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    The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
    Unavailable
    The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
    Unavailable
    The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

    Written by Candice Millard

    Narrated by Richard Ferrone

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 25, 2005
    ISBN9780739323045
    Unavailable
    The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

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    Reviews for The River of Doubt

    4/5

    863 ratings88 reviews

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    • 5/5
      adventure down uncharted amazon tributary after loosing 2nd bid for president
    • 5/5
      I had read "Roosevelt's Beast" by Louis Bayard, which is a fictionalization of Theodore Roosevelt's expedition to the River of Doubt in the Amazon. I didn't love that book, but it intrigued me enough to want to read the true account (minus the mythical creature). I was not disappointed by "River of Doubt". It was an excellent adventure story and history lesson. After losing his bid for a third presidential term, Roosevelt was looking for distraction. As originally planned, his trip to South America was going to be pretty tame and was sponsored by the Museum of Natural History. However, the trip morphed into a dangerous expedition to map the River of Doubt and explore the surrounding territory. Both the preparation for, and the organization of, this expedition were flawed, to say the least. They had to split off some of the original intended explorers, losing both their expertise and a share of the provisions. An elderly priest (who had planned the original trip) was shunted off when he decided that he would explore from the comfort of a sedan chair. The remaining group of just over 20 men included Roosevelt, one of his sons Kermit, Brazilian soldiers, indians and others. Some were experienced explorers, but not always successful ones. They had to lighten their load in order to get to the river, so much of their food had to go. (A lot of it was impractical anyway. Really, you need a crate of mustard or applesauce?) Unfortunately, their boats had to go too, leaving them to forage for makeshift, leaky canoes once they reached the river. I was really surprised to learn that they brought their pet dogs (and books) with them. The actual river part of the trip took about 2 months, but I'm sure it felt like longer to them. Both of the Roosevelts were adventurers and daredevils, but they had not had to cope with the number of adversities that plagued them in the Amazon, including gruesome parasites, venomous snakes, insects, accidents, diseases, hostile indians, impassable rapids and murder. This was a really fascinating story and very well written.
    • 4/5
      A great adventure story that also reveals much about Roosevelt's character. What made him heroic and what made him a flawed human.
    • 5/5
      A pageturner!
    • 4/5
      Great story of T. Roosevelt's Amazon journey, after he was president, and how he barely survived it.
    • 4/5
      Remarkable attempt by the ex-president to explore an unknown Amazon River tributary. The ill-prepared expedition reminds me of Scott's ill-fated attempt to conquer the South Pole. Fortunately, the co-leader of the expedition is part Indian and is the glue that holds the expedition together. TR's son Kermit is also on the expedition.
    • 4/5
      Millard paints Roosevelt's biography in broad strokes, reviewing his fragile health as a child, the loss of his mother and wife in the same 24 hours (Valentine's Day of all days), and his need to push his physical limits when faced with tragedies or failures. It is this need that sets the stage for Millard's true focus: Roosevelt's South American expedition to an uncharted tributary of the Amazon. He refused to go where everyone else had trod and yet, he expected the excursion to be ho-hum and without incident. Silly man. Millard's account of the expedition has it all, excitement, adventure, violence, death and madness.
    • 5/5
      With River of Doubt, I have finally closed the loop on Candice Millard's available histories. She is a wonderful writer who not only explores the event itself, but widens the scope of her storytelling to include the broader context of her subject. With the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition, she does well in relaying the events of the journey, but the irony of why this books is so enjoyable is the Roosevelt is not wholly the focus. More than Roosevelt, the Amazon river and forest dominate this story. Millard spends ample time explaining the ecology of the region. From the scarcity of wild game to dangers of Piranha and Candiru, in the black water, we are treated to an ominous, dark, and maddening environment. The author also explains the biology of plant life; from why vines grow a certain way and the fact the dense canopy of foliage not only kept the land below dark, but also let little else grow. I give credit Millard for making the science interesting. However, what struck me the most about this story was Roosevelt's co-commander, Candido Rondon. Rondon was a career Brazilian military officer who had been exploring the Western Amazon basin for years before joining Roosevelt's expedition. Rondon was responsible for miles of telegraph wire placed in the Amazon forest. He was a disciplinarian, but one who commanded the respect of his men. Rondon was also famous for his compassion for the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. throughout his years of running telegraph wire he was also responsible for making peaceful advances to many of the dangerous tribes within the forest. He is a fascinating man and Millard does excellent work in bringing him to life. The journey down the 'River of Doubt' was fraught with challenges on both land and water. The most prevalent challenge was white water rapids and waterfalls. Countless times, the water was too rough and the expedition had to make a portage, which meant carrying the canoes over land. I am amazed by by the constitution of these men who fought disease, starvation, and injury to continue though to the end. 5 of 5 stars
