At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth. The River of Doubt--it 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. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived. From the soaring beauty of the Amazon rain forest to the darkest night of Theodore Roosevelt's life, here is Candice Millard's dazzling debut.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Excellent book:
I love reading about explorers through the ages. I am particularly fond of Burton/ Speke/Livinston, etc. in Africa and the polar explorers. This is the first book I've read about South American exploration except for the usual conquest and gold explorers/exploiters. The book opened my eyes to two new subjects, Teddy R. and South American exploration. These explorers accomplished an incredible feat in the face of starvation, sickness, mental and physical challenges we can only imagine in this day. I strongly... more info
Real Life Adventures:
This book reads like a "Boy's Own" adventure. Teddy almost died (and may have dies because of this trip)on this journey. From the haphazard beginning to the almost tragic end, this book was almost impossible to put down. It makes you appreciate what it was like to travel at the beginning of the 20th century. Men like TR were few and far between. You have to admire him. The book does not stint on the information provided about the others on the trip as well. Overall a valuable record of a little... more info
one of the best books I've ever read:
River of Doubt is a great book about Theodore Roosevelt, which concentrates solely on the months he spent exploring the uncharted Rio Duvida which flows wildly through the rainforests of South America. The journey was a long and treacherous one, as described by Roosevelt- "We have had a hard and somewhat dangerous but very successful trip. No less than six weeks were spent... forcing our way down through what seemed a literally endless succession of rapids and cataracts. For forty-eight days we saw no... more info
Roosevelts on the River:
This is a tremendous book, retelling a significant voyage of discovery in the early 20th century involving the former president; his son Kermit and Brazil's foremost explorer Candido Rondon. Following his resounding defeat in the election of 1912, when he ran as a third party candidate, and badly splintered the Republican Party, Roosevelt decided, as was his habit, to recuperate by throwing himself into a vigorous physical challenge. Initially intended as a combination speaking tour/excursion,... more info
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