What do you think?
Rate this book
Through the Brazilian Wilderness
After losing his bid for the United States Presidency as a third party candidate, Theodore Roosevelt decided to take on the most dangerous adventure left on earth. He and his son, Kermit, accepted Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon's invitation to help him plot the course of the River of Doubt. The River of Doubt could just as easily have been named the River of Death. The river's rapids turned out to be much more ferocious than expected, cannibalistic natives dogged the group through most of the journey, and Murphy was their constant companion. The expedition lost men, supplies, and canoes. At one point, Roosevelt contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and became so weak that he urged his son to leave him behind to die. Ultimately Teddy and Kermit emerged from the wilderness triumphantly. Here is their story in Theodore Roosevelt's own words.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1914
209 people are currently reading
2817 people want to read
About the author
Theodore Roosevelt
2,390 books913 followersTheodore Roosevelt, Jr., also known as T.R., and to the public (but never to friends and family) as Teddy, was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, and a leader of the Republican Party and of the Progressive Movement.
He fathered Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a daughter.
He became the youngest President in United States history at the age of 42. He served in many roles including Governor of New York, historian, naturalist, explorer, author, and soldier (posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his role at the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War).
Roosevelt is most famous for his personality: his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" persona.
He fathered Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a daughter.
He became the youngest President in United States history at the age of 42. He served in many roles including Governor of New York, historian, naturalist, explorer, author, and soldier (posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his role at the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War).
Roosevelt is most famous for his personality: his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" persona.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 27, 2017
I found this book thanks to Douglas Fairbanks, whose book Laugh and Live I read recently. He wrote that keeping the mind active as well as the body was important, and mentioned a few books he thought of as worthwhile. Theodore Roosevelt's four volume work The Winning of the West was a favorite on that list, and when I went to see if it was available at Gutenberg (yes, and the four volumes are now on my Someday List) I noticed this title about Brazil. It appealed to me because I needed a book set in South America for a March challenge. Sometimes the Book Universe provides you with The Next Book You Need To Read, so here we are.
In 1913-14 Roosevelt was part of an expedition through Paraguay and Brazil, with two main goals in mind. Partly the trip was to collect specimens of animals and birds for the Natural History Museum in New York City, but the Brazilian Government also became involved when it offered to combine Roosevelt's trip with their own official one in order to survey a river that was not yet on the maps. How could any rough riding ex-president say no to such an opportunity?
So off they all went, and Roosevelt proved himself to be a capable journalist, providing a lot of detail about his surroundings (sometimes quite poetically) and proving himself to be a man full of wonder and curiosity about the world around him. And this is one reason I took what felt to me like a long time to read this book. TR's comments about this, that, and the other kept sending me off to see either more details about his subject, or to learn how certain events had turned out in a future which he thought would be quite rosy 'if'.
For example, early in the trip, when they are following the Paraguay river into Brazil and Roosevelt makes this comment (remember this was 1913) ~~ " There is a great development ahead for Paraguay, as soon as they can definitely shake off the revolutionary habit and establish an orderly permanence of government."
Naturally I wondered what happened so off I went on the first of many side trips that helped make this book fascinating. And Paraguay? Would Roosevelt have been disappointed or pleased? According to Wiki the country had years of unrest and holds the record for South America's longest military dictatorship, which lasted from 1954 to 1989. I am not sure that is the type of permanent government TR had in mind, but perhaps he would have been happier with the general elections that finally began in 1993?
Anyway, Roosevelt had certain points he returned to quite often. He was very interested in the coloration of animals and what it might truly mean. Camouflage or advertisement or both or neither? He was thrilled with the vast variety of bird life in the country. And he frequently commented about how easily the people worked together, respected each other, and did not seem racially biased. Although of course in order to mention this he has to always mention the dusky, brown, black, copper, and so on skin tones of not only the men of the expedition but of all the people he came across in the country. I am not sure if he was surprised to see people accepting each other apparently without judging each other or if he thought that was the way the world should naturally work. I just noticed how often he mentioned something that in an ideal world would be accepted as a basic fact and not inspire the need to be commented on repeatedly. Obviously we have not yet arrived in that ideal world.
Of course it was disturbing to modern eyes to read about all the 'collecting' going on. The naturalists even shot hummingbirds! How could anyone do that? And what size bird shot would you have to use to have any kind of specimen left after you shoot it? So the whole expedition seems both brutal and destructive, but Roosevelt was trying to change attitudes. He mentioned more than once that what was truly necessary was scientific observation in the field by naturalists who had the ability to write about what they were observing; that the time for slaughter was past. Wouldn't it have been nice if he had started talking like that years earlier?! And even nicer if people had listened?!
Another point he kept making was about how the country they were in would benefit from 'progress'. The telegraph had gotten through, soon would come railroads, and then settlers and cities and industry and so on and so forth. I could never understand how Roosevelt could write so glowingly about Nature and then in practically the same breath condemn it to 'progress'. I suppose I just wish that when it comes to the way we humans have handled the planet, we had spoken softly and left the big stick hidden away in the back of the closet.
I ended up with mixed feelings about this whole book. Loved the armchair travel to a place I will never be able to see in real life; hated the collecting, conquering attitude. Was impressed by Roosevelt's writing ability; disappointed in much of his thought processes. Glad I read it; sorry to think what the area must be like now after many years of that horrid 'progress'.
Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock and start the whole world over again? With changes somehow built in that would keep the planet from being turned into a mess? That is my mood after finishing this book. I'm not sure that is the mood Roosevelt had hoped to inspire in his readers, but there it is.
In 1913-14 Roosevelt was part of an expedition through Paraguay and Brazil, with two main goals in mind. Partly the trip was to collect specimens of animals and birds for the Natural History Museum in New York City, but the Brazilian Government also became involved when it offered to combine Roosevelt's trip with their own official one in order to survey a river that was not yet on the maps. How could any rough riding ex-president say no to such an opportunity?
