Customer Reviews

The Man Who Swam the Amazon: 3,274 Miles on the World's Deadliest River

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

From the very first page, you know you are in for the story of your life. It is overwhelming to even think of the logistics involved in this unprecedented level of accomplishment - and even more so that it was the grueling feat of a man who, in most walks of life, would be well past his atheletic prime. Author, Matthew Mohlke, brings the reader onto the expedition, the highs and the lows. And if it is Martin's intent to remind the world of the need to preserve the beauty of our forests and rivers, he has accomplished just that with his passionate and unswerving devotion to this cause. In The Man Who Swam The Amazon, the authors share the danger and the beauty; taking the reader on a page-turning adventure that no script writer could ever improve upon. Thank you Martin and your whole incredible team for sharing all 3,274 miles with us; I could have read a page for every mile.

I absolutely could not put this book down. I read it all night. I think it is a true testament to what the human spirit can achieve. I truly believe this is one of the most amazing accomplishments in history. He did what I still have a hard time believing is possible. I think about my petty problems and they truly become non-existent when I think of what Martin did. I do long distance swimming and have a small idea of the pain and suffering he must have endured. If you have to ask "why" then this book will explain it. It was one of the most motivating books I have ever read.

99.99999999% of us will never see, let alone float or swim down the Amazon; but if you want to feel, smell, taste, hear, what Martin Strel, Matthew Mohlke and the rest of the crew did on their 3,274 mile trip down then get this book. If you want to get insights into what might motivate those who would sign for such an adventure, get this book. Don't forget to drink plenty of water and an occassional glass of whisky.

...in a four-star book.

You know where Key West, Florida is, right? It's a long drive down the so-called "Overseas Highway" about three hours from Miami. How about Sacramento, California? Clear on the other side of the country, in the northern half of the state, California's capital happens to be 3,274 miles (by car) from Key West.

That's a long drive. Fifty-two hours in fact. So for someone driving 12 hours a day, the cross-country excursion would take over four solid days of driving.

Which makes it an unimaginable distance to SWIM. Yet ultra-marathon swimmer Martin Strehl did just that. Following the curving passage of the world's longest river from Peru, through Brazil, and out to the Atlantic, Strehl swam 3,274 miles in ten weeks -averaging over 45 miles per day.

Of course, there's the current. He did not swim upstream, rather, he swam downstream, taking advantage of an often swift current, which means that even a floating piece of flotsam would EVENTUALLY make its way out of the river. But still. Swimming with the current does not make swimming the breadth of a continent any less impressive. In fact, the author writes of an afternoon where world-class competitive swimmers jumped in to swim alongside Strehl. These were young, sleek, physically-impressive athletes, (unlike Strehl, a somewhat overweight 52-year-old who looks a little like the actor Randy Quaid), who entered the water after he had about 1000 miles of the river behind him --yet after about an hour or so, he left them in his wake. They climbed onto the boats, probably feeling somewhat dejected at having been shown up by a bear of a man old enough to be their father.

Matthew Mohlke's diary-like account of the incredible swim is a quick and fascinating read. He may not be the best writer in the word -his writing tends toward short, staccato-like sentences--but the story itself carries the book. And Mohlke was actually part of the support team. As the head navigator for Strehl, it was his job to ensure that the massive swimmer did not encounter dangerous obstacles such as submerged trees and hungry crocodiles, and that he was always headed in the right direction.

It's a solid four-star book that I would offer only one suggestion with regard to improving the story. Each of the chapter titles includes the date and the name of the city from which Strehl started swimming. Although the body of the book includes statements such as "Martin cranks out another 72 miles," on a given day, there's no real "running total," since many days in Mohlke's account did not make it into the book. I would have found it helpful and interesting if each chapter heading included the running total in addition to the date and the name of the city.

-Jonathan Sabin

What an exceptional and wonderful book! It was spellbinding, and I
couldn't put it down. As others have said, we followed the daily blog,
but the book took us to a different level; we felt like we were there with Martin and the team. We were fortunate to meet Martin, Matt and Borut on the Mississippi River swim. The book of Martin's latest accomplishment will hold your interest and keep you yearning for more. That will happen when the film is released early next year.

John and Jo Pouchnik, Virginia, Minnesota

I can only agree with all the previous comments. It took me two days in my sofa to go down from, say, Atalaya, Peru, down to Belem, Brazil, with very few pauses. Yet I really enjoyed every minute of my reading; then I google videoed the name "Martin Strel" and could see a few minutes' swim of the fish man. It does not replace the book. Neither does the Internet site.

The accomplishment this man achieved is nothing short of a miracle. The determination and his sacrifices cannot be compared to many others. However there really wasn't a lot of difference or much new information between the daily log on the Internet (for the duration of the swim) and the book. I wanted more information about the Amazon and it's people. After all why was he swimming the Amazon?? So I was a little disappointed in this area. Also more photo's in the book would of helped explained the story. I'm guessing there was a lot more that happened which, unfortunately couldn't be written about.
What this man did gets five stars and more, I think the book is lacking in details though, so I gave it 3 stars.
Martin is a living legend.

I followed Martin's swim via his web site from start to finish. Needless to say I couldn't wait for the book. I read it in just two sittings and found the insites into the man and his crew to be simpley amazing. Matthew wrote this as a day to day diary, just as the web site did. For those of us that will never experance the Amazon in person, it gives you the feel of the jungle and the strength and determation of this man. He has to considered one of the greatest and most unselfish people on this planet. To do this, to open the eyes of the rest of us to what is really happening with the inviornment is an accomplishment that no politican or hollywood movie could ever do. If we had Martin Strel running the governments of this world it would be a better place for all of us. Martin proves that anything is possible if you really want it. A must read for anyone who say's "I just can't do that".

This is your quintessential "page turner." Despite being fully aware of how the story ends, I found my fingers glued to the book, just dying to know what would happen next. In addition to chronicling Strel's astonishing athletic feet, Mohlke also allows the reader to voyeur his or her way onto the boat as we meet members of the crew and delve into small human dramas which unfold as they travel deeper into the deadly jungle, (I, too, can't wait for the movie.) All is written by an author who was masterfully able to marry articulacy with slang, and eloquence with wit. I loved it.

What Martin Strel did is unbelievable! This story is written beautifully to chronicle the journey through the jungle, as well as unveil the different sides of a man who seems incredibly human, yet not human, at the same time. The daily, journal style arrangement of this book has an easy, exciting flow and makes it near impossible to put down. I am exctied for the documentary "Big River Man" to come out, to put a face to all of the characters of the book!.....Here's to hoping that Martin's dream of peace, clean water, and friendship will be realized.