I read this for our book club this month. I wouldn't have made it past the first couple chapters otherwise. The biggest problem with this book is that it was written by Ed Stafford. The book could have been really good if it had been written by a ghost writer or if Stafford had a VERY heavy-handed editor. As is, this book is basically a walk of depression. It hardly talks about anything interesting (the amazon!), and focuses in depth on how bored/lonely/depressed Stafford is. He hated this journey from the first to last step and it reads just as tediously. I did love the rare moments of interesting parts in this book. They were extremely few & far between. 2 stars. This book is like a diary and it's a long one! The walk took 860 days and each day is described, some of them in detail. It was really too much detail for me. I skimmed many pages. It was very interesting, though, to hear about the indigenous people who distrusted white men and thought they were trying to take their lands or steal their children or their organs! The bugs, snakes, wild animals, lack of food and floods were other potentially deadly obstacles they had to over come. Ed and his guides could have been killed at many points along the way. It seems a miracle that he survived!
An amazing achievement. I cannot deny how awesome his adventure was; just not written overly well.
—deepak
Loved, loved, loved this book. So inspiring.
—twilightsong101
Amazing story written by the explorer.
—Snut
Great adventure, what a guy !
—Luvjus
Amazing, crazy achievement.
—mifernanda
