The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey
by Candice Millard

This is the amazing account of the ex-President’s exploration of an unmapped South American river at the age of 55.  It’s hard for me to imagine someone not enjoying this–it starts slow, but the trip down the river is so full of excitement and drama that it’s a little mind-boggling.  Highly recommended for fans of Teddy Roosevelt or Amazonian adventure tales like The Lost City of Z. 

Candice Millard is also the author of the excellent Destiny of the Republic : A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, about the assassination of President Garfield, and is currently working on a book about Winston Churchill.