In The River of Doubt, author Candice Millard focuses her researching and storytelling prowess on Teddy Roosevelt’s ill-conceived exploration of the Brazilian rain forest following his ego bruising, failed attempt to secure a third term as President of the United States. The story is enthralling because of its glimpse into Roosevelt’s larger than life personality as well as its details about the journey and what the men of the expedition were up against by taking on an unexplored section of the Amazon jungle.

I read The River of Doubt as part of the 2023 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. November’s challenge was to read a book with a US President (real or fictional) as a central character to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination.

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Teddy Roosevelt is known for being a charismatic man of action. As an adult, he ran a cattle ranch in the Dakotas, led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill, and he went big game hunting during a months long safari in Africa. So it may surprise that he was once a sickly little boy who struggled with asthma. “Remaking” his body through vigorous exercise made him fit and vital, and helped him overcome the limitations asthma had placed upon him.

Taking action was how he accomplished so much in life, such as being a two term President from 1901-1909. It also became his coping mechanism in times of grief or setbacks. When he failed to win the presidency again in 1912, he became despondent and found himself somewhat of an outcast. When a Brazilian official invited him to make a series of speeches in Brazil, it evolved into an opportunity to also do some exploration of Brazil’s rugged and mysterious interior. This seemed like just the thing to get Roosevelt out of his funk.

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While they planned a relatively tame river route before they left New York, the opportunity to instead explore the unmapped River of Doubt was too tempting for the naturalist former President to pass up. The changed plans meant their preparations, food, and equipment were wholly inadequate. In fact, the entire expedition to this unexplored jungle river can be characterized as insufficiently planned and executed.

After a grueling overland journey to the source of the River of Doubt, the Americans (including Teddy’s son, Kermit) and Brazilians on the journey found themselves with the wrong kind of boats and not enough food. The journey up the river was plagued by constant rain, impassable rapids, swarms of disease carrying insects, poisonous flora and fauna, and the threat of being attacked by cannibals who had never seen white men before.

Most of the men, including Roosevelt and his son, fell ill, which wasn’t helped by their near starvation diet. In fact, Roosevelt was so sick that he almost didn’t make it out of the jungle. Although he survived, he was greatly weakened for the rest of his life and was never the same man who entered the jungle.

The River of Doubt hit so many sweet spots for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I like Presidential biographies that provide insight into the subject without being overly long or detailed. From this book, I learned about Teddy Roosevelt’s personality, his parenting philosophy, how he acted under pressure, and what made him tick. There wasn’t much about his presidency, which was fine because I didn’t expect that.

I also enjoy nonfiction that educates me on different topics. This story taught me about an accomplished Brazilian explorer named Rondon (who was the co-commander of the expedition), the many ways one can die in a rainforest, a bit about the stone age tribes who inhabit the remote parts of Brazil, and lots and lots about the plants and animals who inhabit the jungle, including how they evolved over millions of years to survive and thrive in the jungle.

In fact, the author provides great detail about how plants and animals have adapted to the rainforest, and it provided interesting context for what the men were facing. For example, they were largely unsuccessful at hunting animals for food because the jungle animals had evolved to become masters of camouflage. If you don’t care for peripheral topics like this, The River of Doubt may not be for you, as the author devotes a substantial portion of the book explaining them.

GEORGE RINHART/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

The author also provides well developed characters, from lovesick Kermit to steadfast Rondon to murderous Julio. For my Notre Dame readers, Father Zahm also plays a role in this story as he was friends with Roosevelt and played a prominent role in planning the journey. Unfortunately, it seems he really dropped the ball.

Overall, I really enjoyed The River of Doubt. It has all the characteristics of a compelling story, including suspense, intrigue, villainy, and triumph. It’s a classic man versus nature story with a larger-than-life main character. Thanks for the recommendation, Mark, Maria, and maybe someone else who recently commented (?).

**Reminder: December’s challenge is to read a book that takes place during Christmas or Hanukkah.

For more reading goodness from Candice Millard, check out my review of Destiny of the Republic.

And for further proof of why you shouldn’t explore tropical rainforests, read my review of The Lost City of the Monkey God.