Grand
Central Publishing, 2017.326 pgs.
Nonfiction
Tantalizing
rumors of lost cities in the jungle have impelled explorers into remote areas
of Central and South America since the Spanish conquistadors. The lost “White City,” deep in the Honduran
interior, has been one of the last of these lost places. But with the help of
clues from previous explorers and a valuable new laser imaging technology
called LIDAR, a team of explorers has found extensive ruins in a remote and
dangerous area of Honduras. Douglas
Preston, a writer of fiction and nonfiction, considered himself lucky to be
part of the expedition that uncovered the location of the ruins and retells the
adventure in “Lost City of the Monkey God.” The expedition began and ended in
controversy, with many archaeologists condemning the expedition as ignoring the
knowledge of the indigenous inhabitants of the area and exaggerating their
findings.
Preston’s
account is fascinating and delves into the controversies as well as portraying
the adventure and grueling aspects of survival in the hostile jungle. This gripping true life adventure story will
appeal to archaeology buffs and survivalists as well as technophiles.
SH
1 comment:
This true story is suspenseful and artfully told! I could hardly put it down, and I seldom get sucked into nonfiction like that. I love the blend of science, history, archaeology, and journalism. The story presented here is absolutely captivating and it isn’t over (I hope.) These events are recent, and explorations of the ruins found in the Honduran jungle can’t be finished, so I look forward to hearing more about these ruins in the future. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a true adventure story, pre-Columbian history, or archaeology.
Post a Comment