Customer Reviews

Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

... but told in a much more stylish and readable manner. I bought this book on the strength of reading about Capt. Herndon's sacrifice in Gary Kinder's "Ship of Gold...". He seemed to epitomise the old-style captain, caring about his passengers, crew and above all his ship, and I was interested to read more about the man.

I was not disappointed; what could have been a dusty tome full of only facts and figures, emerges as a rivetting account of the trials endured during the trip, and vivid descriptions of a land that was as yet virtually unknown to the 'civilised' world, told as a very readable narrative. This easy style is what captured the hearts and minds of the Anmerican (and European) public in a book which went into several reprints of 10,000s (as opposed to the usual Congress print run of 100+!).

It also captured the imagination of a certain Samuel Clemens, who, after reading the book, immediately took steamer from St.Louis to New Orleans to get a boat to the Amazon. Imagine his disappointment when he found no passage ... sitting, bemoaning his ill luck, he hears the cries of the steamers "Mark twain!" - the rest is history.

I have one reservation (hence only ****); during his editing & research for the book, Mr.Kinder deletes a lot of sections that I personally would have found very interesting, such as crops grown, goods & minerals available and costs of trade items. If these had been included as an appendix, I think it would have added to the charm of the book.

Nevertheless, one of the best pieces of historical travel writing I have ever read.

Captain William Lewis Herndon gives a very well written narrative of what it was like to explore South America in 1851-1852. He took the first United States' expedition from the west side of the Peruvian Andes,then over and through the Brazilian Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean. His desriptions of the local people and their cultures, along with how they survived, their agricultural methods and practices are fascinating. He also includes geological, botanical and zoological observations all along the way. He describes how difficult it was to cross the Andes at elevations above 17,000 feet, the mining industries in the mountains, what kinds of plants grow here and there, the animals they encounter. A few unbelievable (but verifiable?) accounts were of the tailed people who lived up the Jurua tributary, the three and a half foot people, blue mud, etc. These were all enjoyable to read. The only drawback was the overall purpose of the expedition. It was a way to exploit the Andes Mountains and Amazon of their natural resources, from the gold, silver, etc in the mountains to harvesting the forests for commercial use. Just like Gary Kinder said in his foreword to the book, if Herndon was alive today, he may have a different opinion. A very good read though if you enjoy exploration.

This is only volume 2 of the two volume report about the amazon, and vol 1 was written by Herndon, and vol 2 by another army officer on the expedition. not as promised

Before I comment further on this book I must say I quite agree with another reviewer who wrote. "I have one reservation (hence only ****); during his editing & research for the book, Mr. Kinder deletes a lot of sections that I personally would have found very interesting, such as crops grown, goods & minerals available and costs of trade items. If these had been included as an appendix, I think it would have added to the charm of the book". {COMMENT BY A.J. WATSON]. Also I might add the information given in the original on the Amazonian tribes also deleted in the "Grove Press edition" I posses, I would have found quite interesting. Mr. Kinder seems to take it upon himself to be the judge of what others would find interesting.
Let me quote from another reviewer; "This is a absolutely fascinating historical account marred by at least a thousand typos. It was sheer pain to get through. Buyers deserve more for their dollar. Yes, we were warned by the publisher, but the company also wrote that the robot that turned the pages and photographed each page "is 99 percent accurate." Wow". Yes, I feel sorry for those who purchased "on demand computerized" TRASH reprints from such publishers as "General Books" or "Kessinger". I wish Amazon would not sell this trash or to at least warn the potential buyer. Also they are overpriced and practically never include reproductions of maps and illustrations from the original. The reader must look for reprints from such quality publishers as "Dover" or "Elibron" [Adamant Media Corp.], unfortunately though they have a wide list of titles available they may not have a particular title you are seeking. Let's warn each other of the "trash" reprints on works of travel and exploration, PLEASE!
I have little more to add to what has been said by the other reviewers on the contents of this book. There is fascinating insights on the customs and culture of the Andean and Amazonian peoples. But I do not find it a work of exploration in the true sense such as the explorations of Humboldt, Henry Bates or Candido Rondon as Herndon never entered regions which was not previously explored.This is why I would classify it as a first class "travelogue".

This is a absolutely fascinating historical account marred by at least a thousand typos. It was sheer pain to get through. Buyers deserve more for their dollar. Yes, we were warned by the publisher, but the company also wrote that the robot that turned the pages and photographed each page "is 99 percent accurate." Wow.

By the way, the book reveals that the Herndon article on Wikipedia has faulty dates and does little credit to the daring exploits of a heroic naval explorer.

This book was very interesting and led the reader into so many villages and introduced various cultures. It gives an inside look to the Amazon and the difficulty in this venture. If a reader does not enjoy going into a great number of different villages or prefers a book that sticks to few areas and characters, then this is not a read for them. It is mainly for those that are adventure seakers. CP

Book is very generalized with little detail of trials and triumphs,rather boring after a while.I was hoping for more details of the amazon valley and its people,you wont find it here.

This book was requested for Christmas by a descriminating family member so it must be good!