Wallace, Scott. The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes. New York: Crown. 2011. Print.
First Sentences:
Description:
We found fresh tracks in the morning, footprints in the soggy mud, adult size 8 or 9, and no more than a few hours old.They pointed in the same direction our column was headed, deep into the farthest reaches of the Amazon jungle.
Description:
Small tribes of ancient people dwell deep in the forests of the Amazon, living apart from the modern world through their own choice. And why not? Every previous contact with man has led to their losing trees and homes, contracting fatal illnesses, or being enslaved to work on rubber plantations. They moved deeper and deeper into isolated portions to preserve their lives and culture.
But how long can they remain isolated, unconquered, living in a vast, untapped source of valuable trees, acreage for grazing, and land for roads to join the vast reaches between cities in Brazil?
Scott Wallace in his gripping true adventure, The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes, tells the peril of these tribes and the efforts made to protect them. Recently, Brazil set aside huge tracts of rain forests on a provisional basis as a "preserve" for these tribes, a buffer zone that permits no outsiders. The hope is that the tribes can re-establish their numbers and culture away from modern man.
But is this program having success? If it isn't, there are plenty of people eager to have these lands opened for development with roads, buildings, mining, and deforestation to create grazing lands.
Author Wallace joins a dangerous expedition into this unknown region to observe the health and numbers of these tribes ... a task made more difficult because the expedition members cannot come into physical contact with these tribes and risk impacting a tribe's health or culture. The expedition must travel for weeks up rivers and then hack the pathless jungle through the preserved land. Insects, snakes, torrential rain, starvation, and low morale plague them. Each step is a tremendous effort.
But they do find signs of one of these tribes, the Arrow People, along with warning signs left by the tribe to go no further. A closer approach might mean disaster to both sides. The Arrow People are notoriously quick to use their deadly curare poison blowguns and bows and arrows against all intruders. There is genuine fear among expedition members, but their commitment pushes them forward and closer to danger with each day.
Wallace gives a well-researched background on these tribes, the history of Brazil, the exploitation by plantation owners and missionaries, and the efforts by anthropologists to control this land. The unique culture of each isolated tribe is fascinating to learn about. Equally interesting are the efforts of the expedition members to find ways to survive the rigors of the jungle, fending off the boredom of eating monkey meat to sighting a giant anaconda in the river. They even drizzle a juice made from bark shavings into their eyes to give them a better 3-D look into the flat greenness of the jungle and even provide extra energy for their weary legs.
A thrilling, true life adventure with death and discovery awaiting the expedition members each day.
But how long can they remain isolated, unconquered, living in a vast, untapped source of valuable trees, acreage for grazing, and land for roads to join the vast reaches between cities in Brazil?
Scott Wallace in his gripping true adventure, The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes, tells the peril of these tribes and the efforts made to protect them. Recently, Brazil set aside huge tracts of rain forests on a provisional basis as a "preserve" for these tribes, a buffer zone that permits no outsiders. The hope is that the tribes can re-establish their numbers and culture away from modern man.
But is this program having success? If it isn't, there are plenty of people eager to have these lands opened for development with roads, buildings, mining, and deforestation to create grazing lands.
Author Wallace joins a dangerous expedition into this unknown region to observe the health and numbers of these tribes ... a task made more difficult because the expedition members cannot come into physical contact with these tribes and risk impacting a tribe's health or culture. The expedition must travel for weeks up rivers and then hack the pathless jungle through the preserved land. Insects, snakes, torrential rain, starvation, and low morale plague them. Each step is a tremendous effort.
But they do find signs of one of these tribes, the Arrow People, along with warning signs left by the tribe to go no further. A closer approach might mean disaster to both sides. The Arrow People are notoriously quick to use their deadly curare poison blowguns and bows and arrows against all intruders. There is genuine fear among expedition members, but their commitment pushes them forward and closer to danger with each day.
Wallace gives a well-researched background on these tribes, the history of Brazil, the exploitation by plantation owners and missionaries, and the efforts by anthropologists to control this land. The unique culture of each isolated tribe is fascinating to learn about. Equally interesting are the efforts of the expedition members to find ways to survive the rigors of the jungle, fending off the boredom of eating monkey meat to sighting a giant anaconda in the river. They even drizzle a juice made from bark shavings into their eyes to give them a better 3-D look into the flat greenness of the jungle and even provide extra energy for their weary legs.
A thrilling, true life adventure with death and discovery awaiting the expedition members each day.
Happy reading.
Fred
Fred
www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Adams, Mark. Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Adams, Mark. Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
Author Adams retraces the steps of ancient Incas through Peru to explore ancient cities. Along the way, this inexperienced hiker and historian uncovers tales of this ancient culture, the men who originally discovered it, and the future of these fragile cities. (previously reviewed here)
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