So off they all went, and Roosevelt proved himself to be a capable journalist, providing a lot of detail about his surroundings (sometimes quite poetically) and proving himself to be a man full of wonder and curiosity about the world around him. And this is one reason I took what felt to me like a long time to read this book. TR's comments about this, that, and the other kept sending me off to see either more details about his subject, or to learn how certain events had turned out in a future which he thought would be quite rosy 'if'.
For example, early in the trip, when they are following the Paraguay river into Brazil and Roosevelt makes this comment (remember this was 1913) ~~ " There is a great development ahead for Paraguay, as soon as they can definitely shake off the revolutionary habit and establish an orderly permanence of government."
Naturally I wondered what happened so off I went on the first of many side trips that helped make this book fascinating. And Paraguay? Would Roosevelt have been disappointed or pleased? According to Wiki the country had years of unrest and holds the record for South America's longest military dictatorship, which lasted from 1954 to 1989. I am not sure that is the type of permanent government TR had in mind, but perhaps he would have been happier with the general elections that finally began in 1993?
Anyway, Roosevelt had certain points he returned to quite often. He was very interested in the coloration of animals and what it might truly mean. Camouflage or advertisement or both or neither? He was thrilled with the vast variety of bird life in the country. And he frequently commented about how easily the people worked together, respected each other, and did not seem racially biased. Although of course in order to mention this he has to always mention the dusky, brown, black, copper, and so on skin tones of not only the men of the expedition but of all the people he came across in the country. I am not sure if he was surprised to see people accepting each other apparently without judging each other or if he thought that was the way the world should naturally work. I just noticed how often he mentioned something that in an ideal world would be accepted as a basic fact and not inspire the need to be commented on repeatedly. Obviously we have not yet arrived in that ideal world.
Of course it was disturbing to modern eyes to read about all the 'collecting' going on. The naturalists even shot hummingbirds! How could anyone do that? And what size bird shot would you have to use to have any kind of specimen left after you shoot it? So the whole expedition seems both brutal and destructive, but Roosevelt was trying to change attitudes. He mentioned more than once that what was truly necessary was scientific observation in the field by naturalists who had the ability to write about what they were observing; that the time for slaughter was past. Wouldn't it have been nice if he had started talking like that years earlier?! And even nicer if people had listened?!
Another point he kept making was about how the country they were in would benefit from 'progress'. The telegraph had gotten through, soon would come railroads, and then settlers and cities and industry and so on and so forth. I could never understand how Roosevelt could write so glowingly about Nature and then in practically the same breath condemn it to 'progress'. I suppose I just wish that when it comes to the way we humans have handled the planet, we had spoken softly and left the big stick hidden away in the back of the closet.
I ended up with mixed feelings about this whole book. Loved the armchair travel to a place I will never be able to see in real life; hated the collecting, conquering attitude. Was impressed by Roosevelt's writing ability; disappointed in much of his thought processes. Glad I read it; sorry to think what the area must be like now after many years of that horrid 'progress'.
Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock and start the whole world over again? With changes somehow built in that would keep the planet from being turned into a mess? That is my mood after finishing this book. I'm not sure that is the mood Roosevelt had hoped to inspire in his readers, but there it is.
October 11, 2013
Theodore Roosevelt was the manliest of men.
There's no doubt about it.
This book documents his exploration of hundreds of miles of an unknown river in the middle of the Amazon river over the course of 2 months.
First of all, can you even imagine a contemporary American president taking on such a task? Like, if George Bush finished his time and office and said, "You know what? I'm going to the middle of the Amazon rainforest for a few months with nothing but a gun and a canoe I carved from a tree... see ya."
Roosevelt and his crew lived off birds and monkey meat as many of their food rations were lost in the rapids. He encountered and celebrated with the friendly indigenous tribes, and was shot at by the aggressive ones. There are stories of men getting stripped to the bone by piranas, bit by venomous snakes, and mauled by jaguars. Some of his men died on the trip.
He knew it would be a dangerous and life-threatening adventure, but he stated that he would rather be buried in a coffin in the Amazon than live out a sedentary life in the U.S. It's ironic because it's this voyage that highly contributed to his premature death, as he left a hardy adventurer, but returned a frail and weakened man.
The purpose of the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition was to accurately document and explore a large tributary river that had not previously been on any maps. He also had members along of the American Museum of Natural History that caught hundreds of species from the land, many of which were new to science. It was a painstaking task and progress was slow. He and his men wondered if they would even make it out alive. It's written like Roosevelt's own journal and it's a fascinating piece of adventure literature that I highly recommend.
I'll end my review with my favorite line of the book. I love the phrase "hauntingly beautiful" and I rarely get to use it. But I find the following example a more than appropriate use, as its quite possibly one of the greatest quotes in contemporary American literature especially considering the context:
"It was a strange and interesting sight to see these utterly wild, friendly savages circling in their slow dance, and chanting their immemorial melodies, in the brilliant tropical moonlight, with the river rushing by in the background, through the lonely heart of the wilderness.
The indians stayed with us, feasting, dancing, and singing until the early hours of the morning. Then they suddenly and silently disappeared into the darkness, and did not return."- Theodore Roosevelt.
There's no doubt about it.
This book documents his exploration of hundreds of miles of an unknown river in the middle of the Amazon river over the course of 2 months.
First of all, can you even imagine a contemporary American president taking on such a task? Like, if George Bush finished his time and office and said, "You know what? I'm going to the middle of the Amazon rainforest for a few months with nothing but a gun and a canoe I carved from a tree... see ya."
Roosevelt and his crew lived off birds and monkey meat as many of their food rations were lost in the rapids. He encountered and celebrated with the friendly indigenous tribes, and was shot at by the aggressive ones. There are stories of men getting stripped to the bone by piranas, bit by venomous snakes, and mauled by jaguars. Some of his men died on the trip.
He knew it would be a dangerous and life-threatening adventure, but he stated that he would rather be buried in a coffin in the Amazon than live out a sedentary life in the U.S. It's ironic because it's this voyage that highly contributed to his premature death, as he left a hardy adventurer, but returned a frail and weakened man.