    • 3/5
      First, I did not enjoy reading about an expedition itself so badly planned and disorganized. Nothing "great" about putting a lot of lives in jeopardy because you needed a diversion but couldn't be bothered do what's necessary. I lost most of my admiration for TR. The author tried but couldn't totally put a good face on the botched expedition. And too much of the book was filler: a regular encyclopedia about all things South America, and whatever must have seemed salient about the various "explorers". I suspect many readers would not enjoy such stories unless the mountain climbers fell or the boaters drowned. So they enjoyed a regular demolition derby here.
    • 4/5
      Fascinating. Millard's research and detail are amazing. As is the history the narrative describes.
    • 5/5
      Excellent reading; highly suspenseful.
    • 5/5
      The River of Doubt is a well-researched page turner. I don't believe that modern times have seen a U.S. president quite as colorful as Theodore Roosevelt. In addition to having been a leading statesmen, he was one of the foremost naturalists of his time. When his ego was bruised by a defeat that not only put him at odds with the Republican Party for splitting the vote but also ushered, in Woodrow Wilson, the first Democrat to rule the country in 16 years, Roosevelt decided to make use of himself outside of politics. Invited on a speech making tour in South America, circumstances aligned in such a way that Roosevelt was given the chance and challenge of a lifetime: to co-lead an expedition to explore and uncharted tributary of the Amazon, known colloquially as "The River of Doubt."It's a well worn cliche to talk about making history come alive, but Millard's book does manage to do so. I was by turns amazed, thrilled, and horrified by the book's turn of events, and even though I knew that Roosevelt survives the ordeals of the trip, it seemed impossible that he could or would. This is a wonderful piece of nonfiction writing about a grand adventure as well as a fascinating bit of history.
    • 5/5
      About the journey to discover the headwaters of the River of Doubt in the Brazilian rainforest. Very difficult journey and TR nearly died.
    • 5/5
      A great book! Very interesting history about Roosevelt and his exploration!
    • 4/5
      Excellent narrator (audiobook).As far as content, you're either interested in this historical tidbit or you aren't... if you ARE, the author has written an engaging, easy flowing history of travels in a uniquely harrowing environment. I don't know who anyone traveled in those jungles before modern medicine was easily available so my interest was piqued before even starting the book. Roosevelt becomes more interesting as I learn more about him.
    • 5/5
      A gripping adventure tale that would make a great movie.
    • 4/5
      Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about south American jungle rain forest, tropical fish, insects, rubber tress, pollinators, and poisonous arrows read this book and indulge yourself!Exciting and slightly romantic account of Roosevelt 's insatiable appetite for adventure and discovery will keep you up late into the night to finish this page turning account of bravery and questionable sanity of explorers. Great read. Great adventure. Long live the memory and exploits of one of our most colorful presidents.
    • 4/5
      We listened to this audio book during our camping trip in the swamps of Georgia - it was certainly a fitting tale for our adventure! The book focuses on Theodore Roosevelt's journey in the Amazon, where he successfully attempts to navigate through uncharted territory known only as the River of Doubt. What a story! Even though I knew he would survive, the facts are so amazing, you simply can't believe some of the things that occurred. Definitely a page turner. The only downside for me was a few sections where the author went into elaborate background detail for unrelated (or semi-related) concepts, which I selfishly admit I enjoyed when I cared about the topic, and was slightly bored when I didn't care as much.With regards to the audio - we both really enjoyed this particular narrator. He has a good speaking voice, and did a great job differentiating between the characters.
    • 5/5
      The author tells the story of T. Roosevelt's adventure down an uncharted river in the Brazilian Amazon, after his 3rd party bid for the presidency failed. Very well told, excellent detail, especially the descriptions of the jungle itself. Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      Historical account of Roosevelt's trip to Brazil to chart the River of Doubt. An engaging account that brings to life the historical period, lives, politics, science and adventure of Roosevelt and his companions.
    • 4/5
