The Book Shelf: Jungleland by Christopher S. Stewart

On Monday I finished Jungleland by Christopher S. Stewart. The book is a really fun exploration of what it means to be an adventurer in the days when there were still blank spots on the map and contrasting that with today's GPS and Google Maps. 

While many of the reviews for this book would have you believe that it's the sort of seat gripping adventure that will have you reading it in a single night I'm here to tell you that is far from the case. The book is absolutely well written, and the parts focusing on the explorer Theodore Morde are fantastic, but where it loses steam is when Chris focuses on his personal story. He whines, complains, and constantly presents himself in the most unflattering way possible. 

I like him. 

That said, the book drags whenever the narrative moves over to the author and his misery in the wilds. Yet it is in those parts where we see the reality of trekking off to lost places where no one knows what will happen next.

Well written and definitely worth the read for anyone interested in the search for the lost worlds of antiquity. 

Three Sad Beholders out of Five