- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Harper Perennial (29 April 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007111150
- ISBN-13: 978-0007111152
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 726,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
‘An excellent, fascinating, and timely book.’ Spectator
‘A breathtaking account of one of the greatest ever feats of exploration.’ Literary Review
‘Impeccable…Keay tells the story of the expedition's slow unravelling with the quiet and masterly authority that characterises all his books…the book is a splendid piece of travel writing, too…Keay has painted quite brilliantly a portrait of the river and those intrepid Europeans who first ventured onto it.’ Sunday Times
‘Entertaining…Keay anthropomorphises the Mekong with terrific verve and imagination throughout this delightful book.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Told with a gusto that does not cloak the hideous dangers and discomforts encountered by the expedition…Keay writes eloquently and his vivid descriptions are supported by the scrupulous research that is the hallmark of all his work. Whether as a history, a travel book or just a study in group dynamics, “Mad About the Mekong” makes rewarding reading.’ Daily Telegraph
Review
'An excellent, fascinating, and timely book.' Spectator 'A breathtaking account of one of the greatest ever feats of exploration.' Literary Review 'Impeccable!Keay tells the story of the expedition's slow unravelling with the quiet and masterly authority that characterises all his books!the book is a splendid piece of travel writing, too!Keay has painted quite brilliantly a portrait of the river and those intrepid Europeans who first ventured onto it.' Sunday Times 'Entertaining!Keay anthropomorphises the Mekong with terrific verve and imagination throughout this delightful book.' Sunday Telegraph 'Told with a gusto that does not cloak the hideous dangers and discomforts encountered by the expedition!Keay writes eloquently and his vivid descriptions are supported by the scrupulous research that is the hallmark of all his work. Whether as a history, a travel book or just a study in group dynamics, "Mad About the Mekong" makes rewarding reading.' Daily Telegraph
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
At the time of writing, on the evidence of a single review, this book gets a grotesquely inadequate two stars. That needs to be redressed, in fairness to the author, and fairness to potential readers, who would be sadly misled if they missed out on this excellent read. If you like travel and exploration and rivers, then you can't not like this. While it may not have the sweaty-palms tension of 'Blood River', the tale of this journey into another 'heart of darkness' is as dramatic as - if less dark than - Tim Butcher's best-seller. By no stretch of mis-information can the six French members of the Mekong Exploration Commission be described as 'dull'. In the image of Napoleon's expedition to the Nile, and in the great tradition of the French Encyclopaedists, this was a 'symposium on the march'. The varying motivations of these savants provide a lot of the book's tensions. 'Monotonous scenery'? While it is true that in places the banks of the Mekong are flat (which is not the same as featureless), you only have to look at Louis Delaporte's marvellous pictures to realise that by far the greatest part of the expedition was through country that was anything but monotonous... (but then I've never been to Shoreham-on-Sea). From the sticky, malarial jungles of Cambodia and Laos to the freezing uplands of Yunnan, they came into contact with little-known hill-tribes, Buddhist monks, isolated Catholic missionaries, rebellious Moslems; tigers, elephants, rhinos and (worst of all) leeches; and exotic plant life. 'A history lacking in deeds of moment'...? The expedition took place, and Keay places it clearly in the context of the other 'Great Game', between France and Britain for imperial domination in South-east Asia. Add to that Keay's authoritative coverage of the Vietnam War, 'Apocalypse Now', Khmer Rouge Cambodia, the Golden Triangle and a lot more in the story of this fascinating and tragic region, and you have a highly satisfying, five-star read.
1 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This a book about a forgotton French expedition up the Mekong in the nineteenth century. The reason that it was forgotten was that the travellers were inexpressibly dull, the scenery pretty monotonous (1000 miles of riverbank) and the history of the area lacking in any deeds of moment and seemingly devoid of any characters of interest.
One can only blame Keay for writing the book. He also moves around in time a lot to explain the subsequent history of the area traversed. I suspect the is to alleviate his own boredom. It doesn't work.
Anyway, I was glad to finish the book and be rid of those bearded frenchies forever. Ha ha!
One can only blame Keay for writing the book. He also moves around in time a lot to explain the subsequent history of the area traversed. I suspect the is to alleviate his own boredom. It doesn't work.
Anyway, I was glad to finish the book and be rid of those bearded frenchies forever. Ha ha!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Historical non-fiction at its best!
1 Nov 2010
Format:Hardcover
The is historical non-fiction at its best! Keay eloquently brings to life a little known and long forgotten south-east Asian expedition combining both a modern and historical perspective of the Mekong and its surrounding countries. Mad About the Mekong is a rewarding read for anyone interested in the region or just wanting a good adventure story.
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