THE DARKEST JUNGLE The True Story of the Darien Expedition and America's Ill-Fated Race to Connect the Seas

A full 60 years before American engineers completed the Panama Canal, the U.S. Navy sent an ill-fated surveying expedition to the isthmus. Led by a remarkable but forgotten lieutenant named Isaac Strain, the party endured starvation, disease from tropical parasites, and terrible suffering for three months before being rescued. Todd Balf's marvelous research pieces together this little-known tale, and his writing is rich with drama and well-drawn characters. Scott Brick's narration is perfectly paced. He's so comfortable with the text that the listener can almost feel the humidity of the jungle. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]