's American optimism/naivety, and somehow don't die. Beers' writing is not fancy, but the unaffected prose is well-matched to detailing the no-frills style of his incredible boatless river run.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and admired the author's courage at least as often as I laughed out loud at his actions.

Great adventure story
One of the best modern American adventure stories. A relatively easy read. These guys swam more than 100 rapids on the frigid Colorado River wearing nothing but rubber shirts and wool longjohns - carrying thier sleeping bags, food and camera equipment in rubber boxes. Absolutely amazing - and their story had me with butterflys in my stomach just reading about what they did.