Review: Tree of Rivers by John Hemming

BRITISH explorer and Amazon aficionado John Hemming steers us through a history of the world’s greatest river basin. It’s a narrative rich in extraordinary characters and events. Whether describing pre-conquest civilisations, the barbarity of the arriving westerners, or contrasting the rubber-era city opulence with the genocidal horrors accompanying rubber’s extraction, Hemming’s empathy and admiration for Amazonia’s indigenous peoples shines through. The book is a tour de force, nearly as rich and fascinating as the place itself.