GinnVillas - Travel in America, Europe, South America and australia |
|
|
| | Location: Home » South America » General » The Man Who Swam the Amazon: 3,274 Miles on the World's Deadliest River | September 6, 2008 |
|
 | | | |
| The Man Who Swam the Amazon: 3,274 Miles on the World's Deadliest River | 
 enlarge | Authors: Matthew Mohlke, Martin Strel
Publisher: The Lyons Press
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $5.38
You Save: $11.57 (68%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $5.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  (17 reviews)
Sales Rank: 352956
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 1599213583
Dewey Decimal Number: 797.21092
EAN: 9781599213583
ASIN: 1599213583
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
On Sunday, April 8, 2007, a 52-year-old self-described fat man in a Speedo by the name of Martin Strel swam3,274 miles of theAmazon River. The Fish Man, as he was called by locals, almost died in the process several times. At the finish his blood pressure was at heart attack level, his entire body full of subcutaneous larvae, and besieged by dehydration and diarrhea and exhaustion. Strel undertook this epic swim to call attention to two issues he is concerned about: deforestation, and river pollution. Along the way he suffered from blisters, sunburn, exotic stomach illnesses, all the while trying to avoid piranhas, anacondas, crocodiles, alligators, river sharks, and a small fish known as the canduru, which when attracted by the smell of urine releases razor-sharp spines into the human orifice it has crawled into.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Interesting story, boring read August 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I celebrate the effort in the swim and the writing, and the author seems like a nice guy, but I could not finish this book because it was so boring.
The story takes a while to get into the meat of the journey and from then on reads like a travelogue of a very uneventful trip. The key tension in the story seems to be the 'Real World' like relationships on the support boats.
Sorry, I wanted to like this but the writing is dry, the trip seems uneventful as described and it manages to suck the athletic effort out of the subject.
 Amazing Journey December 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I followed Martin's swim via his web site from start to finish. Needless to say I couldn't wait for the book. I read it in just two sittings and found the insites into the man and his crew to be simpley amazing. Matthew wrote this as a day to day diary, just as the web site did. For those of us that will never experance the Amazon in person, it gives you the feel of the jungle and the strength and determation of this man. He has to considered one of the greatest and most unselfish people on this planet. To do this, to open the eyes of the rest of us to what is really happening with the inviornment is an accomplishment that no politican or hollywood movie could ever do. If we had Martin Strel running the governments of this world it would be a better place for all of us. Martin proves that anything is possible if you really want it. A must read for anyone who say's "I just can't do that".
outstanding! December 13, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is your quintessential "page turner." Despite being fully aware of how the story ends, I found my fingers glued to the book, just dying to know what would happen next. In addition to chronicling Strel's astonishing athletic feet, Mohlke also allows the reader to voyeur his or her way onto the boat as we meet members of the crew and delve into small human dramas which unfold as they travel deeper into the deadly jungle, (I, too, can't wait for the movie.) All is written by an author who was masterfully able to marry articulacy with slang, and eloquence with wit. I loved it.
inspiring glimpse at humanity December 4, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What Martin Strel did is unbelievable! This story is written beautifully to chronicle the journey through the jungle, as well as unveil the different sides of a man who seems incredibly human, yet not human, at the same time. The daily, journal style arrangement of this book has an easy, exciting flow and makes it near impossible to put down. I am exctied for the documentary "Big River Man" to come out, to put a face to all of the characters of the book!.....Here's to hoping that Martin's dream of peace, clean water, and friendship will be realized.
Absolutely Incredible Story! November 27, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
From the very first page, you know you are in for the story of your life. It is overwhelming to even think of the logistics involved in this unprecedented level of accomplishment - and even more so that it was the grueling feat of a man who, in most walks of life, would be well past his atheletic prime. Author, Matthew Mohlke, brings the reader onto the expedition, the highs and the lows. And if it is Martin's intent to remind the world of the need to preserve the beauty of our forests and rivers, he has accomplished just that with his passionate and unswerving devotion to this cause. In The Man Who Swam The Amazon, the authors share the danger and the beauty; taking the reader on a page-turning adventure that no script writer could ever improve upon. Thank you Martin and your whole incredible team for sharing all 3,274 miles with us; I could have read a page for every mile.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |
|