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River Without a Cause

An Expedition through the Past, Present and Future of Theodore Roosevelt's River of Doubt

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River Without a Cause

By: Sam Moses
Narrated by: Asa Siegel
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Summary

A riveting journey down Theodore Roosevelt's "river of doubt" with a diverse crew of adventurers, scientists, and Indigenous leaders who shine light on the past, present, and future of a natural wonder.

Sam Moses took part in the adventure of a lifetime when he, along with seventeen men and two women, embarked on the Rio Roosevelt Expedition. They would follow the former president's wake down five-hundred miles of extreme whitewater into the dark heart of the Amazon. The party was guided by two chiefs from the Cinta Larga tribe—the same tribe that stalked Roosevelt's expedition in 1914—who, between rapids, tell the story of the tribe's own Trail of Tears.

After the wildest whitewater is past, Moses travels with the chiefs to their village to witness the massive illegal mahogany logging from their forest, the Roosevelt Indigenous Territory. River Without a Cause puts us in the raft during those heart pounding rapid descents, as we experience the drama, dynamics, and disputes between the Bull Moose and his coleader, Brazil's most famous explorer, the rigid Colonel Candido Rondon. As the Amazon stands on the precipice of hope with the election of a new Brazilian president, River Without a Cause is a moving and galvanizing tale of adventure that is a fitting tribute to this world wonder.

©2024 Sam Moses
Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Adventure Theodore Roosevelt Heartfelt Roosevelt Family Latin American
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River Without a Cause is a fascinating book with rich material - exactly the sort of past‑and‑present expedition narrative I usually enjoy. The writing itself is strong, and the story of the Rio Roosevelt Expedition is compelling.

My difficulty was purely with the audio production, not the book. The narrative moves between different strands (historical, contemporary, and personal), and in the audiobook these shifts weren’t clearly signalled. With only one narrator using a single vocal style, I often found myself unsure which timeline I was listening to.

I’ve listened to several multi‑strand nonfiction audiobooks where this is handled beautifully - usually by having two narrators or by giving each strand a distinct vocal tone. That small structural choice makes a big difference for listeners.

I don’t think everyone will have the same problem I did, but for me it made the listening experience confusing enough that I eventually switched to the print version instead.

The book is excellent, my challenge was simply with the method of delivery.

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