The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

[Geofferson]

This book has been receiving strong praise...has anyone read it?

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-City-Dead...6283652&sr=1-1

Amazon Exclusive: John Grisham Reviews The Lost City of Z

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, John Grisham has written twenty novels and one work of nonfiction, The Innocent Man. His second novel, The Firm, spent 47 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, becoming the bestselling novel of 1991. The success of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. His most recent novel, The Associate, was published in January 2009. Read his exclusive Amazon guest review of The Lost City of Z:

In April of 1925, a legendary British explorer named Percy Fawcett launched his final expedition into the depths of the Amazon in Brazil. His destination was the lost city of El Dorado, the “City of Gold,” an ancient kingdom of great sophistication, architecture, and culture that, for some reason, had vanished. The idea of El Dorado had captivated anthropologists, adventurers, and scientists for 400 years, though there was no evidence it ever existed. Hundreds of expeditions had gone looking for it. Thousands of men had perished in the jungles searching for it. Fawcett himself had barely survived several previous expeditions and was more determined than ever to find the lost city with its streets and temples of gold.

The world was watching. Fawcett, the last of the great Victorian adventurers, was financed by the Royal Geographical Society in London, the world’s foremost repository of research gathered by explorers. Fawcett, then age 57, had proclaimed for decades his belief in the City of Z, as he had nicknamed it. His writings, speeches, and exploits had captured the imagination of millions, and reports of his last expedition were front page news.

His expeditionary force consisted of three men--himself, his 21-year-old son Jack, and one of Jack’s friends. Fawcett believed that only a small group had any chance of surviving the horrors of the Amazon. He had seen large forces decimated by malaria, insects, snakes, poison darts, starvation, and insanity. He knew better. He and his two companions would travel light, carry their own supplies, eat off the land, pose no threat to the natives, and endure months of hardship in their search for the Lost City of Z.

They were never seen again. Fawcett’s daily dispatches trickled to a stop. Months passed with no word. Because he had survived several similar forays into the Amazon, his family and friends considered him to be near super-human. As before, they expected Fawcett to stumble out of the jungle, bearded and emaciated and announcing some fantastic discovery. It did not happen.

Over the years, the search for Fawcett became more alluring than the search for El Dorado itself. Rescue efforts, from the serious to the farcical, materialized in the years that followed, and hundreds of others lost their lives in the search. Rewards were posted. Psychics were brought in by the family. Articles and books were written. For decades the legend of Percy Fawcett refused to die.

The great mystery of what happened to Fawcett has never been solved, perhaps until now. In 2004, author David Grann discovered the story while researching another one. Soon, like hundreds before him, he became obsessed with the legend of the colorful adventurer and his baffling disappearance. Grann, a lifelong New Yorker with an admitted aversion to camping and mountain climbing, a lousy sense of direction, and an affinity for take-out food and air conditioning, soon found himself in the jungles of the Amazon. What he found there, some 80 years after Fawcett’s disappearance, is a startling conclusion to this absorbing narrative.

The Lost City of Z is a riveting, exciting and thoroughly compelling tale of adventure.

[Giles]

David Grann was at the National Geo last month talking about his book and his own trek into the Amazon. (I of course missed it)

[Deke Rivers]

dl'ed a sample of it to my Kindle the other day..have not had a chance to read it

[arminius]

Sounded interesting enough that I put a hold on it in my library. Should get it soon.

[M Polo]

Just happened to d/l this the other day on my K2. I haven't had a chance to start it yet but the premise sounded damn interesting.

[Ms. M]

For those who have read it, does this author actually offer a real solution to this mystery? I would definitely consider reading it if the author has any insights to offer regarding the city and Fawcett's fate besides the probable ones that he got lost, died of the elements, and there never was any city.

[arminius]

Originally Posted by Ms. M

For those who have read it, does this author actually offer a real solution to this mystery? I would definitely consider reading it if the author has any insights to offer regarding the city and Fawcett's fate besides the probable ones that he got lost, died of the elements, and there never was any city.

Yes, on both, but it may not be what you expect. The conquistadors would have been disappointed.

[M Polo]

So far the book has been great. I'd actually like to find more books like this so if anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it.

[djmont]

A friend who's an editor raved about this book when he read it on submission last year. So I've been tempted to pick it up. If only I had more slack in my reading schedule...

[movieking]

I thumbed through the print edition at a bookstore yesterday. I was thinking about downloading it for my Sony reader, but I'm not sure how well the maps and pictures will transfer, so I might end up buying a hard copy. Still on the fence. The price is about the same though..

[M Polo]

Finished the book and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. The conclusion the author comes to is a very interesting one and overall I have to say the entire book was just a quality piece.

I'd recommend this to anyone.

[movieking]

Finally got around to picking up the ebook version and just finished it. I have to say that I was very disappointed with the first half, as it was slow paced and didn't have anything to do with the search for Z. While it did give the backup of Fawcett and his other expeditions, I was hoping that the whole book would be about the last journey, and not just the last chapter or two. I also found most of the chapters with Grann describing his own research very boring. However, as I got towards the end, the book started to really grab me.

Glad I read it, but I just wish that it was engaging throughout instead of just towards the end.

[maingon]

I finished this book a few weeks ago and I loved it. Really interesting and lots of really cool facts throught the book. One of my favorite books.