2008 ( )

http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=114... ( )

Some books that describe a particular place in vivid detail make you really want to visit that place. This is not one of those books. The lush descriptions of the deadly flora and fauna of the rainforest made me perfectly happy to enjoy it all from a distance. But the same descriptions make Roosevelt and his fellow explorers very real, and gave me a good appreciation for the dangers they faced and the risks they took. ( )

Another book I was surprised to enjoy as much as I did! I generally don't care for non-fiction; to me, it's often very dry and dull. Not so, this book—I nearly read it in one sitting! More than anything else, it was a great adventure story. I knew next to nothing about Roosevelt before I read this, and what little I knew about the Amazon came from elementary school and trips to the Omaha zoo. I thought Millard did a great job utilizing dialogue from letters; it broke up the mostly straight, historical narrative and always felt natural and authentic. The short chapters were great, too; everything moved along at a quick pace, and it didn't feel like reading a textbook. I LOVED the descriptions of the jungle! It felt like I was there! (But I'm so glad I wasn't—no thank you to fish who can swim up your urethra!) Highly recommended, even for people who think they don't like non-fiction, like me. :) ( )

Great adventure story with Theodore Roosevelt in the Amazon.

"One of the greatest frustrations that the men of the expedition faced on the River of Doubt was that they were descending a river crowded with fish that they could not catch. Those same fish, however, were easy prey for the Cinta Larga. The Indians made up for their lack of poles, lines, or hooks with the fishing basket that Rondon had found. More important, they had timbó. This milky liquid, which the Cinta Larga extracted from a vine by pounding it with a rock, stuns—or, depending on the quantity, kills—fish by paralyzing their gills. Used in slow-moving inlets and pools, timbó allowed the Indians to spear or scoop up the fish as they floated to the river’s surface."

Endurance (Tom Crean’s) Pale Ale
Guiness Extra Stout

An in-depth account of the journey taken by Theodore Roosevelt and his son down an uncharted river in the Amazon. Excellent reading. ( )

Subtitled Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, this tells the story of Roosevelt's trip into South America to map an unknown Amazon tributary after his defeat for a third Presidency. Equal parts true life adventure story, biographical portrait of a larger than life politician, and South American history, this is a generally interesting, sometimes gripping story I had never heard before. I will admit that my knowledge of long dead presidents is fairly sketchy and generally limited at best to their major accomplishments (or failures) in office, but I did have some inkling of the adventure-junky aspect of Roosevelt's character. After all, which school child hasn't heard about the hunting trip that resulted in the naming of the teddy bear or about his African safaris or about his Rough Riders? But about the expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon, nothing.

After his final defeat, Roosevelt obviously needed something to take his mind off the political failure and to test him physically, despite suffering from numerous ailments that would have kept a less determined man from the hardship and danger that faced him in the Amazonian jungle. The South American officer leading the expedition wanted to chart the course of the the River of Doubt. The museum naturalists accompanying the former president wanted to catalog new species of plant and animal. The Catholic father who had been the originator of the plan wanted a South American adventure. Kermit Roosevelt was along to make sure no ill came to his father. And the local men were there to paddle the inadequate log boats and do most of the hardest work of the journey. Like all good adventure stories, this has murder and hardship and ultimate survival only by the skin of the men's teeth. It has inadequate knowledge coupled with appalling risks and near starvation. And it has the larger than life figure of Theodore Roosevelt. Even with all of this, there are still times when Millard's narrative bogs down in details. The journey took far longer than anyone had anticipated and perhaps drawing the narrative out was intended to mimic the increasingly desperate slog down the river in a race against time but the end especially really dragged until the men emerge from the renamed Roosevelt River. Once the objective of conquering the river has been met, Millard speeds the narrative on, giving a quick overview of what happened to all the notable (or traceable) men of the party.

