Reviews tagging 'War'

The Lost City of Z: a legendary British explorer's deadly quest to uncover the secrets of the Amazon by David Grann

5 reviews

dunningsk's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

I think this is a pretty safe bet if you have enjoyed Grann's other books or if you are at all interested in the novels of Michael Crichton, James Rollins, etc. It's pretty adventurous and interesting. Honestly if anything some of the little tidbits he drops into the story (e.g. that American anthropologist who

committed suicide

) were so compelling I wanted to put the book down and google it to learn more. 

I had never read or really heard anything about Fawcett before reading this. I completely understand why the story captivated so many people. I was sooo hungry for some more clues, more speculation, as to the party's fate. It was frustrating that we didn't get any of that although it's hardly Grann's fault. 

The last chapter describing the archeological finds was absolutely fascinating. That could be - and I'm sure already is - a whole book in and of itself. 

I hesitate to rate this 4 stars because i really feel like there were some areas that could have received more depth. But, at the same time, what's there on the pages was such a fun, fast, informative read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery and Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Murder, and War

clarabooksit's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cannibalism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

grace_b_3's review against another edition

informative sad slow-paced

2.0

I really liked Killers of the Flower Moon, but this one wasn’t as compelling for me. 

This was an earlier book by Grann, so part of it may be him figuring out his writing style and such. I didn’t like how present he was in the narrative of this book. 

I also found the subject matter of Killers more interesting. There were things in this book that I would like to learn more about (mainly about the various Amazonian tribes and the lost civilization found there), but the focus, Fawcett, is what I found the least interesting. I did like the angle of his family and learning how his and Jack’s disappearance affected them, but the actual narrative of various expeditions to the Amazon was not what kept me reading.  Exploring the Amazon seems like a horrible experience and reading about someone repeatedly subjecting themself and others to it just wasn’t for me. 

If you find people pushing themselves to the limits of their endurance in harsh environments compelling, this might be the book for you.

Especially if you enjoy a story with a tragic, doomed air—from the start you know he went into and never came out and the book is just building towards that moment.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and Abandonment

Insects

ezulc's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

cait's review against another edition

informative mysterious slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism