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Overall Summary

Candice Millard’s River of Doubt is a story about President Theodore Roosevelt. It describes his journey down the Amazon in Brazil, which was previously unknown to historians. The book praises Millard for her ability to write like a novelist and provide detailed descriptions of what happened on this expedition. She worked for National Geographic before writing her first book, and she received praise from many critics and readers alike.

The book is about courage, resilience and adventure. The story of the book is told in third person with primary sources determining the major plotlines.

The River of Doubt opens in New York City, where Roosevelt is hosting a reception for his Progressive Party. It’s an independent party he founded as a third choice between Democrats and Republicans. The event is the hottest ticket in town because of Roosevelt’s charisma.

Roosevelt loses the election of 1912, as predicted. He comes in second, but his appearance causes a split within the Republican party (the Democrats win). Roosevelt becomes hated by Republicans and is considered an enemy.

Roosevelt was an adventurous man. After experiencing a loss, he would travel to keep himself occupied. He joined a speaking tour in South America in 1913 and traveled with his son Kermit. The trip was paid for by the American Museum of Natural History, but Roosevelt ended up going well beyond their agreed-upon path.

Colonel Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, the head of security for Brazil and one of its finest adventurers, follows Theodore Roosevelt. Rondon is admired throughout Latin America but has a reputation for being overly demanding, which leads to many deaths among his party members. At 55 years old, Roosevelt isn’t in great shape and may not be able to last long in the wilderness.

Roosevelt is immediately excited by Rondon’s proposal to go explore the Amazon. He quickly agrees, even though he knows that the trip will be dangerous and long. His son Kermit tries to warn him that it isn’t part of his original tour, but Roosevelt doesn’t care about those details or how much time it will take away from his other plans.

Roosevelt: “I’m in! When do we leave?”

Kermit: “Father, you can’t be serious! You don’t know what you are getting into here…this could ruin your reputation as a scientist if things go badly. It may even endanger your life.”

Roosevelt’s expedition to explore the River of Doubt is not helped by two men who were hired to plan it. Reverend John Zahm and Anthony Fiala fail in their duties: Zahm fails to supply enough meat for the journey, while Fiala loads up on too many gourmet items that aren’t necessary for survival. Roosevelt ends up dismissing both before the trip is over.

Roosevelt and the others have to travel through Brazil for several weeks before they even reach Rio de Duvida. They encounter piranhas, jaguars, vipers and anacondas. The team also has to abandon some boats because of their weight. There is a time when Roosevelt jumps into the river to keep one boat from leaving him behind while he’s in another boat with his men. Because of this incident, Roosevelt gets bitten by a snake that causes an infection on his leg that becomes very serious later on in life.

Kermit Roosevelt is determined to save his father from a poisonous snake bite. However, Colonel Rondon refuses to let the expedition’s leader die and insists that they will find another tribe willing to help them. In the end, it’s Rondon who saves everyone by navigating through dangerous terrain and leaving gifts for indigenous tribes so they won’t attack the group. Kermit Roosevelt remains positive despite being bitten by a poisonous snake; he serves as a morale booster throughout their journey down the River of Doubt.