I didn't originally want to read this book when it was chosen by my bookclub but it certainly turned out to be more interesting that I had suspected. Ultimately I ended up liking it but I can see my friend's argument that it was dry. I will pass it along to my husband as he's a history buff for whom I suspect it will be a perfect read. ( )

This is one amazing, suspenseful, and even poetic (for a nonfiction) book. ( )

A quick and easy read. Tells a good tale about the last great adventure of one of Americas greatest presidents. ( )

Sometimes a rollicking good read, at other times a grim reminder of just how nuts that colonilist TR was.

Sometimes a rollicking good read, at other times a grim reminder of just how nuts that colonilist TR was.

Pontentially, this story has everything for a boy's own adventure: struggle against long odds to survive a trip through unkown and dangerous jungle; the tension between the participants as the dangers stack up and the likelihood of survival goes down; the fascinating story of one of the towering political figures of the 20th century.

The author has done less than justice to this material. I found the writing to be repetitive and pedestrian. But never mind: it's worth a read just to follow the astonishing life of Teddy Rooseveldt after politics.
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In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt failed in his run for the Presidency on a third party platform. Instead of withdrawing to a peaceful retirement on his comfortable Oyster Bay estate, Roosevelt instead embarked upon a death defying exploration of the Amazon basin. This book is a narrative of that journey.

While this story is merely a short chapter in the incredible life of Roosevelt, it is an excellent indicator of his view of life and his character. For those who have read more comprehensive biographies of Roosevelt, many of the details of the journey will not be surprising. In my opinion, Roosevelt (along with perhaps Benjamin Franklin) is the most "American" of all historical Americans. From a childhood marked by poor health and personal tragedy, Roosevelt rehabilitated both his physical and emotional beings through a succession of personal tests. Cattle ranching on the plains of the unsettled Dakota badlands, leading the Roughrider charge on San Juan Hill, winning the Presidency, African safaris and finally charting the previously undiscovered Rio du Duvida (River of Doubt) were a series of challenges confronted and ultimately conquered by Roosevelt. I feel strongly that it is only the absence of a history defining event during his Presidency that prevents him from being held in the same regard as Lincoln and Washington in our pantheon of Presidents (he is after all on Mount Rushmore).

In addition to setting out the seemingly impossible obstacles facing the expedition (hostile Indians, miserable weather, poor provisioning, debilitating disease, maddening insect infestation and other hazardous animal life), the book does an outstanding job of introducing the reader to other important members of the expedition, most importantly, Brazilian explorer and naturalist Colonel Candido Rondon and Roosevelt's son Kermit.

If you enjoy this type of story, I would highly recommend Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, which details the Lewis and Clark expedition. ( )

This was the choice for one of my book clubs for next month. It's the story of Teddy Roosevelt's trip down a 1,000 mile long tributary of the Amazon river. One that had never been previously mapped. It was a fascinating book, and I can't believe what all they survived. Absolutely amazing. I didn't know much about Roosevelt before reading the book, but he's one of my friend's heroes, so I was interested in learning more about him. I felt like Millard was able to paint a really accurate picture of the kind of man he was, and he does sound like he was a man of incredible character, intelligence, humor, and integrity. Made me want to read more about him. ( )

This account of a rather astounding adventure would be of great interest even were it not for the participation of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt.

After Roosevelt lost the bid for President in 1912, he decided he needed something to take his mind off of the loss. In 1913, with his son Kermit, the famous Brazilian explorer Candido Rondon, various naturalists, camaradas, boats, pack animals, and provisions, he went off to explore the Amazon jungle and the mysterious Rio da Duvida. This book details the disease, starvation, cannibals, constant rain, whitewater rapids, giant insects, flesh-eating fish, and other obstacles that became daily occurrences for the men on the river. Through it all, Teddy Roosevelt (in his mid-fifties!) displayed indomitable courage, stamina, energy, and good humor, inspiring all the others to keep pushing on in spite of hardships.

