Analysis Of The Lost City Of Z By David Grann

The first eight chapters of David Grann’s The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon investigates the legend of Percy Fawcett, an English explorer and archeologist who vanished searching for an Amazonian lost city of gold in 1925. Initially the author attempts to “simply record how generations of scientists and adventurers became fatally obsessed with solving the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century” (Grann 4). However, the non-fiction narrative quickly becomes an adventurous detective story, switching perspective between Grann’s modern investigation and details about Fawcett’s ill-fated expedition. The book describes how the Amazon, one of the last true unexplored wildernesses on earth, seems to attract

adventurers and create “obsession,” luring many to their deaths in their pursuit of fame, gold, science and adventure.
From the beginning, it is clear that Fawcett’s story is a compelling mystery.

Fawcett disappeared looking for the city of Z, an El Dorado “city of gold” of an ancient civilization that was rumored to exist in the Amazon. He was a respected archeologist and considered one of the few explorers of the time who could successfully navigate a journey through the deep Amazon. According to Grann, Fawcett was also an enigma. An ex-military colonel, he “traveled light, living off the land and also traveled fast. For years after he disappeared, rumors emerged from the jungle of blond-haired, blue-eyed children, supposedly his kids, being spotted in tribal enclaves” (Grann 24). He also had a commanding physical presence, with “steely blue eyes, manicured beard and trademark Stetson hat, he was quintessential swashbuckling adventure” (Andrews). Since his disappearance, Fawcett became an almost mythological figure, and many explorers have become obsessed about learning his fate, and the city of Z has become a symbol of obsession adventurism. Fawcett was following the footsteps of Spanish explorers who died in the thousands looking for El Dorado in the 1500’s. In the twentieth century, almost a hundred more have died tracing Fawcett’s steps looking for clues about his

disappearance.
Furthermore, the theme of obsession runs through the narrative.

Fawcett believed that archeological evidence showed that an advanced and wealthy ancient kingdom had existed in the Amazon. As an archeologist he researched the Amazon for years leading up to his expedition, and his findings were spectacular and controversial. He was so obsessed with what he called the city of Z that he could describe it in detail, as “in a valley, about ten miles wide… with a barreled roadway of stone…the houses are low and windowless, and there is a pyramidal temple” (Grann 40). His obsession was single minded, and his pursuit of science revolved around finding a spectacular city that might never have existed. Many others have followed in his footsteps. Since his disappearance, up to one hundred explorers have died searching for the city of Z or information about Fawcett’s fate. In an interview with NPR, Grann admitted that he had also become “obsessed” while researching and writing City of Z. While trying to figure out what happened to Fawcett, he found himself dreaming of finding the city of Z himself. (“Explorer’s ‘Deadly Obsession’ With Lost

City”).
Moreover, Fawcett was aware that his expeditions were dangerous and could probably end in death. He had dozens of accounts of explorers and their doomed expeditions. His first two expeditions ended in failure due to fevers, exhaustion, hunger and heavy rains. He knew that the Amazon was not kind to explorers, but his obsession drove him to risk his life for a mixture of science, fame and fortune. In the 1500’s, conquistadors led by Carvajal died looking for a golden El Dorado city in the Amazon. Over four thousand men died looking for El Dorado, and resorted to “eating nothing but leather, belts and soles of shoes, cooked with certain herbs, with the result that so great was our weakness that we could not remain standing” (Grann 21). Carvajal also detailed fierce battles with Indian tribes who used arrows dipped in poison. Fawcett was also accompanied by his son, Jack, which shows that an obsession for adventure ran in the family. He was so motivated to find his city, he was willing to risk his son’s life.
Ultimately, the first sections of City of Z sets up historical mystery and starts to unravel some of the details. The book raises interesting questions as the narrative perspective switches from Grann’s own research, to stories about Fawcett and his expeditions. For non-fiction, it often reads like something out of Indiana Jones. From diseases, to violent tribes, the setting of the Amazon is exotic and largely uncharted territory. Even today, it is portrayed as a dangerous and almost cursed environment. For explorers, looking for adventure and scientific discoveries, the Amazon was the place to find gold, adventure, or even a lost city civilization. The promise of fame and riches motivated many explorers, like Fawcett, to the point of dangerous obsession.