The River of Doubt- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
NATIONAL BESTSELLER At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portraitthe bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic brings us the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth. The River of Doubtit is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron. After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil's most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever. Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide.
- Author- Candice Millard
- Publisher- Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
- Publication Date- 10-10-2006
- Page Count- 432
- Hardcover
- Adult
- U.S. History
- Dimension- 5.2 H x 8.1 W x 1 D
- ISBN-13- 9780767913737
Web ID: 14388824
White Men vs. Nature. Guess who wins?
THE RIVER OF DOUBT: THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S DARKEST JOURNEY is a fascinating testament to the profound arrogance of white Western explorers and their efforts to colonize the world. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many European countries and the United States were expanding their influence and power by annexing or otherwise controlling new territories, a movement known as colonialism. One such effort in 1913-14 was former President Theodore Roosevelt's participation in the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition, which planned to survey the previously unmapped and extremely remote Rio da Dúvida (aka River of Doubt or Roosevelt River) in South America, that eventually flows into the Amazon River. Teddy Roosevelt, who was depressed following his loss in the presidential election of 1912, invited his 24 year old, newly-engaged son Kermit, who had depression of his own. (Kermit went along chiefly because his mother thought Dad needed someone to protect him.) The group leader (along with Roosevelt) was a local Brazilian explorer, Colonel Cândido Rondon, who had previous experience exploring the area. American naturalist George Kruck Cherrie was also part of the group. As was Father John Augustine Zahm, a priest, author, and friend of Roosevelt's. And, of course, there were 15 locals recruited to do most of the work (carrying, clearing, setting up, paddling, cooking, etc.). You'd think that smart white men embarking on such a potentially dangerous journey -- in an unexplored area and surrounded by wild animals and unfriendly indigenous tribes -- would think strategically, be well-organized, and pack supplies adequate for any contingency. But you'd be wrong. Supplying the expedition was haphazard and ill-considered from the start. Westerners overpacked personal items. Boats selected turned out to be too heavy and inadequate for navigating the rapids and waterfalls. Pack animals brought along to carry were incapable of managing the heavy loads in the overgrown rainforest environment. Food supplies were lost in many accidents. Disease was everywhere and medicine inadequate. And there's more. THE RIVER OF DOUBT: THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S DARKEST JOURNEY is the detailed story of this excursion. And all the obstacles the group faced. It's a men vs. nature kind of adventure where you will read how unprepared (yet always self-assured) adult men struggled against every problem you can imagine. I cannot tell you how many times I paused and asked myself, How could they have been so stupid? Author Candice Millard writes prose that reads like a novel. So there's plenty of drama and suspense. I found, in places, that she included more detail than I personally needed. But overall it's an extremely well researched and well-written piece of non-fiction. And, I promise - this is one adventure you will be glad you missed.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Book
I love this book, I finished this book within a week, so I recommend you to get this book
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Story TR Didn't Tell
Cheering crowds welcomed former president Theodore Roosevelt home from his 1914 expedition to map an unknown river in the Amazon. Only later did it become clear how much of a fiasco the trip had been, resulting in several deaths and the near demise of TR himself. His death less than five years later was hastened by his South American ordeal. National Geographic editor Candice Millard's 2005 history of the exploration detailed just how close the party came to vanishing in the rain forest from either starvation or massacre from the Stone Age tribesmen who hovered unseen nearby. Millard was fair, recounting both the heroism of the participants and showing how their lack of understanding of the Amazon's inhabitants and ecosystem and their poor planning and hubris nearly led to their destruction. She revealed what Roosevelt did not in his Through The Brazilian Wilderness, just how close to death he came and how incapacitated he was by journey's end. Four stars for the general reader and an extra one for Roosevelt buffs.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I don’t think Trump or Biden would do this.
An incredible story of ex president Theodore Roosevelt’s dangerous journey into the uncharted and unknown Brazil. Roosevelt’s motives and determination are so admirable that no one could question his bravery or determination. The accomplishments of this journey are amazing. I could not imagine too many people, no matter their age or physical condition that would attempt risking their lives as all in this story did. My only criticism of the book was there was, to me anyway, too much detail about the kind of plants encountered, the types of fish observed and weather they survived. That being said - an amazing story
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com