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The Lost City of Z

A Legendary British Explorer's Deadly Quest to Uncover the Secrets of the Amazon

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The Lost City of Z

By: David Grann
Narrated by: Mark Deakins
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About this listen

 **NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING ROBERT PATTINSON, CHARLIE HUNNAM AND SIENNA MILLER**

The story of Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett, the inspiration behind Conan Doyle's The Lost World

Fawcett was among the last of a legendary breed of British explorers. For years he explored the Amazon and came to believe that its jungle concealed a large, complex civilization, like El Dorado. Obsessed with its discovery, he christened it the City of Z. In 1925, Fawcett headed into the wilderness with his son Jack, vowing to make history. They vanished without a trace.

For the next eighty years, hordes of explorers plunged into the jungle, trying to find evidence of Fawcett's party or Z. Some died from disease and starvation; others simply disappeared. In this spellbinding true tale of lethal obsession, David Grann retraces the footsteps of Fawcett and his followers as he unravels one of the greatest mysteries of exploration.

‘A riveting, exciting and thoroughly compelling tale of adventure’ JOHN GRISHAM

‘A wonderful story of a lost age of heroic exploration’ Sunday Times

‘Marvellous ... An engrossing book whose protagonist could out-think Indiana Jones’ Daily Telegraph

‘The best story in the world, told perfectly’ Evening Standard©2009 David Grann (P)2009 Random House Inc. Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Expeditions & Discoveries World Explorer

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All stars
Most relevant  
Fascinating story of a man obsessed. My biggest wonder … just how many square miles of that forest has been lost to logging and palm oil production, how the authorities appear powerless to bring wrong doers to justice. It’s poor soil, once the trees are gone the goodness leeches out, more trees are cut. There will come a point of no return.

fascinating story of an obsession.

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Gripping right from the start, I've not watched the movie yet. loads of information about the explorer and the Amazon jungle itself.
I'm fascinated by the Amazon and it was a really great listen, highly recommend.

Amazing book

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Loved the story, the writing and learning more about the socio cultural and political context at the time, as well as fascinating descriptions of amazon exploration. I really liked the parallel story lines of Percy Fawcett and the author’s own exploration. The narration also fitted well with the story.

Gripping and informative

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There is something about the British. They love an heroic failure. So, it is surprising that Percy Fawcett's story is told by an American journalist.

His Army career was blighted by his origins and the rigid class system of the Victorian era. He found an alternative calling before WWI as a proficient surveyor, mapping out previously unexplored areas of the Amazon, successfully resolving border disputes.

During these expeditions, he became convinced of the existence of a lost Amazonian civilisation, which was named 'Z'. WWI, in which he served with distinction, interrupted his attempts to discover it. Those expeditions became known for their minimal approach, both in terms of numbers and equipment.

He was lost, along with his son, still searching. His fate remains the subject of speculation a century later, something indulged in this narrative.

The author became somewhat obsessed with exploration in the course of his research.

There are no issues with the narration.

A very British story

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for someone who would get lost in a large garden, great story. 30 foot snakes !! not for me

good book

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I enjoyed this much more than the film as there is a lot more information about tribal life and customs and subsequent searches for Fawcett, not least the author's steps in tracing him whilst writing the book.

Fascinating and gripping

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An absolutely amazing Tale. Well read and thoroughly absorbing. One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to.

Outstanding

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An excellent and engaging story. Low ratings for this book are mystifying to me. It’s well narrated and researched.

An excellent and engaging story. Low ratings for this book are mystifying.

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Fantastic true story that shows the harsh sacrifices made to unravel the biggest question mark on planet earth, The Amazon!! P.S Not for the faint of hearted.

Must Read

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An interesting story set alongside the authors personal journey, making the pace a bit quicker. Narration great too, although occasionally a bit monotonal.

Very interesting

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