In this volume, Davis (English, U. of Calgary, Canada) assembles the journals of travel writer R.M. Patterson (1898-1984) written from 1927 to 1929, which trace his journey on the South Nahanni River in the Canadian wilderness. Entries were written mostly on a daily basis and reveal his solitary experiences with the outdoors in the Northwest Territories. The prologue and introduction provide biographical information on Patterson, notes on the journey, and information about his book The Dangerous River, published in 1954, which also recounted the adventures on the river. Davis describes how the journals differ from this book in their immediacy and realism. The journals are published here for the first time. Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre Trudeau, contributes a foreword. Distributed by Michigan State U. Press. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)