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| The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey | 
 enlarge | Author: Candice Millard
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $6.69
You Save: $8.26 (55%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (211 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2819
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 1
ISBN: 0767913736
Dewey Decimal Number: 918.113045
EAN: 9780767913737
ASIN: 0767913736
Publication Date: October 10, 2006
Release Date: October 10, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Darkest Hour in Minutes May 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Samuel,
Theodore Roosevelt's trek through the Amazon wilderness in 1913-14 is not as well known as many other explorations of the Americas. Candice Millard's The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey includes many action packed scenes sonorousness with horror and triumph. Millard understands Roosevelt as a man who always needed a challenge, especially after any personal loss or public defeat, namely him loosing the presidential election in 1912. Hence, Roosevelt agreeing to lead a dangerous expedition down the unexplored River of Doubt to chart it.
The former president left the details to two men whom prepared for the trek sparsely, in which they had basically sent the party unprepared into an unknown wilderness. Theodore Roosevelt's darkest hour began when he jumped into the black river to save a loose boat. An injury turned into infection. He told the others to go on, planning to meet death with the noxious vial of poison he had packed for use in such circumstances. Son Kermit, one of the heroes of this tale, defied his father, declaring that they would all stay together. Finally, they came upon settlements of poor folk who eked out a living tapping rubber trees, but shared what they had with Theodore Roosevelt's crew.
great vacation reading May 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read this while on vacation in Florida, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The rain has been torrential. It took little imagination to see myself in a dugout with Roosevelt. A great read in any location.
 Tough ex- President May 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book of adventure & discovery in the Amazon basin. The events in this story take place less than 100 years ago but what a different world it was then. This story takes place within a year or two of the first people reaching the North & South poles - this is a time of great discovery around the world. Theodore Roosevelt takes one last daring journey in a life that was full of adventure (or in his own words he "had lived the life of 10 men..." ) The journey takes him & his companions on a several month journey down an uncharted river.
Candice Millard does a good job mixing the telling of the story with the background of world events at the time & some interesting details about the people, plants & animals of the Amazon basin. It is amazing how much our world has changed since the events in this story took place. I would recommend this book as a good historical adventure story.
Wish I'd been there April 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great book. I read quite a few books of this type and this is one of the best. This is a part of Teddy's life I new nothing about. I'm surprised there hasn't been a movie made from it yet.
With real stories like this, who needs fiction? April 6, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
A 54 year old ex-president tries to get out of a funk by planning a trip down the Amazon. Then after the planning is done, on an off-hand remark by a travelling companion, he decides to explore an uncharted river filled with flesh eating fish and alligators, controlled by indians, and dotted with rapids. Only Teddy Roosevelt would have considered this and only Teddy would have survived it. With real stories like this, who needs fiction?
A great read for adventure lovers.
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