Review: The Lost City of Z

Full title: The Lost City of Z - A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
Author: David Grann
Publisher: Vintage Books
Total Pages: 400

For centuries, man has been intrigued by the unknown. What lies beyond the horizon? What treasures might be found in the unexplored areas on the map? It is that very question that drives David Grann's tale of British explorer Percy Fawcett. Fawcett was a professional explorer who was determined to explore the interior of South America, convinced that he would find what he called "Z", a lost city hidden deep in the Amazon jungle. The explorer made several attempts to locate the city, his last trip being the most intriguing - he entered the jungle in 1925, never to be seen again.

Grann does a masterful job of introducing the reader to Percy Fawcett and revealing what drove him to such great lengths in exploring the Amazon. This work also chronicles numerous rescue expeditions that were launched in hopes of finding Fawcett or, at least, determining what end he met in South America. Grann goes to great lengths to paint a painful picture of what exploring deep in the jungles of the Amazon is truly like, as he undertakes his own journey into the Amazon, hoping to answer the mystery of Fawcett's disappearance.

Grann includes entries from Facett's own journal, as well as letters and first-hand accounts from those who had accompanied the explorer on previous journeys while intertwining his own journey with that of the explorer. Descriptive, easy to read and quite gripping, I found myself reading quickly, hoping to find out how both men's expeditions might intersect deep in the heart of the jungle.

Whether you have ever pictured yourself as a modern day Indiana Jones or simply wondered "What's out there that man has not yet found?", this book is quite enjoyable and highly recommended.

Bottom line:

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes