Into the Amazon: An Incredible Story of Survival in the Jungle

by John Harrison

The last time John Harrison ventured into the jungle a member of his group died.This time he brought his wife.The Tumucumaque Hills on BrazilOCOs northern frontier are one of the few remaining unexplored regions on earth. Back in 1950, a young French explorer set off into the deepest jungle of that region and was never seen again.Inspired by that explorerOCOs diary, John and Heather Harrison paddled their canoe into some of the remotest tributaries of the Amazon, with no TV cameras, sponsors or the slightest chance of being rescued if things went wrong. Lost, and threatened by malaria, snakes, jaguars, piranhas, aggressive wild pigs and flesh-burrowing insects, they slashed a precipitous path over the mountains.This is travel at its rawest: the incredible story of the HarrisonsOCO struggle to keep their deteriorating sanity and relationship intact in one of the most hostile and unforgiving places in the world."

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This is John^^Harrison, the explorer.

John Harrison studied Latin American History and Sociology before working as a tour guide in South America. His first book, Up the Creek: An Amazon Adventure, was described as ‘an admirable book by an admirable man’ in the Daily Telegraph and a National Geographic documentary was made about him in 1991. He currently resides in Bristol.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting read about a couple exploring the amazon jungle and rowing on the minor rivers

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times a soul destroying tale of one man's determination and single minded obsession to make a journey and follow in the footsteps of a side stream of history. His writing style recreates the harsh nature of the adventure, pulling no punches on an emotional striptease as the elements appear to conspire against his wife and him on their quest. Interspersed with wry humour and acute observation at the ruthless impact of civilisation on such a remote region, this book is guaranteed to take you away from your surroundings and to feel the imaginary tickle of insects on your skin.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

whoever is thinking about going into the Amazon, read this book first. You learn a lot from it.

[Sarah Morris]

Very entertaining and well written....but don’t get upset by the futility of their expedition.
My thoughts all the way through this book was” What’s the point.?”
Hey ho....I suspect the British sense of righteousness and “Just because it’s there”.
Anyway.....a brave wife to go with him , though it did test their relationship to the extreme.
It’s very interesting and belongs with those group of books where you’re left wondering “why?”
I know it’s put me right off going to a jungle .....or in a canoe for that matter.!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrison takes off on a trip, with his wife, through some really remote parts of the Amazon rainforest, inspired by and following a Frenchman called Raymond Maufrais, who went through the same area a number of years previously, and died.

The voyage is mainly by canoe, but to get through the jungle, they have to carry all their kit in stages between two tributaries of the Amazon. Through the trip they almost fall out, get very lost, and run out of food. But in the end make it through to French Guiana.

I really enjoyed this, it came across as a really tough journey, that was very close to ending in disaster, in particular when they were separated whilst moving kit. They came out the other side ok, and hopefully they are stronger because of it. I fully intend to read his other book, Up the Creek.

[Ayreon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5