John Gurda Updates 'Milwaukee: A City Built on Water'

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As the holidays inch ever closer, people inevitably turn to the bookshelves for gift-giving ideas. An autographed copy of a great book is an extra-special personalized gift that connects readers to the author behind the story. John Gurda, Milwaukee’s preeminent historian and acclaimed local author, will appear at Boswell Book Co. for a special afternoon book signing of his recently updated local history, Milwaukee: A City Built on Water.

Like many notable American cities, Milwaukee’s founding is intrinsically tied to its proximity to the many rivers that flow through the city and the great lake that borders our eastern shore. In Milwaukee: A City Built on Water, Gurda explores the success and survival of the Cream City through the stories of generations of brewers, bricklayers, traders and builders who all helped to transform the city using the waterways that are the area’s most priceless asset. Even life-long city residents will learn something new as they explore the lives of Milwaukee’s first native inhabitants, as well as uncover details about recent efforts to transform and protect the local waters.

A Milwaukee native, Gurda has been writing about his hometown for over 40 years. His expansive book, The Making of Milwaukee, became an Emmy award-winning PBS series that premiered in 2006. In 2015, Gurda wrote, co-produced and hosted a one-hour documentary as a companion piece to the book Milwaukee: A City Built on Water. Gurda is the author of more than 10 books on local history and is an eight-time winner of Wisconsin Historical Society’s Award of Merit. He will sign copies of his book Milwaukee: A City Built on Water from 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Boswell Book Co. Copies of many of Gurda’s best-selling tales will also be available for purchase.