The Sea and the Jungle

By H.M. Tomlinson

Book Overview

Considered a masterpiece of travel literature for nearly a century, The Sea and the Jungle is a wise and witty book of firsts: ostensibly a lighthearted story of a Londoner's first ocean voyage, it is also a carefully crafted journalistic account of the first successful ascent of the Amazon River and its tributary, the Madeira, by an English steamer. First published in 1912, The Sea and the Jungle remains one of the most popular accounts of a traveler's experience in Amazonia. As Peter Matthiessen observed fifty years later, " The Sea and the Jungle is one of the few level-headed works in the literature of this region. . . . accurate and difficult to improve upon."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810160110
• ISBN13: 9780810160118
• Release Date: May 1996
• Publisher: Marlboro Press
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

a must read for the adventure travel reader

Although this book may not appeal to all, to the adventure travel reader, it is a work of art, and a must read. Each description of an incident, landscape or interesting item paints in words a picture that is exquisite. I'm reading it for the second time, in case I missed anything. It's better the second time!

A Great Armchair Adventure

When I first read this book six years ago, I was struck by its leisurely pace -- some readers in today's "now" technological age might find the text maddeningly slow -- but that is the delight in a book of this sort, written in 1912. Tomlinson's meditations, ruminations and wanderings are part of the larger adventure reflected in the times in which he took the "Capella" voyage. And, from these digressions come crisp, first-rate descriptions of the ship, its crew, and the surroundings. Even today, I can recall certain passages that still strike me in their clarity and precision (Ex: the huge, turbine arms of the Capella's engines whir and thump with "bird-like alacrity."). This book requires patience and indulgence, but is extremely rewarding for someone in this right frame of mind.