Navigate the fascinating twists and turns of rivers that have molded our history.

Rivers can be extraordinarily powerful, and not just because of their fast-flowing currents. They can make civilizations rise or crumble, divide cultures or link them together, and even provide crucial clues to where we came from.

Dive into these 10 surprising stories about the power of rivers through the ages, including:

• How the “lucky accident” of the Nile’s unique flooding patterns allowed the culture of Ancient Egypt to flourish in one of the hottest, driest places on earth;
• How medieval robber barons seized—then lost—control of the Rhine;
• Why the Amazon helped scientists discover how species evolve;
• How Livingstone's ill-fated exploration of the Zambezi changed Africa forever;
• Why you can trace just about every hit song back to the Mississippi River;
• How the massive Three Gorges Dam displaced over one million Chinese in the Yangtze River Valley;
• Why people in India have gathered to bathe in the Ganges for thousands of years;
• The crucial roles of the Awash, the Thames, and the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in human history.

Compelling storytelling, striking original art, and colorful photos take readers on a unique journey across time and place.