Patterson was more than a river rat. He worked as a logger, a trapper, a prospector, before he began to explore the rivers of the region. He ran a sheep operation near Banff, a dude ranch in the footthills of the Rockies, an orchard on Vancouver Island. All five of Patterson's frequently-autobiographical books remain in print decades after they first appeared.

In his exhaustive studies Finch dug into several archives, interviewed dozens of family members and friends, followed the rivers that Patterson explored, and hiked or rode horseback over Patterson's favorite trails. In this biography, Finch shares with his readers the essence of Patterson that he gleaned during a decade of research and writing. In this reader's mind, he brought Patterson back to life as well as any writer could.

(I met Patterson in his latter years, corresponded with him, and interviewed him. Like Finch, I read all of his books, interviewed Patterson himself, his widow, only daughter, and older son. I had planned to write the biography myself, but Finch beat me to it. He did a fine job. --Verne Huser)