The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story

I wonder how the author of this book felt after his ending chapter and this past year. Not that I believe C-19 was as bad as the 1918 or even swine flu.
The ending did make me wonder what the America's were like when the Northwest Passage was open.
As usual I was left being slightly bemused by what came out of the Carbon Dating tests.
And when did the USA become America proper. I know he wanted to point out the mixed archaeologists, but Hondurans are Americans in my book. ( )

I listened to the audio book version and it definitely suffered from a narrator that was not very engaging. The book was also far too genre hopping. I was looking for an adventure / survival/ archaeological romp. It was partially that but it was also a detailed history of Honduras, how the US has mucked with the social / political situation in Latin America, archaeological theory and methodology, the new science behind modern archaeology (LiDAR), and finally epidemiology, the effects of infectious diseases (especially on native populations after European contact), and the impact of climate change on the modern and predicted patterns of disease and parasitic transfer. Plus some pretty terrifying details about leishmaniasis. I just wasn't always in the mood to hear about whatever new topic the author skipped to. It has a mind-boggling level of detail and research but I think I would have preferred the Cliff Notes. ( )

More pictures! Better pictures! And a map of Honduras and T1! Or is that still top secret??

I like the Pendergast stories so I wanted to check out this non-fiction book. It's a dual read with Mike. We've both been enjoying it.

I like reading about American archaeology and I've mainly read about Mayan ruins, so this was something different. There's some filler here about all the previous hunts for this city, all unsuccessful. I didn't mind the background stories but was ready to get into the new expedition.

Yeh, I don't think I'm ready for the jungle! Snakes, biting bugs, rain, mud, more rain, more mud, more bugs. Unlike some other reviewers, I appreciate all the detail the author gave us. Very cool that they found this city. I am a bit curious about the controversy that erupted about this find, though. I may look that up. Its not an edge of your seat kind of thriller, but interesting enough that I kept turning the pages.

At the end, the author talks about the tropical parasite the group became infected with and it's a major part of this book, probably because it became a major part of his life. He discusses global warming, history, politics, you name it. It felt unfinished but it was the story of HIS journey to find the city.

At the end, I wondered where the excavation is at this point. I'd like to spend some time learning more about it. Also of note, Douglas Preston always refers to himself as a journalist for the New Yorker and National Geographic, not a novelist. I only thought he wrote fiction!

Recommended if you like this type of story. Lots of details. ( )

Excellent job in recounting his real life involvement in the discovery of this huge archaeological discovery in the Honduras and the aftermath. I am looking forward to hearing more of what is brought out of the jungle from the "City of the Jaguars". ( )

Excellent job in recounting his real life involvement in the discovery of this huge archaeological discovery in the Honduras and the aftermath. I am looking forward to hearing more of what is brought out of the jungle from the "City of the Jaguars". ( )