Down the Wild Cape Fear: A River Journey through the Heart of North Carolina

by Philip Gerard

Overview

In Down the Wild Cape Fear, novelist and nonfiction writer Philip Gerard invites readers onto the fabled waters of the Cape Fear River and guides them on the 200-mile voyage from the confluence of the Deep and Haw Rivers at Mermaid Point all the way to the Cape of Fear on Bald Head Island. Accompanying the author by canoe and powerboat are a cadre of people passionate about the river, among them a river guide, a photographer, a biologist, a river keeper, and a boat captain. Historical voices also lend their wisdom to our understanding of this river, which has been a main artery of commerce, culture, settlement, and war for the entire region since it was first discovered by Verrazzano in 1524.

Gerard explores the myriad environmental and political issues being played out along the waters of the Cape Fear. These include commerce and environmental stewardship, wilderness and development, suburban sprawl and the decline and renaissance of inner cities, and private rights versus the public good.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469608129
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	03/04/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	902,216
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Philip Gerard is the author of four novels, a collection of short stories, and seven other books of nonfiction including The Patron Saint of Dreams and The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina. He is professor of creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and received the 2019 North Carolina Award for Literature.
Philip Gerard is the author of three novels and five books of nonfiction including The Patron Saint of Dreams. He lives on Whiskey Creek near the Intracoastal Waterway and sails his sloop Suspense on the Atlantic Ocean.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

If you've ever fallen in love with a lake, river, or stretch of shore, you'll enjoy this trip down the Cape Fear with Philip Gerard. Between the characters he meets, the historical tales, the beautifully described natural encounters, and the river-running adventures, it's as varied and engaging as a long day spent drifting downstream.—Jan DeBlieu, author of Year of the Comets: A Journey from Sadness to the Stars



Gerard's descriptions of river life are wonderfully written and his narration of historical events—from the early Spanish explorers to English settlers and from Revolutionary War and Civil War events to twentieth-century racial strife and environmental problems—are grippingly told.—Lawrence Earley, author of Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest



Philip Gerard is an explorer, a philosopher, a historian—and a dazzling angel of a writer. In Down the Wild Cape Fear, he takes us on a beguiling journey teeming with alligators and eagles, with mystery and murder and disaster, and with the ghosts of pirates, slaves, and doomed soldiers. By the time he reaches the ocean, Gerard has ridden the current across four centuries of our bloody, confounding past. This is a true adventure story, haunting and unforgettable, perfect for reading by firelight on a stormy night when lightning dances in the distance.—Thomas French, author of Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives

Editorial Reviews

Like a river itself, winding its way through history and biology, politics, and preservation, this book will appeal to both nature lovers and those living in and near the Cape Fear watershed.—Library Journal



An adventure story paired with a view of the ecology, history, development, and industry along a vital river that runs from the core of North Carolina to the coast. Gerard uses glittering, evocative prose to recount his travels by canoe and powerboat down the Wild Cape Fear River with a guide, biologist, photographer, and others. . . . This is a compelling story that offers a striking and thoughtful look at the many environmental, political, and commercial issues affecting this region and the waterway that feeds it.—ForeWord Reviews



Equal parts historical survey, river adventure and nature walk, it's a fascinating trip down North Carolina's most storied river.—Raleigh News and Observer



Gerard takes readers with him on a 200-mile trip down the Cape Fear River. . . [and] it's obvious that his book was labor of love.—Southern Pines Pilot



A reading journey that no one who loves North Carolina should pass by.—D.G. Martin One on One



This is simply the best piece of writing about [the Cape Fear] river that I've read.—Fayetteville Observer



By the book's end we get a sense of the innumerable interconnections that make the region a special, singular place.—North Carolina Literary Review

From the Publisher

Beginning in central North Carolina, the Cape Fear River flows 200 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, creating habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and at one time serving as a commercial thoroughfare for the communities along its banks. Gerard (creative writing, Univ. of North Carolina, Wilmington; The Patron Saint of Dreams) weaves the history of the Cape Fear River watershed with modern environmental concerns and his own experiences of the river. Much of the book focuses on the Wilmington area's history and current threats to the health of the river and the people, plants, and animals who live near it. The controversial revival of a cement plant upstream and plans for a new port downstream are presented from an environmental impact perspective founded in the author's obvious love of the area and his desire for it to thrive. VERDICT Like a river itself, winding its way through history and biology, politics and preservation, this book will appeal to both nature lovers and those living in and near the Cape Fear watershed.—Sheila Kasperek, Mansfield Univ. Lib., PA

Library Journal