Many former presidents spend their post-White House years in a relatively benign state of comfort, authoring books and giving the occasional lecture. Theodore Roosevelt, not surprisingly, wasn’t interested in retirement, so in late 1913 he teamed with Brazilian explorer Col. Cândido Rondon for a scientific expedition into the most remote western section of Brazil’s rainforest to chart the course of an unexplored tributary known as the River of Doubt. Roosevelt, who was joined by his son Kermit and 20 other explorers, wound up having much more of an adventure than he anticipated. John Maggio’s PBS-aired American Experience documentary details this ill-fated expedition, which seemed doomed from the start: the canoes were too heavy for the river, food provisions were inadequate, and the explorers were unprepared for tropical illnesses. Roosevelt injured his leg during the trip, and the rapid spread of infection from the wound raised a serious concern that he would die in the rainforest. Roosevelt, whose life was built on courage and fearlessness, had requested that he be left to his fate in order to preserve the lives of his fellow travelers, but he was brought to safety and later detailed the depth of the expedition’s findings to astonished scientific gatherings. Drawing on a wealth of rare newsreels and archival photographs recording the historic journey, along with Alec Baldwin’s recitations from Roosevelt’s journals, Into the Amazon presents this fascinating story with Roosevelt-worthy vigor. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Into the Amazon
(2018) 120 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0268-7. Volume 33, Issue 3
Into the Amazon
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