The Lost City of Z
Books | History / Expeditions & Discoveries
4
(500)
David Grann
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager comes a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction “with all the pace and excitement of a movie thriller”(The New York Times) that unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century—the story of the legendary British explorer who ventured into the Amazon jungle in search of a fabled civilization and never returned. "[Grann is] one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York MagazineAfter stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed writer David Grann set out to determine what happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z. For centuries Europeans believed the Amazon, the world’s largest rain forest, 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. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. Then he vanished. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.” In this masterpiece, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!
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More Details:
Author
David Grann
Pages
352
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2009-02-24
ISBN
0385529228 9780385529228
Ratings
Google: 3.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book is a true story of human adventure, and all that entails. The reality is, this reads very much like the biography of Percy Harrison Fawcett. I’ve read many nonfiction explorer books and this is one of the best written. I often see this book compared to The Lost City of the Monkey God and there are parallels. However, this book is much more rooted in history. The Monkey God is more entertaining and really more my speed. This book really goes into the history of the Amazon in Brazil and the natives there. I wouldn’t call this a page turner, but it’s very well written."
Sheldon Rapoza
"41% later and I’ve got to mark it DNF. <br/><br/>I feel like the writing here is just all over the place. It switches from then to “now”, from Fawcett to the author, from there to here, all without much warning. <br/>I’m almost halfway through and have yet to hit any kind of really interesting part, so I’m calling it quits."
Rachel Ord
"Real life explorers, interesting non-fiction, and a lost origin of civilization in the Amazon? Dude. This was awesome! I was pleasantly surprised at how well written and present I felt in all of the adventures that took place oh so many years ago, and the sense of urgency to solve a mystery to such a colorful character. It also was bomb to learn about all the ways South America was seen as a no-mans-land, and the rise of the RGS...a magical, thoughtful and enticing read."
Dana Reinert
"This book was great but the last chapter made the whole rest of the book worth it. Highly recommend reading it. <br/><br/>I love Grann’s writing style. He gives almost “too much” info but I like that. He reminds me of the way Michael Crichton writes. Where Crichton gives you all the background science to more than understand his books, Grann gives you tons of history."
Kristy Kapp
"Incredible story and full of history!"
Juliana Himmel
"Really interesting story of an Amazon explorer who goes missing. It has a lovely Indiana Jones feel."
Joseph Bailey
"We started this audiobook during a road trip thinking it would appeal to everyone in the car. The trip ended before the book so I finished the last third on my own. It was an interesting story and the descriptions of the expeditions were fascinating (and horrifying). I also enjoyed learning about the indigenous tribes in Brazil and Fawcett’s life, but I never believed that Z was real and couldn’t connect with people’s obsession with finding it."
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Gretchen Nord
