At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.From the soaring beauty of the Amazon rain forest to the darkest night of Theodore Roosevelt’s life, here is Candice Millard’s dazzling debut.

TWO PLANE TICKETS, NO PLAN, ONE DREAM A celebration of one couple's decision to risk it all and live in one of the happiest places on earth. In this humorous and witty account, Nadine Pisani shares what it is like to follow her dream of quitting her job and starting a new life under the sunny skies of Costa Rica. Along the way, she finds reliable utilities are not that reliable, quirky neighbors are unavoidable, and tackling red tape takes the strength of a linebacker. But with all its challenges, you'll learn why Costa Rica is ranked as one of the happiest places on earth--and you too may want to taste the Pura Vida lifestyle.

Full-color guide • Make your trip to Costa Rica unforgettable with 54 maps, illustrated features, and over 250 color photos.Customize your trip with simple planning tools • Convenient overview of each region and its highlights • Practical advice for getting around • Easy-to-read color regional maps Explore Manuel Antonio National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Tortuguero National Park, and beyond • Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more • “Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers • Illustrated features on snorkeling and diving, canopy tours, and best beaches • Best surfing, birdwatching, and game fishing  Opinions from destination experts • Fodor’s Costa Rica–based writers reveal their favorite local haunts • Revised annually to provide the latest information Added bonus: At the end of each Fodor’s hotel review, we’ve included snippets from TripAdvisor reviews. Plan your trip with the extra peace of mind that comes from knowing each of Fodor’s expert selections is reinforced by consumer experience and feedback.

What happens when an adventure travel expert-who's never actually done anything adventurous-tries to re-create the original expedition to Machu Picchu? July 24, 1911, was a day for the history books. For on that rainy morning, the young Yale professor Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and encountered an ancient city in the clouds: the now famous citadel of Machu Picchu. Nearly a century later, news reports have recast the hero explorer as a villain who smuggled out priceless artifacts and stole credit for finding one of the world's greatest archaeological sites. Mark Adams has spent his career editing adventure and travel magazines, so his plan to investigate the allegations against Bingham by retracing the explorer's perilous path to Machu Picchu isn't completely far- fetched, even if it does require him to sleep in a tent for the first time. With a crusty, antisocial Australian survivalist and several Quechua-speaking, coca-chewing mule tenders as his guides, Adams takes readers through some of the most gorgeous and historic landscapes in Peru, from the ancient Inca capital of Cusco to the enigmatic ruins of Vitcos and Vilcabamba. Along the way he finds a still-undiscovered country populated with brilliant and eccentric characters, as well as an answer to the question that has nagged scientists since Hiram Bingham's time: Just what was Machu Picchu? Watch a Video

Through the Brazilian Wilderness describes Roosevelt's expedition into the Brazilian jungle in 1913. The book describes scenic tropical views and an exotic fauna and flora. "When I started from the United States, it was to make an expedition, primarily concerned with mammalogy and ornithology, for the American Museum of Natural History of New York. This was undertaken under the auspices of Messrs. Osborn and Chapman, acting on behalf of the Museum. In the body of this work I describe how the scope of the expedition was enlarged, and how it was given a geographic as well as a zoological character, in consequence of the kind proposal of the Brazilian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, General Lauro Muller. " Theodore Roosevelt

Waterproof and rugged road and travel map of Costa Rica plus zoomed detail maps of the most popular regions. Updated annually - ground truthed all the way from Cabo Matapalo to Upala for the new 2011/2012 4th edition. Roads are clearly differentiated by color and line width for classes from limited access divided highways down to 4WD seasonal tracks - improved and even easier to see the main route to your destination at a glance. 2 sided, 39 in. x 26.25 in. (4.875 in. x 9 in. folded) Locations and easy to read indexes are included for cities and towns, National Parks and other natural areas, beaches, rivers, peaks, volcanoes, waterfalls and the best hotels, lodges, resorts, restaurants and activities. Exclusives o The only street level map in print for the entire Central Valley from the international airport to San Jose. o Detailed maps of Arenal Volcano/Fortuna, Alajuela, Escazu, Heredia, Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Monteverde/Santa Elena, Playa Jaco, Playa Tamarindo/Langosta, Puerto Jimenez&Tenorio/Celeste. o Every waterproof map location, restaurant, hotel, resort, lodge and even campground is searchable and geocoded on mapcr.com where you can read detailed descriptions from the author of The New Key to Costa Rica (the number one bestselling guidebook over the past three decades). o Proprietary symbols for distinctively Costa Rican attractions like zip-line and hanging bridge canopy tours, butterfly gardens, canyoneering, rain forest horseback rides, SCUBA, deep sea fishing, golf, white water rafting, trails and many more. See at a glance what to do where. o Driving distance table and mini map for calculating trip distances and estimating drive times. o A few dozen useful English to Spanish phrase and word translations are provided in an inset. You will appreciate having 'What is the best way to get there?' and 'Can you please show me on the map?' at your fingertips if you need to ask directions.

The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: History / United States / General;

The guide that shows you what other travel books only tell you! It would be impossible for anyone to travel to Rome and experience the historical, cultural, architectural, and culinary offerings the city has to offer without the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Rome. With over 750 full-color photographs, easy to read street maps, and a Traveler's Needs sections, this revised edition fleshes out your travel experience with up to date information on new restaurants, accommodations, and the new Euro currency. Before you embark on a Roman holiday, let DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide: Rome show you the Eternal City in all its glory. Street-by-street maps and stunningly illustrated aerial overviews will easily get you to all the city's attractions. An excellent city for walking, six guided walks direct you along such enthralling routes as the Tiber River, the Via Guilia, Rome's Triumphal Arches, the Via Appa Antica, a tour of the city's best mosaics, and Bernini's Rome. The city's people, culture, cuisine, wines, and shopping are each highlighted in special features throughout the guide. Since the city wasn't built in a day, nor can all the sights be seen in one, you'll need this trusted guide to make the most of Rome.

Full-color throughout, with a free full-color foldout map and a new wildlife chapter with photos. With Frommer's in hand, you'll experience the wonder of Costa Rica's amazing biodiversity, as we point out the best places to see hundreds of unique, colorful species of animals and plants.Completely updated every year, Frommer's Costa Rica features gorgeous color photos of the lush rainforest and the spectacular beaches that await you.Personally researched by a longtime resident, it's the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-changing country, with recommended accommodations in every price category. This edition also features expanded coverage of the Central Valley, the Nicoya Peninsula, and Guanacaste.Insightful commentary and opinionated reviews. You'll visit rugged wilderness preserves and sleepy beach towns, spectacular orchid gardens and mineral hot springs at the foot of a steaming volcano. There are adventures here to suit all ages and abilities: swooping from treetop platform to treetop platform on a canopy tour, taking a dip in a jungle swimming hole, spotting playful spider monkeys as you hike through lush foliage, windsurfing on Lake Arenal, or watching endangered sea turtles nest on the beach.