The River of Doubt by CANDICE MILLARD, Candice Millard (2006, Paperback)

A Wild ride,must like Disney only a true account featuring a very public figure.If more authors were this enjoyable to read ther would have been more history majors or more history authors. A+

Candice Millard researched this book very thoroughly. As a former editor of the National Geographic she excelled at broadening the narrative to discuss anthropology (lifestyles of the South American Indian tribes), zoology (exotic and dangerous animals of the Amazon jungle), and politics (Theodore Roosevelt's ambitions and relations with Latin America).

The book weaves these topics into an amazing and true story the planning and execution of the South American expedition of 1914. From its excerpts of the explorers' letters and lectures we get an intimate understanding of each participant's motives and foibles. Millard's portrayal of TR is more balanced than I have seen in other biographies. Roosevelt is a man of such contradictions--boyish enthusiasm and iron discipline, superhuman willpower and human sentiment, exceptional intelligence and a common touch--that I struggle to imagine how all these qualities fit together in one mind.

The detailed profiles of the American and Brazilian explorers and how their decisions reflected their character make this book a good primer on leadership and management. Readers might find themselves looking for books about George Cherrie, the veteran naturalist from Vermont; and Cândido Rondon, the Brazilian commander who dedicated his life to bringing Brazil's jungle natives into the modern world.

The book cover is colorful and classy.

We bought this as a giht fore a friend of ours. Since Teddy Roosevelt is a hero of his and the book gives great detail about an adventure in his life that almost killed him.