The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale Of Love, Murder And Survival In The Amazon

by RobertWhitaker (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $4.20

  In 1735 a team of French scientists set out on a daring expedition into the South American wilderness to resolve one of the great scientific challenges of the time: the precise size and shape of the Earth. Scaling the Andes and journeying along the Amazon, the mapmakers faced all manner of danger, while madness, disease and violent death each took their toll. However one, Jean Godin, fell in love with a local girl called Isabel Grameson. When the time came for the expedition to return to France, Godin travelled ahead to ensure the way was safe for his new family. But on reaching French Guiana, disaster struck: Spain and Portugal closed their borders and he was stranded, unable to return to Isabel. What followed lies at the core of this extraordinary tale - a heartbreaking 20-year separation that ended when Isabel, believing she might never see her husband again, decided to make her own way across the continent: a journey that began in hope but became hell on earth...Drawing on his own experience retracing Isabel's epic trek as well as contemporary records, Robert Whitaker recounts a captivating true story of love and survival set against the backdrop of what many still regard as 'the greatest expedition the world has ever known'.

• Used

  Paperback
  2004

  $20.41

  In the early 18th Century a group of scientists set off from France to discover the unknown land of South America in a trip that nearly ended in disaster. Scaling the 16,000 foot Peruvian Andes, the scientists faced the depravations and dangers of the rain forest wild cats, insects and vampire bats and barely ended the mission. Some went mad, others succumbed to smallpox, one was stoned to death by locals and another was killed in a bullfight. The youngest, Jean Godin, fell in love and married beautiful local girl Isabel Grameson. earing the end of the expedition, Godin headed out alone to ensure the passage back was safe to take his family home to France. Disaster struck as Spain and Portugal closed their territorial borders to the French and Godin found himself stranded in French Guyana, unable to return to Isabel. hat followed was an extraordinary and heart rending 20 year separation that culminated with Isabel, determined to be reunited with the man she loved, setting out to find him. Thirty others set out with her and 10 horrific weeks later Isabel emerged from the Amazonian wilderness naked, alone and near starvation. The story of her journey and survival held 18th centur

• Used

  Hardcover
  2004

  $3.25

  In the first part of the 18th century, the French National Academy of Sciences sent a group of distinguished scientists on a daring, decade-long expedition into the heart of South America in a bid to win the race to measure the Earth. Like Lewis and Clarke's exploration of the American west, this expedition - under the leadership of 34-year-old Charles Marie de la Condamine - was to unveil the heart of a little known continent to a world hungry for knowledge, recording countless new plant and animal species and revealing the inhuman and brutal treatment of the natives at the hands of the Spanish. But it nearly ended in disaster. Scaling the 16,000-foot Peruvian Andes, the scientists faced the depravations and dangers of the rain forest - wild cats, insects, vampire bats - and barely completed their mission. Some went mad, others succumbed to smallpox, one was stoned to death by locals and another was killed in a bullfight. And one - the youngest, Jean Godin - fell in love with a beautiful local girl, Isabel Grameson, and married her. As the expedition neared its end, so Godin wanted to bring his young family back to France. He went ahead alone, again scaling the Andes and travellin