The purpose of the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition was to accurately document and explore a large tributary river that had not previously been on any maps. He also had members along of the American Museum of Natural History that caught hundreds of species from the land, many of which were new to science. It was a painstaking task and progress was slow. He and his men wondered if they would even make it out alive. It's written like Roosevelt's own journal and it's a fascinating piece of adventure literature that I highly recommend.
I'll end my review with my favorite line of the book. I love the phrase "hauntingly beautiful" and I rarely get to use it. But I find the following example a more than appropriate use, as its quite possibly one of the greatest quotes in contemporary American literature especially considering the context:
"It was a strange and interesting sight to see these utterly wild, friendly savages circling in their slow dance, and chanting their immemorial melodies, in the brilliant tropical moonlight, with the river rushing by in the background, through the lonely heart of the wilderness.
The indians stayed with us, feasting, dancing, and singing until the early hours of the morning. Then they suddenly and silently disappeared into the darkness, and did not return."- Theodore Roosevelt.
June 20, 2022
“Roosevelt’s Hunting Expedition Through the Brazilian Wilderness” would have been a more appropriate title.
The expedition is described as being a naturalist/cartographical one but more detail is given to the animals hunted and eaten. Few examples were given regarding the potential new species discovered other than their type and a few basis phsysical features.
The journey itself was unique and interesting but the storytelling fell well short. The style of writing was formulaic and felt like he was transcribing an excel spreadsheet: Location, landscape, level of difficulty, insects present, animals encountered, whether animals tasted good, suitable for settlement.
As an animal-lover it was quite painful to read about the flippant hunting of so many animals. Some particular phrases bothered me:
“When some six years previously, he had spoken to me in the White House about taking this South American trip, I had answered that I could not, as I intended to go to Africa, but added that I hoped some day to go to South America and that if I did I should try to shoot both a jaguar and a tapir, as they were the chacteristic big-game animals of the country.”
“All these birds were new to the collection - no naturalists had previously worked this region - so that the afternoon’s work represented nine species new to the collection, six new genera, and a most excellent soup.”
This last paragraph was commonplace. Many caymans etc were shot for fun, and self-justified by adding that they were harmful to the dogs or cattle.
I am glad to have learned about the exploration but otherwise more unhappy with the extent of animals killed for no reason (the collection ones are understandable, not just the hunting for fun occasions).
This book is for hunters, not animal lovers.
The expedition is described as being a naturalist/cartographical one but more detail is given to the animals hunted and eaten. Few examples were given regarding the potential new species discovered other than their type and a few basis phsysical features.
The journey itself was unique and interesting but the storytelling fell well short. The style of writing was formulaic and felt like he was transcribing an excel spreadsheet: Location, landscape, level of difficulty, insects present, animals encountered, whether animals tasted good, suitable for settlement.
As an animal-lover it was quite painful to read about the flippant hunting of so many animals. Some particular phrases bothered me:
“When some six years previously, he had spoken to me in the White House about taking this South American trip, I had answered that I could not, as I intended to go to Africa, but added that I hoped some day to go to South America and that if I did I should try to shoot both a jaguar and a tapir, as they were the chacteristic big-game animals of the country.”
“All these birds were new to the collection - no naturalists had previously worked this region - so that the afternoon’s work represented nine species new to the collection, six new genera, and a most excellent soup.”
This last paragraph was commonplace. Many caymans etc were shot for fun, and self-justified by adding that they were harmful to the dogs or cattle.
I am glad to have learned about the exploration but otherwise more unhappy with the extent of animals killed for no reason (the collection ones are understandable, not just the hunting for fun occasions).
This book is for hunters, not animal lovers.
January 23, 2013
Overall: a sometimes understated tale of courage and bravery in the face of tremendous difficulty and adventure.
Not going to lie, I love Teddy Roosevelt. I think he is an amazing portrait of manliness that every man should aspire to imitate. That is the sole reason I picked this book up and I am glad I did.
The book is Teddy's memoir of the journey that he embarked on after his presidential election loss. He heads down an uncharted river into the Amazon River Basin mapping, charting, detailing, hunting, canoeing, watching people drown, getting malaria, finding new species of animals (and killing them), and just about everything else a Man's Man would do whilst adventuring through an uncharted wilderness.
The thing that struck me most was the understated way that he described the more monumental aspects and happenings of the journey. "Billy was in a canoe that flipped. He drown. We lost a weeks worth of food. But then we saw this new bird (followed by three pages about the birds and other animals they found)." I know that there is another book out that probably plays out the adventure a little more, so if that is what you like rather than the former description, please find that book.
I thought it was an interesting look into the life and adventure of history's greatest men. I would recommend "Through the Brazilian Wilderness" to people who love Teddy and manliness and nature and adventure.
Not going to lie, I love Teddy Roosevelt. I think he is an amazing portrait of manliness that every man should aspire to imitate. That is the sole reason I picked this book up and I am glad I did.
The book is Teddy's memoir of the journey that he embarked on after his presidential election loss. He heads down an uncharted river into the Amazon River Basin mapping, charting, detailing, hunting, canoeing, watching people drown, getting malaria, finding new species of animals (and killing them), and just about everything else a Man's Man would do whilst adventuring through an uncharted wilderness.
The thing that struck me most was the understated way that he described the more monumental aspects and happenings of the journey. "Billy was in a canoe that flipped. He drown. We lost a weeks worth of food. But then we saw this new bird (followed by three pages about the birds and other animals they found)." I know that there is another book out that probably plays out the adventure a little more, so if that is what you like rather than the former description, please find that book.
I thought it was an interesting look into the life and adventure of history's greatest men. I would recommend "Through the Brazilian Wilderness" to people who love Teddy and manliness and nature and adventure.
