The past few decades have seen whitewater running become a major adventure activity worldwide. New technologies in boating material and a new ethos of adventure travel have made this possible. Here is the extraordinary story of modern whitewater exploration, of the great popular runs and the legendary rapids, the hair-raising adventures and the daredevil adventurers, and the great races and festivals that take place on the world"s rivers. Forty of the world"s greatest rivers feature in the book, from the Colorado to the Yangtze, the Dudh Kosi to the Zambezi. This is a celebration of the great rivers of the world, shot through with a hard edge of concern for their future. This is the ultimate thrill-seeker"s book, celebrating in glorious pictures the beauty of wild white rivers and the adventure of running them.