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| Plot Summary of The River of Doubt |
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"By 1913, former President Theodore Roosevelt had been out of the White House for four long years, his bid for an unprecedented third term ended in a demoralizing defeat to Woodrow Wilson when he is forced to run as a third party candidate, he is uninspired, a bit depressed, and lacking a sense of purpose. He jumps at the opportunity to journey to Brazil as part of a scientific journey of discovery sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. During the planning stages, the trip undergoes changes from one that would be mostly ceremonial in nature for the still greatly admired former President to one of only moderate difficulty, finally becoming an ambitious but arduous exploration of nearly one thousand miles of uncharted Amazonian jungle wilderness. The planning of the trip goes very badly with unnecessary and impractical supplies and various useless modes of transportation due to the many evolutions the trip has undertaken. And yet the selection of members of the expedition may have been even worse than the requisitioning of provisions. One ill-suited but well-meaning individual expected porters to carry him on a chair through the rugged terrain!
Once in South America, Roosevelt, his son Kermit, Brazilian expedition leader Colonel Rondon, and the others realize many of the supplies are burdensome and frivolous, therefore much is discarded along the overland trek to the headwaters of the Rio da Duvida (River of Doubt) which lies far inland in the most remote and, at the time, unexplored part of Brazil. Plagued by predatory insects, scarcity of fish or game for food, un-navigable rapids, the threat of attack by hostile indigenous tribes, and no means of communication to other parties of the expedition, Roosevelt and the others face certain death if they don't make it to an outpost of civilization before illness and starvation overtake the group. When the charismatic, former leader of the US is stricken with malaria and a bacterial infection that is untreatable without hospitalization, he is near death with fever and delusions. He has determined to end his own life rather than allow the group to risk their lives for his own. Mortified that he would lose his father and be forced to abandon the body in the wilds of Brazil, Kermit with the help of Colonel Rondon manage to haul Roosevelt for many days as his strength all but vanishes.
Through perseverance, sheer strength of will to survive, and a lot of good fortune they find a remote colonist and family along the river and Roosevelt is returned but barely alive. The explorers paid a heavy price losing 3 men and each suffering injury and illness. Roosevelt finally makes his way back to America to a heroes welcome, at times having to convince skeptics that the story of the expedition is not fiction. This most strenuous of Roosevelt's many larger than life exploits is the one that has been hardest on the elder statesmen as he sheds more than 55 pounds. His legendary robust health never does return and it is believed his death five years later at age 60 was hastened by this ordeal. "
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The River of Doubt |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Phys disability/mental struggle?
Yes
Struggle with
- physical disability/sickness
Outdoors story
Yes
Exploring:
- surviving in outdoors
- water adventure
Period of greatest activity?
- 1900+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
Age:
- 40's-50's
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- American (!)
How sensitive is this person?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other people
Physique
- physically sick
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 10 ()
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- South
Jungles?
Yes
Water?
Yes
Water:
- drowning
Misc setting
- fort/military installation
Century:
- 1900-1920's
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- concerned
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- decency
Writer's slant towards subject:
- very favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 76%-100% of book
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Click here for more information about this book
Candice Millard Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 David Fletcher
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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