January 26, 2013
Oh, to be so utterly certain that you are right about everything! Teddy Roosevelt's confidence comes through. He so clearly has a plan for life that works for him: retreat into the nearest jungle, wilderness, etc, and then emerge triumphant, all the more dedicated to the project of civilization. And you can just see him writing at his makeshift desk every night, in gloves and a mosquito net. And readingMarcus Aurelius and whatever else--his books always make the cut, even when they're paring down to the bare essentials. Not that he's wrong; books are essential. The man loves to kill things and eat them--tapir, monkeys, agouti, whatever he can get. As he describes the Amazon, occasionally he says things like, "In twenty years, this place will be a bustling metropolis with everything dedicated to commerce and industry." How does he expect to have anything to preserve/conserve if he wants to fill every area on the planet with people?
November 6, 2012
A positively delightful account of a trek through the unknown interior of the Brazilian wilderness can be read in Through the Brazilian Wilderness by Theodore Roosevelt. The book has something for everyone as it covers biological, zoological, botanical, topographical and geological aspects of the hitherto unknown part of the world. The descriptions are complete and colorfully presented. Roosevelt’s affinity to hunting and the outdoors is well known and overly apparent in this account. I think anyone interested in nature will enjoy this book. I found it particularly refreshing to read of an ex-president roughing it in the wilds without the presence of one single secret service agent. It is also nice to know that an ex-president can do more than work on his library, speaking at events for high payments or attending functions to add to its prestige.
January 22, 2012
Special review for Vince:
Amazon review:
A former American President nearly dies during an ill-planned exploration through the Brazilian Wilderness and down the River of Doubt. In this first person narrative, never before recorded as an audio book, President Theodore Roosevelt describes his expedition along rivers, which are home to deadly Piranha fish, through almost impenetrable forests filled with insects, snakes and wild animals. Roosevelt witnesses primitive Indian tribes, wary of strangers and a murder among his increasingly desperate men, before he is nearly defeated by the River of Doubt.
Amazon review:
A former American President nearly dies during an ill-planned exploration through the Brazilian Wilderness and down the River of Doubt. In this first person narrative, never before recorded as an audio book, President Theodore Roosevelt describes his expedition along rivers, which are home to deadly Piranha fish, through almost impenetrable forests filled with insects, snakes and wild animals. Roosevelt witnesses primitive Indian tribes, wary of strangers and a murder among his increasingly desperate men, before he is nearly defeated by the River of Doubt.
August 7, 2007
It darn near killed him (and undoubtedly shortened his life span considerably), but Theodore Roosevelt's account of his trip down the "River of Doubt" as co-leader of a scientific expedition is riveting stuff.
The strenuous life indeed!
The strenuous life indeed!
February 3, 2019
Esse livro conta a aventura de Theodore Roosevelt e mais quinze ~camaradas~ explorando o Brasil, é uma interessante historia retratada desde o momento em que chega ao Rio e termina suas preparações para a viagem no Instituto e nos leva por sua expedição do Mato Grosso até a Amazônia.
O propósito da expedição que inicialmente era o estudo científico da fauna brasileira se estende ao mapeamento do rio da Duvida que posteriormente ganha o nome de Rio Roosevelt (chamado pelos brasileiros de Rio Teodoro), a documentação da expedição nos traz muitas curiosidades sobre a fauna e flora brasileira e nos deixa muitas vezes impressionados pelo conhecimento do autor.
Durante a expedição acontecem muitos imprevistos que vai da dificuldade de passar por corredeiras e quedas d'água, a preocupação com a falta de comida até o homicídio e afogamento de dois camaradas.
No final do livro ainda encontramos apêndices muito interessantes sobre o equipamento utilizado e necessário para o tipo de viagem de forma bastante educacional e científica.
O propósito da expedição que inicialmente era o estudo científico da fauna brasileira se estende ao mapeamento do rio da Duvida que posteriormente ganha o nome de Rio Roosevelt (chamado pelos brasileiros de Rio Teodoro), a documentação da expedição nos traz muitas curiosidades sobre a fauna e flora brasileira e nos deixa muitas vezes impressionados pelo conhecimento do autor.
Durante a expedição acontecem muitos imprevistos que vai da dificuldade de passar por corredeiras e quedas d'água, a preocupação com a falta de comida até o homicídio e afogamento de dois camaradas.
No final do livro ainda encontramos apêndices muito interessantes sobre o equipamento utilizado e necessário para o tipo de viagem de forma bastante educacional e científica.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2013
This autobiographical nonfiction story has all the workings of good fiction, including clever characters, constant conflict, danger, a goal, and an effective climax. The number of animals they see (and kill! Good grief!) is truly astounding. Roosevelt's inclusion of the snake farm shows me that he has a stunning sense of awe for knowledge and exploration. I can think of no better President and no better person to take this journey with, even though he is seriously incapacitated through the greater half of the trip. The intensity of approaching death will keep you reading late at night. Think Kon Tiki or Life of Pi but in the jungle with terrifying natives, disease, and animals that are not at all constricted to the water.
Make sure to read Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt too, because Candice Millard does an excellent job filling in fascinating facts and historical background material that you didn't even know you were missing!
Make sure to read Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt too, because Candice Millard does an excellent job filling in fascinating facts and historical background material that you didn't even know you were missing!
October 3, 2012
I feel thoroughly immersed in Roosevelt's River of Doubt adventure, having read Candace Millard's telling of the adventure, now followed by TR's own journalistic-style telling of the story. I am awed by his knowledge of insects, snakes, mammals, and birds; his intelligence and modesty as he shared his approach and plan for attaining a near impossible goal, how little he spoke of his own illnesses while focusing on the well-being of his comrades and his authentic regard for them.
It's a little challenging to melt the political aspect of TR's life and the scientific/adventurer aspects together. He had endless enthusiasm and energy and zest for life. He must have been a fascinating dinner companion!
It's a little challenging to melt the political aspect of TR's life and the scientific/adventurer aspects together. He had endless enthusiasm and energy and zest for life. He must have been a fascinating dinner companion!
March 15, 2017
Okay, let us get this out of the way first, Teddy Roosevelt was one BAD MOTHA F'ER. The man did a whole lot of manly shit, and a map making expedition through the then uncharted Brazilian super jungle was just one of the many.
