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                        B O O K S  O N   T H E   A M A Z O N

T H E   C L O U D   F O R E S T

BY PETER MATTHIESSEN | in prose as rich and luxuriant as the wilderness he is describing, Peter Matthiessen chronicles his journey from New York into the Amazon and across the continent of South America in astonishing and precise detail. Matthiessen, one of the founders of the Paris Review and author of such acclaimed works as "At Play in the Fields of the Lord," "The Snow Leopard," "Wildlife in America" and "Killing Mr. Watson," succeeds in taking the reader along with him on his journeys to the remotest parts of the Amazon and beyond, enriching his narrative with historical and literary commentary on the region. Of the Amazon, he writes: "Man has literally scratched the surface of this enormous world, which recedes and approaches endlessly as the ship moves through it." This classic travel narrative is a must-bring companion for the adventurous traveler.

I N   T R O U B L E   A G A I N

BY REDMOND O'HANLON | piranhas, scorpions and warriors -- oh my! This wonderfully humorous tale by Redmond O'Hanlon, the natural history editor of the Times Literary Supplement, might make the heartiest of adventurers think twice before attempting a trip into the depths of the Amazon. More a modern, comic retelling of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" than a traditional travel narrative, this book delves deeply into how a journey through the murky, untamed rain forest affects the human spirit. O'Hanlon faces all sorts of real demons on his trip -- from bloodthirsty mosquitoes to blood-seeking warriors -- and succeeds in making the reader laugh with him at the absurdity of it all.

T H E   S E A   &   T H E   J U N G L E

BY H. M. TOMLINSON | a strange combination of Charles Dickens (in its obsession with detail), Henry James (in its flair for elaboration), Ernest Hemingway (in its attention to journalistic detail) and George Plimpton (in its outsider's humor), this 1912 classic of travel literature details a Londoner's first venture onto the sea. H. M. Tomlinson records with precision and wit the first successful journey by an English steamer into the Amazon River, which took place in 1909-10. Dedicated to "those who did not go," this book's rambling, slow pace is ideal for the armchair traveler.
March 25, 1997

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