The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
by David Grann

A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?

In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world’s largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions helped inspire Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions around the globe, Fawcett embarked with his twenty-one-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization—which he dubbed 'Z'—existed. Then he and his expedition vanished.

Fawcett’s fate—and the tantalizing clues he left behind about Z—became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett’s party and the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes, or gone mad.

As David Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett’s quest, and the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle’s “green hell.” His quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett’s fate and “Z” form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.

I have always been fascinated by stories of exploration and adventure -- both fiction and nonfiction. When I was younger, some of my favorite books included such pulp adventures as the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Doc Savage pulp adventures, Jules Verne's novels, H. Rider Haggard, and A. Merritt. All of these were stories of exploration and adventure with many of them including tales of lost worlds and cities. When I got older, I also discovered some real life explorers such as Sir Richard Burton and John Speke, who were in competition to find the source of the Nile River; Stanley and Livingstone; Ernest Shackleton and other polar explorers, etc. It always amazed me how these men had the courage to go into the unknown and do what they did.

The Lost City of Z tells the story of another explorer, Percy H. Fawcett, who at a young age joined the Royal Geographic Society and then was sent off to explore the Amazon.

Fawcett made several explorations of the region and was able to endure when many others had failed. This region was filled with so many things that could kill you or make you ill, including animals, insects, and the native Amazonian Indians. As Fawcett made his explorations in the Amazon, he gradually developed a theory that the Amazon contained a large lost city that was populated by a group of people that prospered there. His theory was based mainly on tales of early Spanish explorers who were seeking the lost city of gold -- El Dorado. Fawcett called this lost city Z. After many years of setbacks, including serving as an officer in WWI, in 1925, Fawcett set out to find Z along with his son and his son's friend. And then the group vanished, never to be heard from again.

This book also tells about the many parties who tried to find Fawcett after he vanished including the author's quest to discover what happened to him as he formed the basis of the book. I really enjoyed this story and the information included about Fawcett (who I had never heard of before this) and others who explored the Amazon in the early 20th century including Theodore Roosevelt. The details of the horrors of the region were also fascinating.

I also read that there is a movie version of this book coming out later this year. See trailer. I'll be looking forward to seeing it! A high recommendation for the book.

This one is off to rhythmbiscuit in CO -- a selection from the nonfiction VBB. Enjoy!

This book arrived today. Thank you for sharing!

I want to read this book but haven't done so yet. I'll include this copy in the Biographies of Things bookbox. Enjoy!

Included in the Biographies of Things Bookbox. Thanks, 6of8!

In the book box when it came back to me.

This book is back in the Biographies of Things book box and on its way to Florida.

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Made a short stop at my house for Biographies of Things book box. It will stay in the box. I have already read this book

I've read this before, but wanted to add my comments before putting it back in the box. (I haven't seen the 2016 film based on the book, but hope to catch it on cable one of these days.)

The book's about an expedition that went missing in the Amazon in 1925, featuring an explorer whose exploits may have inspired Conan Doyle's The Lost World. It's a reminder, in this age of satellite positioning and instant communication that early explorers faced an almost unimaginable challenge: setting out into unmapped territory with no sure knowledge of the availability of supplies, the friendliness or hostility of the locals, or anything else - and even those who did their homework had to leave a lot to chance. (The author invokes this, when describing showing a satellite image of the area to his wife and saying "That's where I'm going.")

This particular expedition seems to have been less well-planned, or perhaps just too optimistic, so perhaps it shouldn't seem surprising that it vanished - but that didn't stop the many people who persisted in trying to track down the missing party. And I was surprised to find connections between Fawcett, leader of the lost party, and another disaster that I'd read of; on a previous expedition, a man named Murray had fallen ill and fallen behind, and Fawcett had declared that he was missing - until he turned up after a near-miraculous survival. But the two men were at odds after that, and Murray set off to get as far from tropical jungles as possible - only to wind up trapped in the frozen Arctic when the ship Karluk became icebound. Murray and his party disappeared, mirroring Fawcett's fate...

The book switches between historical accounts and the author's present-day attempts to follow in Fawcett's footsteps. Mysterious scrolls are involved, and the whole thing reads like an Indiana Jones script - fascinating stuff, if rather frustrating; script writers can choose to provide an explanation for everything, but in real life some questions remain unanswered.

This book made a short stop in Colorado before continuing on in the Biography of Things bookbox (still traveling in honor of maryzee

(I have already snagged enough from this box, but I wanted to say I have heard great things about this book. )

Claimed from MaryZee's Biographies of Things box with thanks!

Sounds fascinating...

Still hoping to read this, but I've recently discovered that I have two copies.

I'll offer this book in round 11 of booklady331's nonfiction VBB and see if there are any takers. Until then it will be "warming the bench" and waiting...

Wednesday, October 21, 2020: this book is bound for Utah via media mail.

9549 0104 3303 0295 1357 36
ETA 11/10/20

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Thanks for sending this on, hyphen8 ~ I am really looking forward to reading it.
And many thanks for the surprise edition as well !