The Brazilian jungle is a strange, savage and magical place, and only the toughest of the tough could hack it in the wild.
Roosevelt tells the story in a straight forward, almost scientific way that keeps the pace moving quickly and delivers incredible amounts of information.
Great book for Roosevelt fans, or fans of wild exploration.
The Brazilian jungle is a strange, savage and magical place, and only the toughest of the tough could hack it in the wild.
Roosevelt tells the story in a straight forward, almost scientific way that keeps the pace moving quickly and delivers incredible amounts of information.
Great book for Roosevelt fans, or fans of wild exploration.
December 5, 2011
I didn't love this book. It was often over written and had the flavor of a PhD dissertation. Candice Millard's book 'The River of Doubt' was more readable. But I do love this great man Teddy Roosevelt who wrote the book and not only proved himself as a leader but that of a scientist and a man who believed in the progress of human beings and cultures. I recommend reading these two books together.
February 8, 2011
TR's accomplishments as a naturalist, a supporter of education and scientific research, a wilderness explorer, a progressive thinker and skilled writer all come together in his captivating account of his journey "Through the Brazilian Wilderness." Reading this book made me feel proud to be an American.
June 21, 2014
TR was an amazing man. After his presidency, and after his long African he safari, he joined an exploratory expedition to trace in uncharted tributary of the Amazon. Accompanied by his son,they had a grueling journey and could have easily died. TR's zest for life, his interest in everything, toughness and writing skills are readily apparent in this treasure of a book.
July 18, 2011
One does not understand how close Teddy came to passing away on this trip but we nearly lost a former President in Brazil. The rigors of the trip probably contributed in a significant way to his early demise. It is a good read!
April 3, 2012
Appreciated Roosevelt's almost boyish exuberance in describing wild attributes of animals he encountered along the trip. He was a scholar, naturalist and optimist, and there are likely very few people who can undertake that type of a journey with such courage.
April 21, 2008
Really cool book about what traveling the amazon and some of its tributaries used to be like. More interesting if you are about to travel to south america.
January 24, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. TR brought the same vigor to his writing that he did to everything else he did. This is a great read, detailing an epic journey of discovery.
January 29, 2016
A lovely book to read while laid up in the hospital recovering from a heart attack ... seriously! Enjoyed it thoroughly.
May 5, 2014
Incredible journey a first hand account of this exploration of the uncharted River of Doubt. A must read for history buffs.
April 15, 2017
First hand travelogue which provides direct insight into Rooselvelt's approach to exploration. It's a bit odd to read his declarations of the importance of ecological preservation, while at the same time he is cutting a swatch of death through the animals he encounters, and lengthy discussions of how the land can be transformed into settlements, but then everyone has internal contradictions, so this just means he was human. The sheer amount of discomfort and danger he and his crew went through is pretty impressive, especially the descent down the uncharted river where they had no access to new provisions.
May 17, 2022
While interesting to read about this adventure through Theodore Roosevelt's own words, it wasn't as compelling as River of Doubt, by Candice Millard.
January 4, 2023
This was physically painful for me. I only read it to finish my goal to get read every book my husband and I own, and I will never understand what my husband found good enough about this book to own it. I don’t need pages upon pages about piranhas eating people or a deep dive into the racial and ethnic background of every person he interacts with…
February 6, 2017
This book has given me a lot to reflect on. It's difficult and seemingly anachronistic to critique a man, considered a progressive 100 years ago, who clearly was of his time rather than ahead of it. Roosevelt comes across as highly educated and highly opiniated. He's humble at times and yet distinctly aware of his former position as a US president and Calvary colonel. He describes with such passion the animals he hunts for museum collections, which funded his Brazilian exploration. Yet, he describes the people he encounters in South America, from crew men to rubber men to women and children the same as he describes the animals. They are of a certain stock, a certain body, a certain skin color, a certain temperament. He categories them as one does cattle. Yet, he writes of his fellow Brazilian colonel, a naturalist, and his son who have accompanied him with compassion and, in the case of his son, pride.
It was hard to read about the animals he hunted, and this is where perhaps anachronism comes into play. He explored an entire area of Brazil uncharted by geographers and his expedition came across tens of new animal species that they wanted to capture and send back to New York for further study. Roosevelt writes of being interested in these creatures for science, but it's clear that he also enjoys the sport of hunting jaguars and tapirs. While he writes in detail about the hunt, including the trails he took, the arms he used, the physique and character of the game, including what the stomach contents were, he leaves out exactly how he, the naturalists, and the crew disposed of the carcasses after examining and eating them. Later he explains that their skulls and hides have been sent on to Paraguay and then to New York, but I was still left curious as to how this all worked out while on the expedition in canoes carrying big game. I figure that if he can describe in gruesome detail the kill, why not the rest.
Roosevelt spent a full chapter on describing in detail what equipment he and his team used on this exploration. This part fascinated me as it was educational to compare his equipment of a century ago with the equipment travelers and explorers use today. Many of his suggestions, including what size and type of tent, including material, to use, are very helpful today. He definitely was pro -American made, as he was clear in his descriptions that all materials that he used, as well as food, were made in the US and were of superior quality to anything else in the world.
I had to read more in other articles about what type of illness Roosevelt suffered from towards the end of his trip. I didn't get from his description of him being laid out with a fever that he actually had a flesh-eating bacteria caused from a gash he received in the river. He provided more description of the books he read and the languages he read in than his illness, which showed his humility and his intelligence. He, his son, and the other educated men in the group actually lugged tomes of English, French, Brazilian, and German literature with them. They couldn't bear to part with many of their books even when they were forced to lighten their load to the bare necessities.
Reading more about this adventurous, educated, and opinionated man enlightened me. He seemed to appreciate hearing other perspectives even if he didn't agree with them. He was clearly popular, well-received, and well-respected in all of South America, even in the small jungle towns.
