It seems like some of the most alluring stories are those about cities, real or mythical, lost to the sands of time. Stories surrounding Atlantis, Shangri-La and Camelot have captured imaginations for generations. Here are a few top picks for non-fiction books chronicling the search for and discovery of real lost cities.
The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story
Douglas Preston’s true story takes readers through the multiyear effort to finally discover the fabled White City of Honduras. The author goes into the jungle with a research team to find the city and chronicles the entire adventure.
This is a great introduction to the genre and is a uniquely compelling story. Monkey God works not only as a great adventure book, but also as a narrative to increase interest in the topic at hand all the way through.
The Lost City of Z
In a similar vein to Preston, David Grann takes readers through the rain forest to trace the steps of legendary explorers as well as his own steps into the rain forest to discover the lost city of Z.
This 2009 book chronicles the investigation into the 1925 expedition of Percy Fawcett, who disappeared looking for the lost city.
Jungle of Stone
Taking a step a little further back in history brings us to 1839, when rumors of lost cities reached some of America’s most famed explorers. The story chronicles the discovery of the ancient Maya civilization by Western explorers.
Like the previously mentioned books, but Jungle of Stone is based upon the author’s own foray into the jungles of Central America.
Quick Fiction Picks
It would be difficult to list stories and books about hidden and lost cities without talking about the incredible fiction in the genre. Without going into too much detail, here are a few picks. Michael Crichton’s Congo tells the story of a field team racing to the site of a lost city. The city is guarded by a race of intelligent and hostile gorillas. Andy McDermott’s The Lost City of Atlantis chronicles one researcher’s quest for the lost city.
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