latin america

Note to fellow reviewers: this is not a Sidney Sheldon novel. Whitaker uses the "true tale of love, murder and survival in the Amazon" as an excuse to delve deeply into the history of the study of the shape of the earth, socio-political conditions of the day (the 16th Century), and the motivations of the principles and their nations, leaving very few tangents un-investigated. While this may frustrate those readers expecting romance and intrigue, rest assured that this book is by no means boring. Instead, it is a thoroughly-researched window into the past where, by the time Whitaker finally gets around to the "survival" part of the story, the reader is deeply immersed in the mindset of the times, placing everything that happens into proper perspective.

I bought this book based on the New Yorker Magazine review and the Amazon.com review. What is billed as an adventure novel with all the juicy attributes of "Love, Murder and Survival" in the Amazon jungle ended up far from it. Basically the book is a scientific, cronological and historical textbook account of an expedition seeking to determine the mathematical latitude and longitude at the equator. Unless you are interested in such things or want to return to the classroom, forget it. BORING and not as billed. Certainly contains none of the "adventure juice" the subtitle implies.

It's a shame the author didn't read a bit more about Spain and Spanish America. He resurrects the Black Legend about the Spanish and makes Peruvians sound like mindless robots who follow the Crown/Church orders. Anyone with historical background will want to throw this at the wall at times. Too bad.