I've spent much time over the past few days imagining what he would have been like as president and what I would have thought of him 100 years ago. This, of course, is highly anachronistic of me here in 2017 in a country where Civil Rights apply to all, where it's no longer agreeable to describe black men like cattle. He clearly put logic and science first and valued that above religious thought. And yet he was fallible, he didn't see men as equal. He saw those natives as he called them with as generous eye as he could have, but it was still limited to describing them by physical characteristics, their good stock, just as we describe cattle and horses today. And animals were specimens to be hunted, to be appreciated, but to be hunted down as specimens to put into museums.
I don't have a clear consensus on my viewpoint of what I would have thought of Roosevelt as president, but as another reviewer wrote, it's incredible to imagine another president leading such a vigorous and adventurous life as Roosevelt did. If it came down to it, though, I'd take his geniality and level of intelligence and education over Trump any day.
It was hard to read about the animals he hunted, and this is where perhaps anachronism comes into play. He explored an entire area of Brazil uncharted by geographers and his expedition came across tens of new animal species that they wanted to capture and send back to New York for further study. Roosevelt writes of being interested in these creatures for science, but it's clear that he also enjoys the sport of hunting jaguars and tapirs. While he writes in detail about the hunt, including the trails he took, the arms he used, the physique and character of the game, including what the stomach contents were, he leaves out exactly how he, the naturalists, and the crew disposed of the carcasses after examining and eating them. Later he explains that their skulls and hides have been sent on to Paraguay and then to New York, but I was still left curious as to how this all worked out while on the expedition in canoes carrying big game. I figure that if he can describe in gruesome detail the kill, why not the rest.
Roosevelt spent a full chapter on describing in detail what equipment he and his team used on this exploration. This part fascinated me as it was educational to compare his equipment of a century ago with the equipment travelers and explorers use today. Many of his suggestions, including what size and type of tent, including material, to use, are very helpful today. He definitely was pro -American made, as he was clear in his descriptions that all materials that he used, as well as food, were made in the US and were of superior quality to anything else in the world.
I had to read more in other articles about what type of illness Roosevelt suffered from towards the end of his trip. I didn't get from his description of him being laid out with a fever that he actually had a flesh-eating bacteria caused from a gash he received in the river. He provided more description of the books he read and the languages he read in than his illness, which showed his humility and his intelligence. He, his son, and the other educated men in the group actually lugged tomes of English, French, Brazilian, and German literature with them. They couldn't bear to part with many of their books even when they were forced to lighten their load to the bare necessities.
Reading more about this adventurous, educated, and opinionated man enlightened me. He seemed to appreciate hearing other perspectives even if he didn't agree with them. He was clearly popular, well-received, and well-respected in all of South America, even in the small jungle towns.
I've spent much time over the past few days imagining what he would have been like as president and what I would have thought of him 100 years ago. This, of course, is highly anachronistic of me here in 2017 in a country where Civil Rights apply to all, where it's no longer agreeable to describe black men like cattle. He clearly put logic and science first and valued that above religious thought. And yet he was fallible, he didn't see men as equal. He saw those natives as he called them with as generous eye as he could have, but it was still limited to describing them by physical characteristics, their good stock, just as we describe cattle and horses today. And animals were specimens to be hunted, to be appreciated, but to be hunted down as specimens to put into museums.
I don't have a clear consensus on my viewpoint of what I would have thought of Roosevelt as president, but as another reviewer wrote, it's incredible to imagine another president leading such a vigorous and adventurous life as Roosevelt did. If it came down to it, though, I'd take his geniality and level of intelligence and education over Trump any day.
August 15, 2016
I wasn't aware that there had been a Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition, before reading this book, and thus the extraordinary first-hand account, written and immortalized by Theodore Roosevelt, of the work of exploration accomplished came as a complete surprise to me.
Those chapters which focused on the traversing and exploring of the River of Doubt were the ones that I was most fascinated with. Once the mystery of that river was mentioned, as well as the intention to demystify it, I eagerly anticipated for that moment. This was because of the potential for adventure in such a journey, but I could have never predicted the unfolding results. All I have to say, is that it's an exceptionally well written, and well handled, retelling of the events that took place on that particular portion of the expedition.
Additionally, there's a considerable amount of information relating to the behaviour of various animals present in South America, as for example the tranquil mussurana (easily handled even while it was feeding); the jaguar and the puma and the frequency, and tendency to attack people (the jaguar the most feared); the passivity of caimans (with some exceptions); the unpredictability and ferocity of the piranhas; the torment caused by diverse insects; etc.
Some observations about economic and social aspects of Brazil are made; such as, what had already been achieved by its government and its people, at the time; as well as, what was in store for the nation. Always with an optimist prospect.
Those chapters which focused on the traversing and exploring of the River of Doubt were the ones that I was most fascinated with. Once the mystery of that river was mentioned, as well as the intention to demystify it, I eagerly anticipated for that moment. This was because of the potential for adventure in such a journey, but I could have never predicted the unfolding results. All I have to say, is that it's an exceptionally well written, and well handled, retelling of the events that took place on that particular portion of the expedition.
Additionally, there's a considerable amount of information relating to the behaviour of various animals present in South America, as for example the tranquil mussurana (easily handled even while it was feeding); the jaguar and the puma and the frequency, and tendency to attack people (the jaguar the most feared); the passivity of caimans (with some exceptions); the unpredictability and ferocity of the piranhas; the torment caused by diverse insects; etc.
Some observations about economic and social aspects of Brazil are made; such as, what had already been achieved by its government and its people, at the time; as well as, what was in store for the nation. Always with an optimist prospect.
March 20, 2018
Roosevelt was an avid naturalist. His personal account of his trip down the River of Doubt, renamed for him after the expedition mapped it, is filled with flowing descriptions of life in the Brazilian jungle. From the colorful birds like Macaws, to the pestering insects and army ants, to the tapirs, ibis, and plovers, to the jaguar which seemed to be his favorite trophy animal; the former president chronicled the animals he observed, collected, and hunted while exploring the river.
He also talks about the natives he encountered and describes the various Brazilian workers and the Scientists on his team. He makes some serious points towards encouraging scientific exploration and shares his vision for the jungle's care.
