Summary and Analysis of The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon: Based on the Book by David Grann (Smart Summaries)

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Lost City of Z tells you what you need to know—before or after you read David Grann’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Lost City of Z includes: Historical context Chapter-by-chapter overviews Profiles of the main characters Detailed timeline of key events Important quotes Fascinating trivia Glossary of terms Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann: Nearly a century after Colonel Percy Fawcett disappeared while on a quest to discover the mythical “Lost City of Z” in South America, New York Times –bestselling author David Grann set out to explore—first-hand—the terrain and history that have fascinated generations of explorers and scientists. Fawcett’s wild tales of flora, fauna, and indigeous peoples captivated the West, and his disappearance sent shockwaves around the world that continue to resonate today. David Grann’s book weaves the exciting stories of Colonel Percy Fawcett and his mysterious demise with an account of his own exploration of the Amazon. The Lost City of Z is now a major motion picture starring Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Charlie Hunnam, and Sienna Miller. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction. A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon. After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world's largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions helped inspire Conan Doyle's The Lost World, had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions around the globe, Fawcett embarked with his twenty-one-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization--which he dubbed "Z"--existed. Then he and his expedition vanished.Fawcett's fate--and the tantalizing clues he left behind about "Z"--became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett's party and the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes, or gone mad. As David Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett's quest, and the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle's "green hell." His quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett's fate and "Z" form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.

A masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, this blockbuster adventure takes listeners on a gripping journey into the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": what happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z? In 1925, Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history, but he and his expedition vanished. For decades, scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett s party and the lost City of Z. David Grann s quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett s fate and Z form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.


From the Compact Disc edition.

The Barnes & Noble Review

Percy Harrison Fawcett (he went by "Colonel," although he was only a lieutenant colonel) was among the last of the gentleman explorers, the generalists who set out with machete and sketchbook to fill in the blank spots on the globe. Born in 1867, Fawcett, a wiry teetotalling Englishman who seemed immune to malaria, did this work better and faster than anyone believed was possible: in 1906–7 he mapped the border between Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, an inhospitable jungle river; in the seven years that followed he was all over the Amazon, sometimes following rivers, sometimes hacking his way overland, always with only a small party to help him. His surveying trips won him a medal from the Royal Geographical Society and a certain amount of fame (although never any money); but the expedition for which he is best known is the one he undertook in 1925, accompanied only by his son Jack and Raleigh Rimmell, Jack's boyhood friend. They were looking for a legendary city, which Fawcett referred to in his notes as "Z." None of them ever returned.

A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon. After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the 20th century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett & his quest for the Lost City of Z? In 1925, Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world's largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humans. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions inspired Conan Doyle's The Lost World , had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions round the globe, Fawcett embarked with his 21-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilisation--which he dubbed Z--existed. Then his expedition vanished. Fawcett's fate, & the tantalizing clues he left behind about Z, became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists & adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett's party & the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes or gone mad. As Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett's quest, & the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle's green hell. His quest for the truth & discoveries about Fawcett's fate & Z form the heart of this complexly enthralling narrative. After Stumbling Upon A Hidden Trove Of Diaries, New Yorker Writer David Grann Set Out To Solve The Greatest Exploration Mystery Of The Twentieth Century: What Happened To British Explorer Percy Fawcett. In 1925 Fawcett Ventured Into The Amazon To Find An Ancient Civilization. For Centuries Europeans Believed The World's Largest Jungle Concealed The Glittering El Dorado. Thousands Had Died Looking For It, Leaving Many Convinced That The Amazon Was Truly Inimical To Humankind. But Fawcett Had Spent Years Building His Scientific Case. Captivating The Imagination Of Millions, He Embarked With His 21-year-old Son, Determined To Prove That This Ancient Civilization--which He Dubbed Z--existed. Then He And His Expedition Vanished. Fawcett's Fate--and The Clues He Left Behind--became An Obsession For Hundreds Who Followed Him. As Grann Delved Deeper Into Fawcett's Mystery, And The Greater Mystery Of The Amazon, He Found Himself Irresistibly Drawn Into The Green Hell.--from Publisher Description. We Shall Return -- The Vanishing -- The Search Begins -- Buried Treasure -- Blank Spots On The Map -- The Disciple -- Freeze-dried Ice Cream And Adrenaline Socks -- Into The Amazon -- The Secret Papers -- The Green Hell -- Dead Horse Camp -- In The Hands Of The Gods -- Ransom -- The Case For Z -- El Dorado -- The Locked Box -- The Whole World Is Mad -- A Scientific Obsession -- An Unexpected Clue -- Have No Fear -- The Last Eyewitness -- Dead Or Alive -- The Colonel's Bones -- The Other World -- Z. David Grann. Maps On Endpapers. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 285-326) And Index. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager comes a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction “with all the pace and excitement of a movie thriller”(The New York Times) that unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century—the story of the legendary British explorer who ventured into the Amazon jungle in search of a fabled civilization and never returned.'[Grann is] one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today.'—New York MagazineAfter stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed writer David Grann set out to determine what happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z. For centuries Europeans believed the Amazon, the world's largest rain forest, concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. Then he vanished. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.” In this masterpiece, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett's quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle. Look for David Grann's latest bestselling book, The Wager! After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": what happened to British explorer Percy Fawcett. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization. For centuries Europeans believed the world's largest jungle concealed the glittering El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions, he embarked with his 21-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization--which he dubbed "Z"--Existed. Then he and his expedition vanished. Fawcett's fate--and the clues he left behind--became an obsession for hundreds who followed him. As Grann delved deeper into Fawcett's mystery, and the greater mystery of the Amazon, he found himself irresistibly drawn into the "green hell."--description de l'éditeur In 1925, the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon jungle, in search of a fabled civilization located deep in the deadly wilderness. He never returned. In this masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, journalist David Grann tells the epic story of Fawcett's quest for this "Lost City of Z", as he unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century An investigative reporter examines the strange disappearance in 1925 of fifty-seven-year-old explorer Percy Fawcett and his team, who were searching for the ruins of a mysterious lost civilization in the Amazon Basin. Grann's research takes him on his own adventures into the jungle In 1925, the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon jungle, in search of a fabled civilization. He never returned. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called "The Lost City of Z."--Publisher description