The Lost City of Z
a tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon
by David Grann, James Gray · first published 2000
57% recommend36% neutral7% critical
Why HN recommends it
Narrative nonfiction about explorer Percy Fawcett's 1925 disappearance in the Amazon while searching for a lost city; readers call it gripping and fascinating, and a good pick for fans of modern adventure stories.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon. After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?In 1925 Fawcett
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I've been reading The Lost City of Z by David Grann. Really enjoying it: * The Lost City of Z * http://www.amazon.com/Lost-City-Deadly-Obsession-Amazon/dp/0...
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗I can recommend this one: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009) by David Grann. "It tells the story of the British explorer Percy Fawcett who, in 1925, disappeared with his son in the Amazon while looking for an ancient…
on “Ship found in Arctic 168 years after doomed Northwest Passage attempt” ↗Life on Air by David Attenborough is one of my favorites - it's narrated by the man himself. Any books by David Grann are great to listen to but I particularly enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon and Lost City of Z.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite audiobooks?” ↗Recommended reading: "The Lost City of Z" by David Grann (https://www.amazon.com/Lost-City-Deadly-Obsession-Amazon/dp/...) Ref also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_City_of_Z for more info about Col. Fawcett and this story.
on “Ancient City Found in the Amazon” ↗I recommend reading accounts of traveling through the Amazon, like The Lost City of Z. The number of pests in rainforests that do horrifying things to the human body is astounding and the botflies are only one of them. Makes me thankful for modern conveniences like pure DEET.
on “Nine-Inch Snails” ↗…and Murder". It's very well researched and pieced together from conflicting accounts. After I was finished I decided to look up the author and found out he wrote "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "The Lost City of Z", both of which I really enjoyed! If you like books like Endurance, Unbroken, or A Land So Strange, you'll dig this one.
on “Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2024?” ↗The Lost City of Z, the book, was fascinating. Highly recommended. Didn’t see the movie.
on “Laser mapping reveals oldest Amazonian cities, built 2500 years ago (2024)” ↗…David Grann - 12 amazing essays, each great in their own way. I didn't want to finish this only because I didn't want to no longer have a story to look forward to! I picked this up after reading his The Lost City of Z, which was also a great read if you like modern adventure stories. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking - I love to reread this every so often. Maybe it's nostalgia? How Linux Works by Brian Ward…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗I just finished reading The Lost City of Z by David Grann. Archeological evidence supports the conclusion that pre-invasion Amazonians did have larger societies than they do now, and what we previously thought.
on “The Most Isolated Man on the Planet” ↗I hadn't even heard of Fawcett before I read Lost City of Z, which was a highly recommended book. Personally I thought the book was only 'okay', that the heroics felt...exaggerated? Now I guess I know why.
on “The hero of ‘The Lost City of Z’ was no hero” ↗FYI, this is a long excerpt (prologue and first chapter) from a nonfiction book y the author of "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "Lost City of Z," David Grann. Fascinating. Built on a firsthand account by Lord Byron's grandfather? Everyone writing nautical and adventure fiction in the era would have been aware of this, though I had no idea. Kind…
on “A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder” ↗Why is this downvoted? It's 100% relevant. David Grann is a well known New Yorker contributor and, before the book, has also written an article named "Lost City of Z": https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/09/19/the-lost-city-...
on “Ancient City Found in the Amazon” ↗This is cool. There’s still work to do but I searched for a book I’m interested in (Lost City of Z) and found it for $4.50 instead of $10. Thanks for helping me save $5! Great start!
on “Show HN: I built a site that finds the cheapest place to buy a book” ↗See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_City_of_Z_(book)
on “Amazon rainforest was transformed over 2,000 years ago by mysterious earthworks” ↗Where did you read this? I’ve read in multiple places that the jungle there is quite inhospitable to humans because there is little easily accessible food. The source that comes to mind is the book The Lost City of Z.
on “Laser mapping reveals oldest Amazonian cities, built 2500 years ago (2024)” ↗