I enjoyed the Audible edition immensely, narrated by Andre Stojka. He is a perfect match for Roosevelt's book, and one of my now favorite narrators. He has this remarkable voice, and sounds like Roosevelt may have sounded at that late age. I've already started William Beebe's Jungle Peace and discovered the same narrator there, which sounds just as great. The two books have similar content, with the descriptions of life in the jungle. The main difference is that Beebe was a professional explorer, where Teddy was more of a Renaissance man, or a jack-of-all-trades so to speak. So, Beebe's work is on a higher level of specialization and more informative. And, admittedly even better written than this, though Roosevelt was a very good writer.
He also talks about the natives he encountered and describes the various Brazilian workers and the Scientists on his team. He makes some serious points towards encouraging scientific exploration and shares his vision for the jungle's care.
I enjoyed the Audible edition immensely, narrated by Andre Stojka. He is a perfect match for Roosevelt's book, and one of my now favorite narrators. He has this remarkable voice, and sounds like Roosevelt may have sounded at that late age. I've already started William Beebe's Jungle Peace and discovered the same narrator there, which sounds just as great. The two books have similar content, with the descriptions of life in the jungle. The main difference is that Beebe was a professional explorer, where Teddy was more of a Renaissance man, or a jack-of-all-trades so to speak. So, Beebe's work is on a higher level of specialization and more informative. And, admittedly even better written than this, though Roosevelt was a very good writer.
January 24, 2019
I have been curious to read a book by Teddy Roosevelt ever since my children and I read a biography about him last year. After discovering how learned he was in so many different areas of expertise, I wanted to experience his writings first hand. I did find the middle of the book to move along rather slowly and become bogged down by incredibly lengthy paragraphs describing the flora and fauna he encountered. I almost gave up, but a friend of mine who is from Brazil loves this book, so with his encouragement, I soldiered on. I am so glad that I did. The second half of the book is full of perilous predicaments, piranhas, monkey (and man!) eating fish, and murder. He captures the overwhelming struggle as well as the courage that is needed to survive on a voyage through unknown terrain. I especially savored the fact that even when they had to drop as much baggage as possible to make it through excessive rapids, they never abandoned their books which they had brought with them. This book does need a couple of warnings however. First of all they do describe the hunting of animals for sport, food, and for taking samples for naturalists. Secondly Mr. Roosevelt's son comes on the expedition with him. His name is Kermit, and every time he is mentioned, all I could picture was a muppet placidly sailing down the Amazon in his canoe! If you enjoy nature and travel tales, this might be a book to try.
July 23, 2020
You know that passionately principled friend you have that you are kind of embarrassed by their loudness and strong opinions yet at the same time you have a sense of jealousy for their freedom from sensitive social norms and abundant sense of self-confidence? That’s Teddy for me. So I lapped up the H.W. Brands biography, then read Teddy’s autobiography. Whether we agreed on policy or approach or not, I could not deny that Theodore Roosevelt is a true man of principles and someone defiant (yet compassionate) in his ability to fight for them. Certainly, Theodore earned his spot amongst the greats on Mt. Rushmore. So, occasional embarrassing indiscretions aside, I want to hang out with him every chance I can get.
That meant that reading about his adventure to South America after his presidency was a no-brainer. Especially because, I mean really, most presidents when they are done go into a peaceful retirement. Some might make diplomatic trips where they are treated more or less like royalty. Theodore? I mean, maybe his posturing might be annoying and feel arrogant to some, but I’m telling you, this is a guy who could walk the walk. He goes to Brazil and intends to not do some touristy/political hand-shaking, ceremony attending, and speechifying … no, he legit decides to join an exploratory expedition to go into uncharted territories of the Brazilian highland and Amazon basin. And he does.
Incredible.
In spite of the truly noteworthy premise of this journey, Theodore’s writing about the expedition itself is fairly straightforward and pedestrianly scientific. He is not going for shock factor or making this into a thrilling narrative or anything of that nature. In fact, in true romantic fashion, T.R. downplays some of the danger they faced towards the latter half of their expedition, where he and his son Kermit contract malaria. While he does mention getting sick and injuring his leg, he does not go into detail and only makes a side note--presented as purely hypothetical--of how a person, even if severely injured, must not hold back the expedition at the expense of their crew. It was not until I researched the expedition beyond his writing that I realized that it was on his mind because he was pushing himself through immense pain to not hold up the group. In fact, apparently at one point his son warned him against any sort of drastic action like overdosing on morphine so that his death would allow the group to continue unhindered (apparently Kermit threatened that they would carry his corpse the whole way home anyway, so he might as well make it easier on them and stay alive!). Exciting, right? Well, in the book the sickness is glossed over as just another observation to check off in the list of expedition occurrences, sandwiched between discussions on the hunting prospects and portaging strategies.
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. Here is the basic layout of the book. Roosevelt heads to South America on a planned naturalist expedition. He meets with Brazilian scientists and political figures to learn more about what is known and unknown about the Brazilian hinterlands in wildlife and geography. Brazil then asks him to combine his expedition with another exploring one sent to navigate uncharted regions, something Teddy is giddy about accepting.
They go to the remote areas of the Brazilian highlands until finally leaving civilization. They follow scarcely visited territory where telegraph lines have just been placed. Then they finally hop into a river and leave all known regions for unexplored black holes on Brazilian maps.
Along the way, we get Teddy’s observations on settling and taming wild areas, including infrastructure development, technology, and terraforming. He shares his amateur, albeit very well informed, scientific opinions and observations on the wildlife and fauna (wildlife being his sweet spot … I feel he was always a naturalist at heart and president by circumstance) as well as ethnographic notes on the local Indian populations, creoles, and Brazilian citizenry. Rarely, he will throw in some political commentary.
