Book description
The story of both a dramatic journey retracing the historic voyage of
France's greatest 19th-century explorer up the mysterious Mekong river,
and a portrait of the river and its peoples today.
Any notion of sailing up the Mekong in homage to Francis Garnier has
been unthinkable until now. From its delta in Vietnam up through
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and on into China, the Mekong has been a
no-go river, its turbulent waters fouled by ideological barriers as
formidable as its natural obstacles. But recently the political
obstacles have begun to be dismantled - river traffic is reviving.
John Keay describes the world of the Mekong as it is today,
rehabilitating a traumatised geography while recreating the thrilling
and historic voyage of Garnier in 1866. The French expedition was
intended to investigate the 'back door' into China by outflanking the
British and American conduits of commerce at Hong Kong and Shanghai. Two
naval gunboats headed upriver into the green unknown, bearing crack
troops, naturalists, geologists and artists. The two-year expedition's
failures and successes, and the tragedy and acrimony that marked it,
make riveting reading. '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 John Keay is the author of four acclaimed
histories: 'The Honourable Company,' about the East India Company; 'Last
Post', about the imperial disengagement of the Far East; the two-volume
'Explorers of the Western Himalayas' and 'India: A History'. His books
on India include 'India Discovered', 'Into India' and 'The Great Arc:
The Dramatic Tale of How India was Mapped and Everest was Named'. John
Keay is married with four children, lives in Scotland and is co-editor
with Julia Keay of the 'Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland'.
