The River of Doubt

Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

By: Candice Millard

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.

The River of Doubt; it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.

After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil's most famous explorer, Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.

Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.

From the soaring beauty of the Amazon rain forest to the darkest night of Theodore Roosevelt's life, here is Candice Millard's dazzling debut.

©2005 Candice Miller (P)2005 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Millard...nails the suspense element of this story perfectly, but equally important to her success is the marvelous amount of detail she provides on the wildlife that Roosevelt and his fellow explorers encountered on their journey, as well as the cannibalistic indigenous tribe that stalked them much of the way." (Publishers Weekly)

Great Tale, Well Told

The tale was immersive, and well written, but the shining star of this audio book was the narrator. Hands down the best voice I have heard--smooth, lightly accented, and with clear verbalization.

Interesting story. Great adventure

Pretty cool story. I learned a lot about the character and personality of Theodore Roosevelt that that I hadn't heard before. This is a good story of an extreme adventure. Not phenomenal, but still worth the listen. Why does it tell me to "complete writing my review?" This is my review. It is complete. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Amazing.

One of the best stories and best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. Simply a masterpiece.

Engaging

If you could sum up The River of Doubt in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, informative, incredible

What did you like best about this story?

The story has a good cadence and doesn't get too bogged down in dry details that sometimes accompany documentaries. There are numerous quotes from written accounts by many characters within the story that add a sense of credibility and different perspectives.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Like good acting you just don't notice it. You get caught up in the story and the characters and forget an actor is acting. That is the way I feel about this narration, it was good enough that I didn't even notice it and just got caught up in the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Against all odds!

Any additional comments?

I feel this book not only provides a great story, but also provides a good look at one of the most beloved political figures in the past century at one of his most challenging periods. At times I was astounded at the incompetence and recklessness that admittedly makes this an amazing tale of adventure, luck, coincidence and human will power. While there are individuals described in this book with extraordinary character there are also those of exceptionally low character to counter balance the forces of good and evil. There is sufficient description to get a good sense of what the characters encountered on their journey and how they felt about it but not so much that the story gets bogged down. For those with a thirst for adventure and exploration this is a great listen.

River of doubt

A wonderful story of adventure under extremely difficult conditions. Told like fiction with real life characters

The River of Doubt

What a wonderful book. We are so glad we bought the unabridged version. We would not have wanted to miss a minute of Theodore Roosevelt's dangerous and challenging trip with his son.

learning history and entertainment all in one pack

Would you consider the audio edition of The River of Doubt to be better than the print version?

oh definitely yes. Listing to this book was a great way to learn a bit about history, the Amazon, and this amazing President. I highly recommend it. The narrator was true to character as he moved from Teddy Roosevelt, to his son Kermit to the other characters. it was just right. Many times the narration can be over dramatized but the narrator found just the right spot in this fantastic nonfiction book.

What other book might you compare The River of Doubt to and why?

Truman and John Adams because both are about former presidents and both are very good books and excellent audiobooks.

Have you listened to any of Paul Michael’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I do not recall.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

When Kermit goes wayward, and when Julian turned nasty, both make me very sad.

Any additional comments?

most excellent listen.

Fantastic Story Told Very Well

This historic adventure is engaging and riveting while still offering comfort and solace to the listener. Of great value and interest to anyone even remotely curious about the legacy and personality of Theodore Roosevelt and his many companions on a very dangerous journey. A metaphor, if you like, of the massive struggles that bring people of all kinds together for a greater good. Or even, for each of the individuals conjuring their own reservoirs of strength to survive and succeed.

A great mix of history, science and characters

What made the experience of listening to The River of Doubt the most enjoyable?

The historical accounts mixed with the science and ecology of the amazon was well intertwined.

Would you be willing to try another book from Candice Millard? Why or why not?

Yes, this historical account was told so that it felt like an adventure novel.

What three words best describe Paul Michael’s voice?

Expressive, clear

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was amazed of the horrific conditions and the amazing wildlife in the amazon.

Adventure and natural history

What made the experience of listening to The River of Doubt the most enjoyable?

TR's final adventure and death are quite interesting and not so well known. For me, there was a bit too much natural history but the writing is fine and the related history and knowledge do add a lot to the story, which is a great and dangerous and foolhardy adventure that lead, sometime after his triumphant return, to TR's dying at 60 from the wounds on the trip.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The River of Doubt?

TR's character and survival

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Excellent characters

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

SPOILER ALERT: Just cry a bit when he was finally sure to survive and then when his sons died.