The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston: A Book Review of Found Treasure

Anyone who loves adventure must read and will thoroughly enjoy Douglas Preston’s new book, The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story.  Preston grabs your attention straight away as he shares the dangers an expedition will face in order to discover the believed Lost City of the Monkey God in an untouched and lethal region of La Mosquitia in Honduras.

In a previous interview I did with Douglas Preston, back in 2013 (Six Questions with Douglas Preston), he mentions working on this discovery.  At the time, though, only an aerial survey using technological advanced equipment had greatly suggested the location for the Lost City of the Monkey God had been identified.  No ‘boots on the ground’ had yet been placed to confirm the equipment’s detections.

The book brilliantly details this ‘ground truthing’ and all the incredible preparations and compromising which were required to take on and complete such a mind-blowing goal.

I enjoyed living the adventure safely in my armchair, away from threats of the powerful drug cartels, menacing landscapes, and definitely away from the fer-de-lance, one of the deadliest pit vipers which visited them more than once during their voyage through the beautiful jungle. Hidden treasures, along with hidden dangers, surrounded them during their entire arduous journey.  Some perils, like that of deadly insect borne illnesses, even followed them home.

But while I loved learning about how the team dreamed, planned, and then acted upon years of research to find the lost city, most commonly referred to as the White City (Ciudad Blanca) or City of the Monkey God, one can’t help but be inspired to experience and be part of such monumental discoveries.

Some of the most amazing discoveries are the result of toilsome years in overcoming obstacles, gathering as much information as possible on a Legendary Tale, and then placing the pieces together to provide the best odds for finally proving it true.  It is extraordinary that in the 21^st century, mysteries and undiscovered treasures, remain.

As the end of the book revealed, there is a balance to respect between searching for treasures and preserving the sites for further study and learning, though.

Much mystery remains at the site of the Lost City of the Monkey God, or now known as the City of the Jaguar, because of this respect.  Time is required in order to record, study, detail and analyze every small piece of earth and find.  Taking or moving items away before proper chronicling and testing may damage and cause certain ‘knowledge’ to be lost forever.  What time reveals, of the lost past, is sure to be fascinating.

Besides finding numerous remains of structures in the lost cities ruins, a huge cache of stone objects, possibly left by those before leaving the sacred city for the last time, was found.  What secrets it holds is unknown at this time.  Also unknown is what amazing secrets and relics other sites, also identified during the 2012 aerial survey, might have to offer.

Mystery remains!   Isn’t it awesome?  I loved the book, the adventure within, and the fact mystery is still around us all, in so many ways.

Best of luck with all that you seek!  Treasure the Adventure!