United States
£ GBP
In the summer of 1925 Colonel Fawcett – soldier, spy and legendary explorer – embarked on a journey into the dark and uncharted heart of Brazil in search of the lost 'City of Z'. He was never seen again. Rumours abounded – that Fawcett had been killed by Indians or wild animals or that he had lost his memory and become chief of a cannibal tribe – and many became obsessed with discovering what had become of him. In 1932, when "The Times" advertised for 'guns' to join an expedition to find Fawcett, the lure was too great for a young Peter Fleming and he immediately signed up, intending to send dazzling dispatches from the jungle. The expedition set out from Sao Paulo and, following tributaries of the Amazon, headed to Fawcett's last-known position. What followed was, in Fleming's words, 'a venture for which Rider Haggard might have written the plot and Conrad designed the scenery'. As the expedition forged its way deeper into the Amazon, disagreements fractured the group and the entire adventure ended in a chaotic race to be the first to report back home. Though the fate of Colonel Fawcett remains a mystery, Peter Fleming's wild escapade in the heart of Brazil has become one of the 20th century's best-loved travel classics.
With a new Foreword by Giles Foden.
Peter Fleming, OBE, (1907-1971) was a journalist and writer and one of the last great adventurers of the 20th century. He began his career as a special correspondent with The Times and later wrote for The Spectator. He served with the Grenadier Guards during World War II and from 1942 was in charge of military deception operations in Southeast Asia. He is author of several classic books, which include Brazilian Adventure, To Peking, One's Company and News from Tartary. In his memory, The Royal Geographical Society established The Peter Fleming Award for projects that seek to advance geographical science.
