The River of Doubt

After his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit organized an expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon River for science and adventure. Party members suffered or died from malaria, starvation, drowning, carnivorous fish, venomous reptiles, natives with poison-tipped arrows, and parasites. Paul Michael reads the dangerous chapter in the ex-president's life with enthusiasm and vitality as his easy-to-understand voice travels from one disaster to another. He imitates TR's voice with a little twang and produces a Desi Arnaz English for the Brazilian colonel leading the trek. Michael also vocally punctuates the abundant quoted material with a slight pause beforehand and handles the foreign words with ease. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine


Theodore Roosevelt's response to the disappointment of losing the 1912 presidential election was to organize and join an uncharted expedition through the Amazon along a treacherous and unpredictable path, "the river of doubt." Richard Ferrone recounts this story with diligence and precise Brazilian enunciation where required. His fervor builds to a suspenseful peak as Roosevelt, his son, their American cohorts, and a band of Brazilian guides endure starvation, Indian attacks, disease, and near drowning in the river's unforgiving rapids. Ferrone's narrative provides inspiration to listeners with his insight into Roosevelt's tenacity, which characterized this true American hero and "man of men." B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine