The Lost City of the Monkey God
By Douglas Preston
- Release Date: 2017-01-03
- Genre: History
Description
The #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, named one of the best books of the year by The Boston Globe and National Geographic: acclaimed journalist Douglas Preston takes readers on a true adventure deep into the Honduran rainforest in this riveting narrative about the discovery of a lost civilization -- culminating in a stunning medical mystery.
Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.
Three quarters of a century later, bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.
Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn't until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.
Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century.
Reviews
Gripping
5By skyeward90I devoured this book! The history, adventure and science was all fascinating. One of my favorite reads of the year.Well done
5By cindymeineckeEnjoyed the story. Hard to find fault with the truth.Loved it must read
5By mikeeee llllllLoved it must readA great read.
5By shitonaplankI just loved itMust read
5By Kory92Stumbled upon this book and loved it. I love the way it is written - very detailed yet exciting. I learned about a lost city that I had never been exposed to before. I would recommend this book if you like fiction, history, and adventure.Engaging book
5By Dubai sandsEnjoyable and well-writtenAirport Treasure
5By FirstMillennialLoved it.A very good read
5By Desde LuegoA fascinating combination of exploration, history, space-age technology, archaeology and medicine, with some unexpected twists.The Lost City of the Monkey God
2By Susie & GeneThis review has nothing to do with the book itself. Now please don’t discard this review. It has to do with the pricing of the book. In one place you have $2.99 and in another it is $9.99. But yet it is called a special. Please make up your mind and let your customers know what price we are to pay. I really wanted to read this book more than any other. But I really want to know how much I will pay for it. Thank you for your time, Carin M.Not a typical Childs and Preston book
5By Pirates PleasureInteresting story with many twists. I’m recommending it to my friends.Disappointing
2By Adam's GhostWhat a bummer. This book starts as a fabulous adventure story every bit as good as Treasure Island, except that it's true making it even better. Just when some real discoveries are made, and you're thinking you'll stay up all night to finish the book, it crashes to a banal narrative. I kept reading hoping the exciting narrative would return, but it never did. Instead there is a discussion of the disease the explorers contracted in the jungle which is about as much fun as listening to the lady's bridge club talk about their gallbladder operations. This is used as a segue to trite moralizations . Interesting things like details of discoveries at the site never appear. Save your moneyOverall really good
4By mormonapeMaybe they all turned into vampires..The Lost City of the Monkey God
4By Peg1gyA good read about a place I hope never to go!Great discovery account!!
4By YayinskiA great read about historic discovery in La Mosquitia, Honduras 🇭🇳!!!Fairly interesting
3By Rick KellyThe hype of finding the city keeps you reading well into the book. Then upon finding it the book falls short with very little in the ruins and just a lot of theories. Actually 3 stars is generous.The lost city of the monkey God
5By StanfarmerExtremely well written. Story line was laid out with care to chronology. History was wonderful. Adventure attention holding. Medical saga re leash is worth the pice of admission" Although the vector-spread of the disease was attributed to global warming the author wisely did not assign "blame" or causation exclusively to man's occupation of Earth. Though Preston's ideological views were made evident in his summation, they did not do damage. This book should be a must read--for enjoyment, edification, and education! Stan farmer author of Fool on a HillIntriquing does not give it justice
5By Running OhmaI read all of Douglas Preston novels and the books he is a joint writer of but had not read a non fiction one that he had written. This book was very well written and documented. It was extremely thought provoking. I am fascinated with rare viruses and the like so this book provided an extra bonus for me with Douglas covering Leishmaniasis. Very thought provoking. If you have any desire to learn more about long past societies and their archeological history then you will thoroughly enjoy this book. It is very well written and one that I could not put down. Thank you Mr Preston for taking the reader on a fascinating journey.True Story
5By ~ Marianne!!!When I saw "true story" I though, what have I gotten into. Well, I got into a very well written book with as many twists and turns as some fiction. I am surprised to say this is an excellent read.Fantastic Read
5By Griffinstrings.comFinished in one sitting. The author makes you feel like you are right beside him for the entire journey. Highly recommend!
