The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story

Equal parts horrifying and fascinating, I sped through The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story like a woman possessed.

The Lost City is Douglas Preston's account of the discovery of a "lost city" deep within the Honduran rain forest. From the earliest days of its suspected existence to the unearthing of the first artifacts, Preston was there documenting the entire process. The city, known sometimes - perhaps mythically - as the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God - was abandoned roughly at the time of the Spanish conquest by a people who did not belong to the Mayan culture which dominated much of the region. Preston's descriptions are equal part science writing and travelogue; there's more than a hint of David Quammen here.

To give you a glimpse of the expedition itself: snakes bigger than men; mud up to the waist (in which one archaeologist believe she truly might sink and die); an insignificant tent in the face of fierce rains; transport by aircraft that have cycled through several countries' militaries before acquisition by Honduras; and bugs, bugs, bugs galore. Beyond the exhibition itself, Preston does an excellent job of providing the historical and cultural context for the both the ancient people from the region as well as Honduras today, much of which has been shaped by Spanish and then American imperialism. Oy.

About the aftermath of the expedition, I can only say, oh the humanity! Preston, along with approximately half of the expedition team, is struck by the tropical disease leishmaniasis, the description of which took me back to my years at Johns Hopkins working on public health content and being constantly amazed and disgusted at the myriad things that could go wrong with the human body.

It is a horrifying disease, and one largely without cure - Preston and the others were treated by the NIH, and with varying degrees of success, because that is literally the only place in America where one can be treated. The side effects of the treatment include anorexia and feeling like your head is on fire and may explode. Then there are the unlucky folks who can't tolerate treatment for even long enough to get the side effects...and we're talking mere minutes here.

Circling back to David Quammen, where I really made the connection was in Preston's analysis of the progress of "leish" and it's slow but determined march north, deep into the U.S. There's no doubt that it falls in the same category as the equally horrifying diseases Quammen profiles in Spillover. 

And although there's plenty for the horror files here, or perhaps because of it, this is a book that anyone who's concerned about public health, healthcare in America, climate change should read; it's also a book that anyone who loves travel, history, culture, or science, or wants to understand more about the sacrifices individuals make in the name of science, will truly enjoy reading. This is a thought-provoking read on so levels.


Five stars.