Book Review
Great Waterfalls, Cataracts, and Geysers
John Gibson (author)
Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1887
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| Edition | 1 |
| Format | Hard Cover |
| Print Style | Black and White |
| Book Type | Reference |
| Page Count | 288 |
| ISBN | |
| In Print? | No |
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Picture quality |  (0) |
| Picture Quantity | (0) |
| Accuracy of Content |  (2) |
| Thoroughness of Content | (2) |
| Production Value |  (3) |
Reviewed by Dean Goss
This is a small hardbound antique book. It took me a long time to obtain a copy and it's more notable for its historic value than the depth of the material. There are no photographs, but there are a series of engraved illustrations including Niagara, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Kaieteur, Tequendama, Montmorency, Chaudière, Lorette, Victoria, the six Cataracts of the Nile (they're really just rapids, so don't get excited), Staubbach, Reichenbach, Rhinefall, the Clyde River in Scotland, Doubs, and Gavarnie.
It's an old book, but the illustrations are beautifully printed, and the text is very well written. In some ways, it's a shame that we've devalued education because the written word of the Victorian era was fanciful and embellished. If I could only write like that...
The Bottom Line: It's of little use to a modern day waterfall enthusiast, but it does offer a refreshing glimpse into a bygone era. This book could be a stylistic blend of Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde and John Muir.