The story of a 12,000 mile canoe trip--down the Mississippi, through the Gulf of Mexico along the coast of Central and S. America, up the Amazon.

A remarkable paddling adventure, and a nice father and son story.

I read that around 1990.  Great book.  Interesting adventure.  Since then the father has had some problems.....Kim

In fact, Don Starkell lost all his fingers and some toes in a kayaking expedition in the artic.  He wrote about it and so did the woman he travelled with (2 out of the 4 summers).  I wouldn't have wanted to travel with him.  I didn't think so when I first read the book about the amazon and when I read Victoria Jayson's book about the artic thing.  Here's a link to an article discussing the differences in their books on the same subject (He wrote a book about the trip also).  Gender notes:  Wilderness unfinished pages 5-7
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I agree with Toothfairy...Paddle to the Amazon is a very entertaining book; but Starkell seems sometimes to get carried away with the GOAL.  Perhaps that is a pre-requisite to being able to finish crazy trips like that!  I remember thinking some of the days the book relates sounded like child abuse for his son who hung in there with him.  Didn't know about the Arctic journey and now I'll have to read it.... :o

Yes, I agree with you Intrepid camper, I thought the one son was pretty good to stay on the trip with him and finish, and the other son left while in Mexico. I think he has a very strong personality that doesn't always listen to reason.  

The book he wrote about the Arctic Journey, Paddle To The Arctic was one of the most compelling books I have ever read.

He was nothing short of an ass and the way the journal read you could see the transformation in him.

I just finished this book last night - loved it! The entire book is a real page turner; it reads like a long trip report. Don kept a very detailed journal throughout, which was condensed to make this book.

Don definitely has a strong personality, but without that singular drive, I don't believe that you'd ever finish a trip like this. They overcame some amazing adversity. I think most people would go through a tough period, and then get trapped by the relative comforts of the next city/layover and never continue.

I'm going to go look for his Arctic book next...

If you would like to read another book about the Amazon, read "The River of Doubt"  by Candice Millard.  It is about Teddy Roosevelts trip down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon,  now named for him.  True story.  My book group loved it and so have all our husbands!!!

"The River of Doubt" was also reviewed here

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I forgot that this is where I heard about the book!  I read it some time ago and then my bookgroup fianlly wanted to read it.  Glad so many people here liked it as well.  What a guy!  But also, Rondon--what a guy.

Just got this book yesterday. Can't wait to pick it up between terms.

Finished "River of Doubt" a month or so ago and meant to post about it, and now I see that dozens of y'all have been there before me.

It is a fascinating book, isn't it?

One of the facts I wanted to point out was the weight of their dugouts, and the (comparatively light) weight of the canoes that the Roosevelt-Rondo expedition chose not to use (sent them on with the guys on the "side" trip) but later wished they had.

I'm going on memory here, but the canoes weighed 160 lbs. (?) and the dugouts many times that.

The next time I'm lugging a We-no-nah Kevlar over a Quetico portage with a small pack on my back, I'm going to remember that.

-- kypaddler