Almost finished reading a book with the above mentioned title (note link). Just the epilogue left to go.
A fascinating, remarkable tale.
After being president for nearly two terms (he took over after McKinley was assassinated), taking a term off, and then running unsuccessfully as an independent (The Progressive Party - aka Bull Moose Party) Teddy Roosevelt decides it's high time for an adventure.
He enlists the help of some questionably competent people to plan the trip, has little input into the details at all, and off he goes with the family to South America to have his adventure. His wife and daughter will not be going on the adventure, but came to SA where they met his son Kermit, who would be going. After a significant amount of time being a dignitary all over SA, and having enlisted the help of the most competent Brazilian possible, it's time to head off into the wilderness.
Disaster strikes at almost every turn and their poor planning leaves them in serious jeopardy of starvation among other horrible outcomes. Teddy, in fact, is so ill at one point he asks to be left behind so as not to be a burden on the rest of the group.
This is 1914, and they have chosen a river never explored and named the River of Doubt by their Brazilian guide who came across the river while building the telegraph through the Amazon. Theinformation in the book is all from various diaries kept by those who were along, and the descriptions of travelling through the Amazon are disturbing.
The misadventures they experienced due to poor planning make the first February Freeze off look like Hannibal crossing the Alps.
Highly recommended.
5 comments:
Sounds like my kind of book. How did you find out? NPR?
On the last paragraph-likewise in the case of Zebulon Pike "exploring" the Mississippi.
A coworker lent me his copy.
Got a bit through the epilogue last night. When he returned people thought they were lying about exploring a previously uncharted 1000 mile river. Took it's toll on him too.
But my god, what a contrast he is with pretty much any president in the last 30 years, and certainly the contrasts are stark with the current one. From a family of means, but volunteered to go to fight in the Spanish American War, and even wanted to fight in WWI in his late 50's but Wilson would let him. Read French and ancient Greek books for fun while travelling. Treated the people that were brought along to do the heavy lifting on the expedition with incredible respect. Just an amazing guy.
Definitely among the most, if not the most, fascinating presidents.
He is quickly replacing my beloved abe lincoln as my favorite President. Bully! Bully! I would vote for the Bull Moose Party if it rose again.
Did you know that Teddy believed that on one of his trips he experienced a bigfoot? It's true. It was on the History Channel. He couldn't match what he saw to anything that he has ever seen before. This man knows animals, but has never witnessed a creature like that. "Speak softly and carry a bigfoot stick."
I mis lead you with the first hand report. I found the acount and posted it on my blog for those interested. I remembered the event incorrectly.
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