      After his failed bid for re-election as a third party candidate in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt decided to go on a trip to South America. The cobbled together expedition changed from politics & pleasure (visiting his son Kermit, for example) to an expedition down what was then known as the Rio da Duvida - the River of Doubt. Previously only a portion of it was known, and this exploration would literally put it on the map - but at what cost to Roosevelt and his contingent?Teddy Roosevelt is an interesting character, and a president with whom I should be more familiar, but I'm afraid before I read this book the only things I could remember about him was the Rough Riders and "Speak softly and carry a big stick." The book sets the stage deliberately with information about the Roosevelts, American politics and more, but once it moves into the expedition it's a rip-roaring survival story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The information about Brazilian Indian tribes, rainforest ecology and more was fascinating.
    • 5/5
      This deftly related tale of TR's journey of exploration through the Amazon Basin has everything you could want in an adventure story: adventure, suspense, danger, exotic locales, good guys, bad guys, and a protagonist straight out of an H. Rider Haggard tale, TR himself. The outline of the book is quickly told: after his last, unsuccessful run for the Presidency, a dejected TR grabs at a fortuitous offer from the Brazilian government to participate in a sightseeing journey through the Amazon Basin. Just the thing to take his mind off his disappointment.Almost at once, however, circumstances conspire to transform the proposed pleasant sightseeing outing into something quite different - an exploratory journey down one of the most perilous Amazon tributaries imaginable. Ill-prepared, ill-equipped, and plagued by hardships that rapidly escalate from annoying (hilariously inappropriate provisions) to life-threatening (hunger, disease, ruinous rapids, tretchery, cannibalistic natives), TR and his team of intrepid companions - to include a Brazilian hero, intrepid naturalists, and his brooding son Kermit - struggle to survive, even the the odds against them continue to mount. How they emerge from their ordeal alive (filthy, starved and near-death) is a testament to the determination, courage, and perserverence of a truly extraordinary company of individuals. Along the way, the author treats us to a feast of fascinating information about TR's life and character, the history of Brazil, the science of naturalism and mapping, and the ferocious, exotic beauty of the Amazon region. (Folks who have read The Lost City of Z will be familiar with some of this material, but Millard adds plenty of chilling new insights.) If Haggard were to read this, I'm betting he'd be envious he didn't write it himself, and all the more extraordinary because it's all true. Thanks to the diligent journaling of multiple members of the company, the author has ample source material and does a spectacular job of spinning it into a yarn that will leave the reader appreciating at least three things: (1) truth is often stranger - and infinitely more chilling - than fiction, (2) there are about 10,000 ways to die in the Amazon, every one of them gruesome, and (3) TR was a truly remarkable individual.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book so much, it was a real delight! I am recommending it to everyone I know.
    • 5/5
      Fabulous book - well researched and beautifully written. It's not a biography of T. Roosevelt, but she writes enough about him so you understand the man and what drive him to make such a dangerous trip. And it's not a science/ecology book, but she writes enough about the Amazon so you understand what it's truly like to experience it. And she gives ample space to the others on the trip who are just as interesting in their own way as Teddy. Well balanced and riveting.
    • 4/5
      Certainly a story about Teddy Roosevelt I knew nothing about--his post-presidency expedition to explore an unmapped portion of the Amazon rain forest. The journey no doubt played a role in shortening his life. The author tells it straight, not enhancing the drama as much of the story is dramatic enough in itself.

      T.R. is a president about whom I carry mixed feelings, but he truly shines here.
    • 4/5
      Riveting, though over-sensationalized, story of TR's midlife crisis-turned headlong expedition into an uncharted expanse of S. America. Who doesn't like a death-defying, Indian-haunted sojourn down an unknown river? Surprises me that this is apparently the first contemporary examination of the ordeal.
    • 3/5
      This is a riveting tale, but Millard annoys by constantly elaborating on the science behind the dangers and reiterating them frequently to heighten the dread. A straightforward presentation of the events of the trip would have been more gripping. If I'd been reading the print version rather than listening to the audio, there are lots of passages I would have skipped.
    • 5/5
      Teddy Roosevelt's Discovery and exploration of a tributary of the Amazon River
    • 4/5
      Exciting and interesting. I read it because my dad did. I've not read enough other similar books to judge it objectively or say anything really, but I did really like it.
    • 5/5
      A book that looks at the period after Roosevelt loses his election bid as a Bull Moose candidate and his trip down the River of Doubt. One can not even imagine a current day ex-president doing a trip like this ever. This just shows the type of president that Teddy was, however this trip probably shortened his life. Millard does a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life and explaining the difficulties of this trip.