My First Book Review - The River of Doubt

I have read a couple of books on adventures, notably, Edmund Hillary’s ‘View from the Summit’, Reinhold Messner’s ‘The crystal Horizon, Lewis Pugh’s ‘Achieving the Impossible etc. but the only book which forced me to write a review is Theodore Roosevelt’s journey to chart an unmapped river at Amazon Basin ‘The River of Doubt’.

The book was authored by Candice Millard and first published in 2005.

Theodore Roosevelt or Teddy (even though he hates it) Roosevelt is well known for being one of the greatest orator, the youngest president of USA and was the first president to receive secret service protection but the other side of him was known very little to the outside world. He was a naturalist, explorer and a great lover of outdoors. As a child he was supposedly a loner, someone who falls sick very often. To overcome his sickness he would often take up difficult physical challenges. He was also taking up myriad physical challenges whenever he experiences severe setbacks.

After bitter defeat in the presidential elections, Roosevelt instead of retiring at his estate at Sagamore Hill preferred to take up a physical challenge once again. Having met his travel companions and other like-minded souls including Roosevelt’s son Kermit they set off to explore the virgin forests of South America.

After an arousing welcome by the Brazilian government Roosevelt embarked on a speaking tour all over Brazil. On completion of the speaking tour Roosevelt was offered to be accompanied by Brazilian naturalist Candido Rondon who later went on to become one of the greatest explorer and military man in Brazil’s history.

Roosevelt having heard about the river of doubt insisted on the expedition down the river with Candido Rondon much to the shock of the other members of the expedition.   

Candido Rondon was commissioned as an Army engineer with the Telegraphic commission. He was in charge of laying the telegraphic lines from Brazil to Bolivia and Peru through the rain forests. He named the river as ‘River of doubt’ as the source of its river could not be located. During this time he was in contact with several hostile Indian tribes and vociferously fought for their rights. He was the first director of Brazil’s Indian Protection Bureau.

After a series of planning and discussion the expedition commenced with a huge team of comrades (who are responsible for carrying the supplies). It was supposed to be a two month long expedition along an uncharted river which had grave dangers at every inch.

During the expedition many baggage were left behind to cut the heavy load and members who were unfit were sent back so that they don’t mess up with the other members of the expedition.

A beautiful friendship developed between the members of the expedition. During the expedition Roosevelt was neither arrogant nor demanded any perks of being a past president. He & Rondon led the expedition from the front and ensured that every member maintained strict discipline and worked as per the expedition’s rules & regulations.      

Throughout the expedition the members were facing grave dangers in the form of Poisonous snakes, infectious insects, deadly piranha’s, incessant rains, violent river rapids and threat by the Indian Tribes.

Indian tribes were known to be brutal and killed everyone who by-pass their territory.

The way the expedition members were getting over river rapids, losing the dugouts in the rapids and building them again & again deserves to be mentioned here. In the forests, especially on expeditions in charting rivers losing dugouts and canoes can prove to be very expensive.

On every rapid crossing the dugouts were either washed away or the members themselves were immersed in the danger of being swept away. The members would often lose the dugouts and every time the arduous task of building dugouts would take place amongst incessant rains and high fevers.

Just merely reading through the lines made me imagine how difficult the expedition would have been.

Roosevelt admired Candido Rondon & the comrades of their skills in building dugouts and carrying rations & supplies under the most testing circumstances.

Roosevelt strictly abided by the rules of the expedition. At one point of time he becomes very sick that he was carried by the other members and his health was continuously monitored. He literally gave up and suggested that he be left behind to die in the forest so that the other members could carry on with the expedition.

How Roosevelt endured the journey forms the crux of the story.

While every members of the expedition would often succumb to sickness Candido Rondon had an iron man’s gut. He ensured that the spirit of the expedition is not defeated and single handedly ensured that the expedition successfully fulfills its purpose. 

Roosevelt carried with him the attitude of mind over body and the rigidness which every military man has. He was a no nonsense guy. Embarking on relaxed & comfortable tours like his peers was not his cup of tea.  While the members of the power corridors were busy grooming their children to take over their legacies Roosevelt taught his children to swim in the oceans, shoot elephants, skin hare’s and embrace nature.

Had he been aware of the existence of Mount Everest Roosevelt would have attempted it way before the British Reconnaissance expeditions in the early 1920’s. His sheer will power would have driven him to bag the summit. Even though Mount Everest was closed to outsiders from the South side through Nepal Roosevelt would have used his diplomatic skills to ensure that he was allowed to climb the mountain.  

The book is a must read for those who travel & adventure. The toughness involved in the expedition forced me to write a review. I may not have deciphered about the book properly in this blog but I can guarantee that you will never keep the book down once you start reading.

Cheers, 

The Expedition pic that went viral throughout the world