BOW: The River of Doubt

I love historical non-fiction. Especially when it's written like an adventure. So if you know anything about "The River of Doubt," by Candice Millard, then you'll know why it's an easy book to adore and a very hard one to put down.

The book tells the story of Theodore Roosevelt's (yes, President Theodore Roosevelt) journey down the then-unexplored-by-white-people tributary of the Amazon known as (you guessed it) The River of Doubt.

I, for one, have never been tempted to wander through bug-infested, hostile-native-hosting, wild-animal-housing rain forests. But I actually know people who do go to these places. And let me tell you, biological researchers are a hardy lot.

My biologist friends come home with parasites (sometimes just under the skin, sometimes popping out to greet them unexpectedly in places like grocery stores or movie theaters), bug bites, the occasional life-threatening illness and great stories.

Yet in many ways, "The River of Doubt" puts contemporary stories of Amazon adventure to shame--only because it chronicles the first journey down the river, and arguably, the most dangerous.

Ms. Millard tells the story well. It's worth the read, gentle Goodreaders!
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