Raymond Seitz
A Presidential Trek
The River of Doubt: Into the Unknown Amazon
By Candice Millard
Little, Brown 430pp £18.99
On 27 February 1914, former president Theodore Roosevelt and a party of twenty-one set off in canoes from the headwaters of the Rio da Duvida – the River of Doubt – in the jungles of the great Amazon Basin. The waters of the river twist and tumble northwards from the Brazilian Highlands eventually pouring into the western branch of the Aripuanã, and then into the mighty Amazon itself.
In the early part of the twentieth century, the Amazon Basin was the largest swath of terra incognita on the planet. Africa by comparison was an open book. The richness and diversity of Amazonian flora and fauna had barely been revealed, and Indian tribes in the dark interior of the
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
Twitter Feed
The era of dollar dominance might be coming to an end. But if not the dollar, which currency will be the backbone of the global economic system?
@HowardJDavies weighs up the alternatives.
Howard Davies - Greenbacks Down, First Editions Up
Howard Davies: Greenbacks Down, First Editions Up - Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of Seven Turbulent...
literaryreview.co.uk
Johannes Gutenberg cut corners at every turn when putting together his bible. How, then, did his creation achieve such renown?
@JosephHone_ investigates.
Joseph Hone - Start the Presses!
Joseph Hone: Start the Presses! - Johannes Gutenberg: A Biography in Books by Eric Marshall White
literaryreview.co.uk
Convinced of her own brilliance, Gertrude Stein wished to be ‘as popular as Gilbert and Sullivan’ and laboured tirelessly to ensure that her celebrity would outlive her.
@sophieolive examines the real Stein.
Sophie Oliver - The Once & Future Genius
Sophie Oliver: The Once & Future Genius - Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade
literaryreview.co.uk