Mystery of the Nile: The Epic Story of the First Descent of the World's Deadliest River

by Pasquale Scaturro and Richard Bangs

Book Overview

A thrilling account of the greatest geographical expedition of our time-the first-ever complete descent of the Nile River. Over the past century, many explorers have attempted to run the magnificent Nile, but none succeeded. At least a dozen men died trying, and since 1964, three explorers have been shot, two have drowned, and another simply disappeared. In April 2004, the renowned adventurer Pasquale Scaturro made history when he completed his epic...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399152628
• ISBN13: 9780399152627
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

What a Journey

I found this book full of adventure, very exciting and those who traveled this path should be commended. I couldn't do what they have done and I couldn't have written it better than Bangs even tho he wasn't along for the ride. Kuddos!

Mystery of the Nile: The Epic Story of the First Descent of the World's Deadliest River

I bought this movie for my girlfriend after we'd been to the IMAX about three or four times to see it. Since then, we've probably seen it another nine or ten times. It really is a fascinating and exciting story about an expedition down the Nile. This is a great movie for anyone interested in nature and adventrure!

Better than the IMAX production

I loved the IMAX film production of Mystery of the Nile, and decided to pick up the book that accompanied it after wanting to know more about it. The editor, Richard Bangs, pieces together personal recollections of the actual "adventure team" leader, Pasquale Scaturro, with his own personal anecdotes (though he was never actually part of the expedition) into an engaging story. This expedition down the Nile River, from it's source at the White Nile to its ocean connection in Cairo, Egypt, is the first successful of its kind. The novel traces the hardships the teams faces while on the river, and off. In addition, it gives a good basic idea on the cultures and natural environments surrounding the Nile, but nothing very detailed. There were parts, however, that I found less than relative to the actual journey, which included blurbs on past adrenaline-exploits of Scaturro's to the point of slightly excessive, but interesting in its own accord. It has been over a year since I have read this book, and regret that I cannot summarize it in a more complete manner, but if you are looking for an easy, attractive novel to sit on the porch and read, give it a shot.

Gripping adventure!

This book tells the amazing, almost unbelievable, story of two adventurers who navigate a hostile and souless river--through crocodiles, bandits, hippos, blinding sand storms, malaria, voracious insects, civil wars. In addition to the gripping and compelling adventure, the history of the Nile and the surrounding regions is explored, the politics of Africa are discussed (including the impact of US involvement), and the impact of poverty and big business on the environment is explored. For those who are fans of Everest adventures, their are lots of comments regarding past attempts on the summit. Don't miss the IMAX movie, either. It is amazing. For Christians, I must warn that this book contains strong humanist themes--"There they discover a mirror in which they see their own faces, and learn that the savior they sought was within themselves"--which are disquieting. However, I loved this book--it painted pictures in my mind that will remain forever.

A blend of adventure story, travelogue, and history

Richard Bangs is an award-winning outdoor travel writer and adventurer, Pasquale Scaturro is a geophysicist who loves adventure. The two team up to provide the lively Mystery Of The Nile: The Epic Story Of The First Descent Of The World's Deadliest River. A blend of adventure story, travelogue, and history, Mystery Of The Nile provides a survey of Nile regional history and culture in the process of detailing the two-man expedition on inflatable raft from its mouth into the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt 114 days later. While the blend of memoir, history, and travelogue may prove difficult to neatly categorize, any with an affection for all of the above will relish the unusual saga.