Wade Davis' Magdalena: River of Dreams - An Intimate Exploration of Colombia's History and Culture

Luna S.: wonderful book by Wade Davis, great writer. Sent quickly.

India on Nov 16, 2022

Dexter Cirillo: In 1965, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia, stationed in Honda, Tolima on the Magdalena River. A number of us from our group have stayed in touch and recently formed a book club centered on Latin America. We selected Wade Davis's Magdalena for our last meeting and were uniformly impressed by the complete and panoramic history Davis presents of Colombia, starting with the indigenous cultures in the pre-contact era. While there are a myriad of facts in the book, Davis never lets them overwhelm the narrative. His own interaction with various Colombians reflects his deep love of the country and the people. Magdalena is both history and memoir and a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand the layers of complexity of Colombia.

United States on Sep 13, 2022

PEDRO CASTRO: È la narrazione sul paese (la Colombia) la sua historia e della sua gente più interessante che abbia mai letto. Ho trovato questo libro scritto da un Canadiense, che descrive in maniera molto piacevole da leggere e veritiera, la Colombia, dalla conquista degli spagnoli ai nostri giorni. Sono nato e fatto le elementari e il liceo in Colombia, letto libri di storia, letto articoli sui giornali, guide turistiche, navigato il Magdalena da Honda a Barranquilla in kayak, negli anni 60, ed ho constatato che il libro non è un romanzo. Tutto se agiusta ai fatti e alla verità.

Italy on Aug 23, 2022

Hernando Mena: The Magdalena River has lived the history of Colombia in the same way that the inhabitants of the country, its fauna, flora, natural resources, geographical characteristics and unparalleled beauty have done. It began with the discovery of its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas (1465-1527) in 1501, who named it Rio Grande de la Magdalena.

Over the last 500 years, the River has witnessed the courageous and unsuccessful struggle of indigenous peoples such as the Timanaes in the current Department of Huila and Pijaos of Tolima against a foreign invader; flourishing and development of the renowned Botanical Expedition, led by the scientist José Celestino Mutis (1732-1808) and his smart Colombian pupils; spread of pioneering commercial enterprises dealing with air, fluvial and rail transport between its ports; growth of the country as an exporter of cotton, tobacco, coffee, cocoa and beef, and birth and evolution of cumbia in El Banco region, a musical genre by which Colombia is internationally recognized.

This progress has also brought unexpected consequences for the country and the River that led them to a state of burnout, violence...

United States on Jul 23, 2022

Mona B: I've never read a book like that! infact I wouldn't have found it had it not been recommended by one member of my bookclub. Have learned a lot about the turmoils of Columbia through history, the love and attachment of its people to their lands and homes. Fabulous book!

Germany on Jun 18, 2022

Sean A. Higgins: Okay, so this isn’t my review, these are some initial reactions I sent to people via text, WhatsApp or email.
Caveat: I am in year 9 living in Colombia, having divided the bulk of my time between Colombia’s 3d largest city, Cali,
and a place on Colombia’s NW Pacific Coast, where I have organized a cooperative dedicated to the cultivation of cacao and vanilla in lieu of coca.
I read it slowly, taking breaks, to fully savor Davis’ travels in this year of lockdown.
One of my first messages, sent to my sister:

“Okay, please allow me to make a strong recommendation for a book.
The following is by one of my favorite writers. I saw the documentary about his travels as he researched, interviewed and traveled with people in preparation for this. I found it very emotional, in some ways for personal reasons and in other ways for just basic human reasons. His arrival at a discussion of the name Magdalena at the end had me in tears...
Even the “acknowledgements” and “Bibliographical Essay” at the end had me riveted and wanting to get more “inside info.”

Another:
“Por fin acabé de leer “Magdalena.”
Yo estaba leyéndolo en...

United States on Jan 28, 2021

John Eric Pollabauer: The story told by Wade Davis in his latest book, “Magdalena: River of Dreams”, is one which should be made mandatory reading for school students every where. The content covers everything a person could ever experience in their human lifetime, and than some. I plan on re-reading this book many many times, simply because there is just so much wisdom to extract from Wade Davis that one reading won’t do justice to his masterpiece. One of the best books I have ever read and highly recommend it to everyone.

Canada on Dec 12, 2020

KNBD: Beautifully written with a rather poetic and wistful take on botany and the passage of Colombia through a turbulent 20th century this is a good read for anyone with an interest in travel or the evolution of the environment in South America since the Spanish conquest. It is dotted with lovely stories from the sides of the Magdalena river and from its beautiful and much put-upon people who recount how the pristine enviroment has changed so much in 70 years.

United Kingdom on Nov 25, 2020