Although you will learn nothing about TR’s politics from this saga, you will learn a great deal about TR’s character, as well as about the beauty, strength, and invincibility of the rain forest. ( )

This is a page turner of a book. It chronicles how Theodore Rooseevelt and several other well known explorers fumbled thier way through the Amazon jungle to put a never before documented river on the map. From an inadequate preperation to stunning decisions that put the party in danger the reader is constantly wondering just how these men survived. How could men that left one of their party in the jungle to die after committing a murder then endanger the lives of everybody by stoping for two days to search for a lost dog? You may not understand but you will begin to see how people begin to think when at the edge of life and death and almost all seems lost. ( )

Candice Millard's The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey is one of those that I've been watching for ever since it came out (2005). I knew sooner or later that I'd stumble across a copy, and finally did. [I'm not sure why it always works out this way, but it seems that whenever I wait for a book to come to me instead of buying it right off as soon as I hear about it, I tend to like it more (this is probably a clue that I should buy fewer books, isn't it?).]

One of the reasons I never reached out and bought this book was all the hype it got when it was released. Books that get that much attention almost always disappoint me. But, thankfully, this one did no such thing. In fact, it deserved every word of praise it received (and I'm about to give it a few more). I simply couldn't put it down. Millard has managed to write one of the best popular histories in print today, and I would not hesitate to rank it among the best ever written.

Roosevelt's trip down the Rio Duvida (now the Rio Roosevelt) in 1914 is recounted here in meticulous and mind-boggling detail, with the tone of a novel and the suspense of a thriller. I've read many biographies of TR and of this trip and its impact on the former president's life, but Millard brings the episode alive to such a striking degree that I found it impossible to keep my breath from catching in my throat at certain points. Millard has captured TR and his companions brilliantly, but beyond that she also manages to make the river itself, the surrounding ecosystem and the (usually) invisible but nearby native peoples into integral parts of the narrative.

Following Roosevelt and his party through the jungle is a remarkably painful experience - between the diminishing rations, severe health problems, poor planning, nasty weather and all manner of insects and other annoyances, I found myself cringing every time the group ran into another set of rapids or was forced to stop and build another dugout. I just wanted them to make it through ... and then when they suddenly reached their destination, I thought it had all happened too soon.

This book is almost sure to be one of my top books of the year, but of course I do have the occasional quibble. More detailed maps would have been very useful, as would in-text indications of the endnotes (which are excellent, but aren't marked). But these are very minor criticisms - it's a great book, and one I highly recommend.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2008/... ( )

OK, I admit it. I spent most of 7th grade thinking about Pam Hershey rather than the American Presidents, but still, how could I have missed learning about someone as interesting as Theodore Roosevelt!? After reading this book about an exploratory trip he led down an unknown river in the middle of the Amazon after he was President, he has moved to the top of my list of people I'd like to have over for dinner. What an amazing story of grit, courage, and shear perseverance in the face of danger and starvation. And as if that weren't enough, Millard also throws in a lesson about the Amazon ecosystem and native Indians that is equally fascinating. A great read! ( )

This was in some ways a very hard book to read. The fact that the ex-president almost died on this journey and the horrifying journey that almost did it was excruciating to get through. His fortitude alone must have seen him through. This Brazilian river, an offshoot of the Amazon, is known as one of the most difficult to traverse and at that time not many had done so. The man was a marvel of courage and fortitude. ( )

The stunning story of President Theodore Roosevelt and a group of American and Brazilian men who risk everything to traverse an uncharted river in the Amazon rain forest. Part adventure thriller, part psychological intrigue, part natural science, part American History, this one was hard to put down. If this is what Candice Millard can do for a debut, I say bring the woman a glass of wine, and get out of her way. This author needs to do some more writing. ( )

A good page-turner only comes along every once and awhile - The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey is just one of those. What Candice Millard does is chart the expedition into the Amazon that Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and roughly twenty-five others made in the aftermath of the 1912 Presidential election. Roosevelt as Millard explains needed to test himself after his large defeat to Woodrow Wilson, and like other times in his life he turned to nature to provide the challenge and to do so he selected one of the most remote and uncharted tributaries of the Amazon River.

Millard does, frankly, an excellent job in recreating the expedition. She takes some time to explore Roosevelt as a character, but doesn't get bogged down in the details - you get enough to know the man and understand his impulse to make his way so far off the beaten track. But what she also does is explore the other characters that make their way into the story - Kermit Roosevelt and the Brazilian leader of the expedition, Candido Rondon.

