"The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon " by David Grann. *****

• Audiobook
• US author
• Originally published in 2010
• Non-fiction
• Fawcett, last of Victorian explorers, 1925.....vanished with son and his friend, Fawcett seekers
• Royal Geographic Society......maps of the world...would be cool to visit 
• Discovery of longitude chronometer was important
• Exploration is now more about inward discovery....no new outward discovery
• High tech gadgets galore
• Explorers as spies to map new lands....wore disguises, gathered political info
• Insects were maddening and deadly
• Natives, enraged by rubber barons forcing them into slavery were ferocious about intruders
• Author planned to retrace Fawcett's steps
• Met Fawcett's granddaughter who gave hin Fawcett's journals and letters
• Biographer as burglar
• Fawcett's theories impacted by Darwinism, or a racialized misinterpretation of it
• Professional jealousies amngst explorers
• Impact of WWI and mustard gas on Fawcett
• "those whom the gods intend to destroy first make them mad.".....fawcett
• Was Z a spiritual goal?  
• 100+ died seeking Fawcett
• Review:  A fascinating story of obsession!  The combination of exploration, historical context, and familial loyalty make for an engrossing read.  I lost track of time listening to this story, feeling a faint flicker of the fiery obsession which drove Percy Fawcett.  I wonder who the impassioned seekers are that are living today and who will become the legends of tomorrow's tales?