Looking for a guide to the Charles River as it makes it way throughout eastern Massachusetts to Boston? The Charles River, exploring nature and history on foot and by canoe is a great guide that provides both an exploratory guide and a historical guide to the river, from its headwaters to where it meets the sea.

Set up in two major sections, the first section is a guide for exploring the river both on foot and by boat and the second part of the book provides a history of the river, through its exploration and through the towns that were founded along the river.

Part 1

Here's the most usual part of the book for me as a resident of the Metrowest area where the Charles River flows, since it is a fairly detailed guide to each section of the river, from its headwaters to the sea. It gives me a good reference guide for when I want to go kayaking or I want to learn more about the parks and natural areas along the river.

Each of the chapters in this section cover a segment of the river and all together, cover the entire river, even the sections that aren't navigable by boat. The book highlights boat launch access points along the river, along with any public lands where you can walk along or to the river.

Taking up about two thirds of the book, the description of the river is where the author, Ron McAdow really spends his time and is what makes this book helpful for any intrepid Charles River explorer. Not only that, the descriptions in the book provide the context for the land surrounding the river as it flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Even though there is a separate section for history, much of the river's history is also covered here, which you discover as you make your way down the river.

Each description begins with a map of the section with the river highlighted, along with any other points of interest highlights. The map is followed by a list of foot and boat access points along the river, which is followed by a description of the river through the section. Each section ends with a list of suggested outings along the river, both by boat and by foot.

Part 2

Here's where McAdow really dives into the history of the Charles River. There is a chapter on the Native American history of the river, followed by a history of the river from the colonial settlements to the present. Instead of trying to describe the whole history of the Charles though, McAdow instead focuses on the history of the towns and cities that have been built along the River. This gives you an idea of how the Charles River figured into the history of these places and in most cases, it was an important reason for the presence of the towns and cities.

The rest

The remainder of the book consists of four different appendices that include a directory of all the suggested outings made in Part 1, a list of all the dams and bridges on the Charles, a list of the natural valley storage areas (the Army Corp of Engineers has bought the floodplain of the Charles in several areas, allowing the river to flow freely and to provide additional flood storage area during storms), and a guide to boat service along the Charles.

There's also a bibliography should you wish to look into the sources McAdow used for this book, along with his acknowledgments, a short biography, and finally an index to quickly find information in the book.

Thoughts

I really like this book, as it has given me a way to really explore the Charles River, which is literally in my back yard. I didn't have to guess where I could paddle and I didn't have to wonder any longer about what the various parks and public land around the river were. I also like the fact that I got to get a history of the river and the area as I read the book and as I go on various trips highlighted in the book.

I have found for paddling trips, I copy the section of book that includes the area where I am going. That way I have a copy of the map and the description of the river through the area. That gives me a good guide to the river as I paddle along.

Overall, even though I thought it was a bit pricey when I bought it ($18), the book is clear and well written, interesting to read, and chock full of information on the river itself and on the history of the river from the Native Americans to Massachusetts today.

Recommended: Yes