Books : The River of Doubt : Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

by: Candice Millard  Average Rating:

Rating: - River of Doubt left no doubt in my mind.
Of the many books that I read that relate to Theodore Roosevelt I cannot recall one that I enjoyed more than Candice Millard's "River of Doubt". Millard reminds us that not all history books are of the dull, "history written for historians" genre, some are just whopping good tales and this is a whopping good adventure story written from a historical perspective.

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Rating: - Remarkable Adventure - Captivating Book
Candice Millard entralled this reader with her narrative of the first known expedition down the River of Doubt, now called the Rio Teo Roosevelt, in western Brazil. Partly as a way of recovery from his painful defeat in the 1912 presidential election, and partly as bravura trek in a remote corner of the world, the author deftly interweaves natural history--wait until you read about the incredible flora and fauna in this other-worldly jungle--and the tale of ordinary and extraordinary men, especially ... Read More

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Rating: - Incredible tale incredibly well told
This is an incredible true tale of survival in the Brazilian jungle on a par with that of Ernest Shakelton and the voyage of the Endurance to the Antarctic - both of which, ironically, happened the same year of 1914. This would be a compelling story even if one of the leaders of the expedition to explore the then totally unknown "River of Doubt" didn't happen to be one of the four greatest U.S. Presidents whose face is immortalized on Mt. Rushmore. I have never read an historical work with such page ... Read More