I posted a two part review of “Destiny of the Republic, A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (November 16 and 25). That book led me to this magnificent book, which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a well written story with fascinating events and characters. The book has many details about Roosevelt that were new to me, and I had never heard of the expedition down the Rio da Duvida, or the River of Doubt.

The book begins with Theodore Roosevelt deserting the Republican Party to run for President for what would be his third term in office. He had become President after McKinley was assassinated, finished about three years remaining on that term, and had been reelected. He was disappointed in Republican William Howard Taft who followed him, and ran as a Progressive against Taft and Woodrow Wilson. He was shot and badly injured while campaigning, but continued campaign appearances with the bullet still in his body. He said, “It takes more than that to kill a bull moose!” He and his party were thereafter called the “Bull Moose.” Roosevelt finished with the second highest number of votes behind Wilson and ahead of Taft and the Socialist Eugene Debs. Angry Republicans blamed him for Wilson’s victory, and made him miserable by their scorn.

The American Museum of Natural History recruited Roosevelt to lead a “…not particularly dangerous…” exploration of a tributary of the Amazon. George Cherrie, a talented explorer and naturalist was chosen to accompany him. Brazilian officials provided Colonel Candido Rondon as the guide for the expedition. Rondon brought a contingent of military “camaradas,” or companions to the expedition. Roosevelt’s son Kermit joined the expedition. Less competent members were winnowed as the trip progressed. The five tons of equipment selected for the trip contained many unnecessary items. One stevedore commented about the piles of goods, “Nothings lacking but the piano!” The boats were never put into service because they were far too heavy for portages, and the expedition was reduced to using cumbersome dugouts.

A Catholic priest, Father John Zahm, who was inexplicably added to the expedition, casually mentioned to Roosevelt that perhaps he should “…go down an unknown river…” Thus the River of Doubt was chosen. Many thought the selection was far too dangerous, and Roosevelt’s backers wanted the plan changed. Roosevelt wanted to do something dangerous that would test him physically and mentally, and he responded “…if it is necessary for me to leave my bones in South America, I am quite ready to do so.”

There is fascinating information in the book about Roosevelt and his son, but I’m going to focus Colonel Rondon, and his troops. His camaradas were dedicated to Rondon and were the backbone of the expedition. Rondon and his men faced frequent danger with skill, bravery, discipline, and stamina. They lived on starvation ratios and completed the many portages while under onslaught from swarms of a variety of biting and disease-carrying insects. They moved through a jungle so massive, dark, and silent that it was said to drive strong men near or to insanity.

Candido Rondon was born to parents who were of mixed Indian and European descent. Both died of smallpox; his father died before he was born and his mother died when he was two. He was raised by grandparents and went to a military school when he was sixteen. He was so poor he couldn’t afford books, and no one noticed he was slowly starving to death until he collapsed. He survived and became a “Positivist” with a primary goal of gaining better treatment for the Indians of Brazil. He led many expeditions into territories where there were Indians willing and able to kill outsiders. All but one of his men complied with his command, “Die if you must, but never kill.”Many of the scattered tribes of the Amazon dared to trust Rondon. Roosevelt was the figurehead of the expedition, but Rondon was the commander.

The cannibalistic Cinta Larga Indian tribe allowed the expedition to pass down the River of Doubt. Some future expeditions were apparently wiped out. Rondon’s ritual of leaving gifts in clearings might have resulted in the survival of Roosevelt and his companions.

There is considerable attention given to Roosevelt’s struggle to survive a leg injury and infection. Roosevelt implored his companions, “You can get out. I will stop here.” He was not left to die because he had demonstrated thoughtfulness to Rondon and his men.

There are descriptions of the fish and animals of the Amazon. One man made the mistake of sticking a piranha stunned by a dynamite blast in his mouth as he gathered others with his hands. He nearly bled to death after the piranha bit his tongue. There is also the candirus fish, which swims up an orifice such as the anus, vagina, or urethra. It then feeds and is unable to detach, which causes intense difficulty for the victim. The man-eating priaba can grow up to nine feet long, and are so dangerous people would build stockades in the water where they could bathe in safety. Some of the fifty species of coral snakes in the Amazon do not follow the adage “Red touching yellow, dangerous fellow.” The anacondas and caimans were seen, but didn’t cause a problem. The expedition was too noisy to often be able to harvest food from the jungle despite the large numbers animals that were able to blend into the jungle.

The expedition lost one camarada to drowning and another to murder by one of his fellows who ran into the jungle and was eventually abandoned to what was likely to have been a quick death. The ones who survived to make it through were nearly starved and wearing little but rags. Roosevelt survived because of the care he received and probably because he was robust when he began the trip. He never fully recovered from the leg infection other maladies. He was however, able to give a triumphant speech about the expedition after some questioned the validity of the story. The river was renamed Rio Roosevelt.

Read the book. You are likely to enjoy the wealth of interesting detail I haven’t included.