On Friday, August 13, during the week that Missouri celebrated the bicentennial of its statehood, we met again for lunch at the Hawken House Hearth Room and heard retired attorney and historian Jim Erwin talk about Steamboat Disasters on the Lower Missouri River; this is also the title of the latest book by Jim and his wife, Vicki Berger Erwin, which addresses the perils that steamboats, their passengers, and their crews faced on every voyage. Jim is author or co-author of six books on the Civil War in Missouri, the history of St. Charles, and true crime in Missouri, and he is a frequent speaker on the Civil War and local history. Jim and Vicki live in Kirkwood and are currently working on a new book about 19th century Missouri history. He is the Vice-Chair of the Kirkwood Arts Commission, President of the St. Louis Civil War Roundtable, and Treasurer of the Unbound Book Festival.