The trip down the Rio Dudiva presents the crew with numerous difficulties. The most trying of these being the high quantity of rapids and unpassable waterfalls which cause them to have to portage their heavy canoes and equipment for miles upon miles through heavy and dense jungle. I can only imagine the frustration and desperation of working through rations while making little to no progress in six weeks of a succession of rapid after rapid--at several points being forced to create rope and pulley systems to transfer the canoes down cliffs, with the crew (including Kermit, using his engineering skills), clinging dangerously to rock ledges just above the foaming rapids. All of this as the crew’s supplies and equipment diminish through use or loss of boats.
The death of one crew member through drowning underlines the inherent danger of this expedition (this is no pleasure cruise!). If you were still in doubt, then the murder of another crew member by a disgruntled colleague certainly assures the audience that, former president present or not, this expedition is as savage as the land it traverses.
The dire circumstances of the final part of the expedition really only take up a proportionately small section of the whole novel. If Teddy were more prone to push a narrative than stick to his scientific observation approach, we could have coursed through the non-events of the first 3/4ths of the book and dwelt on the excitement at the end. But, Teddy is not a slave to the novel-writing norms, so instead we get a dispassionate and accurate retelling.
You might sigh at what might have been, but instead we should all appreciate the Teddy behind it. I mean, he may be a bit awkward at times, but he’s my passionately principled friend all the same and I wouldn’t change him for the world.
That meant that reading about his adventure to South America after his presidency was a no-brainer. Especially because, I mean really, most presidents when they are done go into a peaceful retirement. Some might make diplomatic trips where they are treated more or less like royalty. Theodore? I mean, maybe his posturing might be annoying and feel arrogant to some, but I’m telling you, this is a guy who could walk the walk. He goes to Brazil and intends to not do some touristy/political hand-shaking, ceremony attending, and speechifying … no, he legit decides to join an exploratory expedition to go into uncharted territories of the Brazilian highland and Amazon basin. And he does.
Incredible.
In spite of the truly noteworthy premise of this journey, Theodore’s writing about the expedition itself is fairly straightforward and pedestrianly scientific. He is not going for shock factor or making this into a thrilling narrative or anything of that nature. In fact, in true romantic fashion, T.R. downplays some of the danger they faced towards the latter half of their expedition, where he and his son Kermit contract malaria. While he does mention getting sick and injuring his leg, he does not go into detail and only makes a side note--presented as purely hypothetical--of how a person, even if severely injured, must not hold back the expedition at the expense of their crew. It was not until I researched the expedition beyond his writing that I realized that it was on his mind because he was pushing himself through immense pain to not hold up the group. In fact, apparently at one point his son warned him against any sort of drastic action like overdosing on morphine so that his death would allow the group to continue unhindered (apparently Kermit threatened that they would carry his corpse the whole way home anyway, so he might as well make it easier on them and stay alive!). Exciting, right? Well, in the book the sickness is glossed over as just another observation to check off in the list of expedition occurrences, sandwiched between discussions on the hunting prospects and portaging strategies.
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. Here is the basic layout of the book. Roosevelt heads to South America on a planned naturalist expedition. He meets with Brazilian scientists and political figures to learn more about what is known and unknown about the Brazilian hinterlands in wildlife and geography. Brazil then asks him to combine his expedition with another exploring one sent to navigate uncharted regions, something Teddy is giddy about accepting.
They go to the remote areas of the Brazilian highlands until finally leaving civilization. They follow scarcely visited territory where telegraph lines have just been placed. Then they finally hop into a river and leave all known regions for unexplored black holes on Brazilian maps.
Along the way, we get Teddy’s observations on settling and taming wild areas, including infrastructure development, technology, and terraforming. He shares his amateur, albeit very well informed, scientific opinions and observations on the wildlife and fauna (wildlife being his sweet spot … I feel he was always a naturalist at heart and president by circumstance) as well as ethnographic notes on the local Indian populations, creoles, and Brazilian citizenry. Rarely, he will throw in some political commentary.
The trip down the Rio Dudiva presents the crew with numerous difficulties. The most trying of these being the high quantity of rapids and unpassable waterfalls which cause them to have to portage their heavy canoes and equipment for miles upon miles through heavy and dense jungle. I can only imagine the frustration and desperation of working through rations while making little to no progress in six weeks of a succession of rapid after rapid--at several points being forced to create rope and pulley systems to transfer the canoes down cliffs, with the crew (including Kermit, using his engineering skills), clinging dangerously to rock ledges just above the foaming rapids. All of this as the crew’s supplies and equipment diminish through use or loss of boats.
The death of one crew member through drowning underlines the inherent danger of this expedition (this is no pleasure cruise!). If you were still in doubt, then the murder of another crew member by a disgruntled colleague certainly assures the audience that, former president present or not, this expedition is as savage as the land it traverses.
The dire circumstances of the final part of the expedition really only take up a proportionately small section of the whole novel. If Teddy were more prone to push a narrative than stick to his scientific observation approach, we could have coursed through the non-events of the first 3/4ths of the book and dwelt on the excitement at the end. But, Teddy is not a slave to the novel-writing norms, so instead we get a dispassionate and accurate retelling.
You might sigh at what might have been, but instead we should all appreciate the Teddy behind it. I mean, he may be a bit awkward at times, but he’s my passionately principled friend all the same and I wouldn’t change him for the world.
March 17, 2016
I came across this on a list of must-read travel books and am delighted to have done so. Engagingly written (despite the age of the book) and amazingly descriptive when it comes to the wildlife.
I am not sure I agree with his premise that the best naturalists would be the big game hunters – especially as they spend a large part of their trip bagging trophies – but this is a genuinely surprising and dramatic expedition, delightfully written about.
I liked the almost OCD listing of equipment required for such a trip at the end – just in case his readers were considering following him on such a journey.
A gentle read about a remarkable trip.
I am not sure I agree with his premise that the best naturalists would be the big game hunters – especially as they spend a large part of their trip bagging trophies – but this is a genuinely surprising and dramatic expedition, delightfully written about.
I liked the almost OCD listing of equipment required for such a trip at the end – just in case his readers were considering following him on such a journey.
A gentle read about a remarkable trip.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews