Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide: Amazing Encounters with Tropical Nature and Culture. Expanded and Revised Edition

by Paul Beaver

A personal account of the natural history and culture of the western Amazon by scientist, explorer and conservationist Paul Beaver. The revised edition contains three new chapters of Beaver's exploration of the cloud forest of the Amazon with Dr. Peter Lerche, which resulted in new discoveries of ruins and mummies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Paul Beaver worked for five years on Jane's Defence Weekly, including spells as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, and has operated as a freelance war correspondent for Sky News in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. He has written over 50 books on military history, including most recently Spitfire People (2015). He spent 27 years in Army Air Corps Reserves, is a qualified pilot, and is now Honorary Group Captain of No 601 (County of London) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Reviews

[Helen Catherine Darby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was "required reading" before my stay in the Amazon rainforest next month. I will say, this book needed an editor; however, I was mostly struck by how clearly Paul Beaver's character comes across in each story. He is both insanely knowledgeable about the Amazonian flora and fauna and fiercely passionate about conservation of both the ecosystem and the Native ribereños culture. He is exactly who I want to guide my upcoming trip, and reading this definitely got me even more excited than I already was. Beaver describes beautiful ecosystems, fascinating creatures, friendly Native tribes with an intriguing history and spiritual customs, funny mishaps, and once-in-a-lifetime adventures. If I am lucky enough to experience a fraction of what is marketed in this book, I will be thrilled. I can’t wait!

[Michael Huang · Rating 4 out of 5]

After doing some field work for his academic work, circumstance made the author start a tour business leading tourists into the Peruvian Amazon jungles. The book is a collection of memories and stories of those travels. These can be broken down into 3 categories of information.
1. Nature and local culture (mostly factoids and anecdotes). For example, you’ll meet an Achuar shaman who is quite a character and learn that a tarantula hawk is not a hawk, but a bird-sized wasp preying on tarantulas.
2. Portraiture/caricatures of tour guides, locals, tourists, and scientists. For example, you’ll hear how expert archaeologists become quite ruthless and self-serving when trying to take credit for discovering a Chachapoya site when it was actually the author’s amateur tour group that did the initial discovery.
3. Plenty of stories of those tours with all kinds of funny episodes and challenges (perhaps exaggerated to some extent for effect).

As an armchair explorer myself, I sometimes hallucinate about going on real explorations with the likes of Darwin, Cook, etc. I therefore quite appreciate the first-hand stories, especially those showing the challenges of real explorations: tree falls on river, bent propellers, rain that would not stop before dark making setting camp difficult, lack of level ground, tent infested with ants, soggy mattress, etc. As a mater of fact, I finished the book while on a field trip in the Brazilian Amazon myself. It was a hot humid day. After closing the book I walked back to my tent, enjoying a bit of spiritual camaraderie with the author. (Although my tent is air conditioned — some would call it a cruise ship cabin.)

[Erica Ferencik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping, compassionate memoir that effortlessly combines true life ADVENTURE, humor, heart, insight, accessible - and mind-blowing science, with a palpable love of the natural world. I fell in love with this book on page one and simly could not put it down. Highly recommended!!!

[Ronnie Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was "required reading" for my stay at Amazonia Expeditions' Tahuayo Lodge. Aside from the fact that Mr. Beaver ought to hire an editor to review his book for typos and grammatical errors, this was a nice, easy read. The stories are great and Mr. Beaver's storytelling style is very entertaining.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a required read for a class.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is well-written and only 300 pages but it took me a long time to finish it because on almost every page I stopped to Google some insect, bird, monkey or other animal or plant that the author encountered on his expeditions. I was especially interested to learn about the Chachapoyan ruins, terrain and wildlife in the northern Peru Andes. This fascinating area seems to have been largely ignored by the tourism industry outside of Peru. I am looking forward to returning to Tahuayo Lodge next month for more birding, bugging and monkeying.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! So entertaining while I learned so much. Some harrowing stories but told in a way that was fun. The guides from the area are great, the Shaman stories were so interesting. Even if I wasn’t going to his lodge, I would give it 5 stars!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a trip to peru in a few weeks and it was very informative and helpful in knowing what to pack!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I visited Paul's lodge in Peru in October 2011. The book is more interesting after visiting the lodge which was awesome.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read and discovered that Paul and I have a mututal friend. I'm about to leave for Peru to visit the lodge which grew out of Paul's adventures in the Peruvian Amazon.

[John Creighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reading to prepare for my upcoming trip to the Peruvian Amazon. Unfortunately I don't have time to do all the great things described in the book!

[Jennifer Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only book I could find for laypeople about the Amazon basin area around Iquitos. It was a very fun read about Paul's extreme Amazon adventures that the rest of us could not even imagine ourselves partaking in! I read it during my six day stay at Otorongo Lodge and it enhanced my nature fun facts, as well as my knowledge and understanding of the area. I felt some of the topics were treated a little too lightly (ie. Topics like the influence of missionaries and petroleum exploration were full of opinions/experiences and no deeper research facts that would have brought a fuller picture to the reader of the situations described) but I am also aware that this is a memoir. The book definitely offers a rare view though into the changes wrought in this area during some turbulent times in Peruvian history, with plenty of humor and attention to detail. I do recommend it!