Naturally this story, no matter how gripping it may have been in real life, would not go down well in print if not well written - which isn't a problem with Millard who as a journalist with National Geographic is an able and gripping writer which kept bringing me back for those "one more chapter" moments. ( )

I was fascinated by this book, especially since I've spent time floating down an Amazon jungle river in a dugout canoe (I'll admit it was about 8 hours). But you don't have to have the experience to be able to picture it all. The book is well written, gripping and entertaining. One question I have in these kinds of books is why did the survivors survive? What purpose do they/did they have yet to accomplish? Highly recommended! ( )

Perhaps we're jaded by our late-20th & early 21st century sense of our small world, but it's too easy for us armchair explorers to see the descent of a remote South American river as a middling accomplishment. Candice Millard helps us truly place ourselves at the turn of the 19th century, when so much was still unknown, particularly about the most distant places on the planet. And to think of a retired US President heading up (even if in name only, mostly) an exploration of the unknown, and losing himself entirely to the world for several months, while we live in an age where ex-presidents focus mostly on keeping their names in the paper and making the money they didn't make while in office, is rather astounding. Picture Bill Clinton, who's roughly the same age as Theodore Roosevelt in 1914, disappearing into the jungles of South American on some dubious, yet romantic adventure, his whereabouts unknown for months. Or George W Bush, again of similar age, vanishing from the public eye in the pursuit of some remote scientific adventure. (Though science wouldn't be high on his list of priorities. And how many of us wish he would just vanish.)

Candice Millard's account of the Roosevelt-Rondon South American Expedition of 1914 is a fascinating book, if you continuously remind yourself how far our sense of science, exploration and knowledge have come in a hundred years, and how much the presidency and post-presidency endeavours have changed over the same course of time. Millard's writing is at times a bit awkward, but the journey into the unknown itself is the star of this book. ( )

True adventure story of Teddy Roosevelt and his son who as part of an expedition in 1913 down an uncharted river in the Amazon face near starvation and death. ( )

Setting: An unexplored river deep in the Amazon rainforest, 1913-1914

Before I picked up this book, I only knew stray tidbits about Theodore
Roosevelt. Roosevelt Dam outside of Phoenix is named after him. He stayed at
the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee. He inspired someone to make the first
Teddy bear and name it after him. The Rough Riders and San Juan Hill. "Speak
softly and carry a big stick." He seemed to like to travel the world with a
brace of guns and blow critters to smithereens.

I know a lot more about him now, thanks to Candice Millard.

Millard focuses on an episode of Teddy Roosevelt's search for adventure that
came within a whisker of ending in disaster. A year after he lost a
third-party bid for President in 1912, Roosevelt decided to chase away his
blues by accepting an invitation for a South American trip that rapidly
evolved into an ill-prepared journey down an unexplored tributary of the
Amazon known as the River of Doubt. Being a rather typical VIP, Roosevelt
was content to let someone else do the planning and packing. Big mistake.
The person who stepped up to the plate as trip planner was a media crazy old
priest who was more interested in photo opportunities than he was in
ensuring that the trip was a success. He, in turn, chose another man to
round up all the supplies that would be needed--a man who'd only gone
exploring in the Arctic, and had done such an abysmal job of planning and
packing that all the people in the expedition almost died of exposure and
starvation.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster so far, doesn't it?

What kept the expedition from failing was the rest of the men--including
Roosevelt himself; his son, Kermit; the "co-captain" Brazilian Colonel
Cândido Rondon; naturalist George Cherrie; and several of the camaradas
hired to lug supplies and boats. Not enough food was packed. The boats were
the wrong type to travel down a river filled with white water rapids. A
cannibalistic tribe of natives shadowed their every move. An injury
Roosevelt sustained became infected with flesh-eating bacteria and left him
so weak that, at his lowest moment, he told Kermit to leave him to die in
the rainforest. Through it all, another character looms large in the
narrative--the Amazon rainforest. It is truly one of the most remarkable
places on this planet. ( )