The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Title: The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Author: Candice Millard

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Publication Date: November 2006

Genre: History/Biography/Adventure
Pages: 432

At the onset I have to be upfront and honest when I say that Theodore Roosevelt is a hero of mine. I can go on and on about why I appreciate TR so much, but I really do not want to bore you to death either. The problem I ran into is which TR biography to choose for President's Week.

After much consideration, I chose The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. I know, you would think that I would have chosen something based on his years in the White House, but this one really spoke to me. This book is adventure with a capital "A". Indiana Jones before Indiana Jones. I think you see where I am going here.

The River of Doubt is a tributary of the Amazon River that winds its way through some of the most dangerous jungle on the planet. Anything from piranhas to Indians with poison tipped arrows can be encountered here. The river is also strewn with boulders that can pummel a boat to pieces, much less a man. You would basically have to be insane to say you even want to attempt such a voyage, and yet that is exactly what Teddy Roosevelt did.

After his defeat for the Presidency in 1912, Teddy Roosevelt wanted a challenge. He wanted to push himself to the very boundaries of his endurance. To do this, he chose to explore a rapids choked tributary of the amazon River. This area has not been mapped out before. It is a first descent for anyone outside of the Amazon to attempt. Along with Roosevelt went his son Kermit and Brazilian explorer Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon. Together they did the incredible and changed the face of the western hemisphere forever.

If you love adventure, this is the book for you. If you want to see how a man not only lives life, but really LIVES life, this is the book for you. It is a prime example of how Theodore Roosevelt attacked life and the challenges it presents.

4 out of 5 stars (sometimes you get bogged down in details)
Re-readable factor of 5 out of 5