Summary of The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

When Fawcett embarked on his final expedition, he did so with his son Jack and Jack’s best friend, determined to find proof that the Amazon had once supported thriving, sophisticated societies. His meticulous diaries and cryptic letters sparked global fascination, but when he and his companions disappeared without a trace, the expedition shifted from a quest for discovery to one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century. Generations of explorers, adventurers, and fortune seekers followed in his footsteps, many meeting the same fate: disease, starvation, madness, or disappearance in the green labyrinth of the jungle.

Decades later, journalist David Grann uncovered Fawcett’s lost papers and was drawn into the mystery himself. As he pieced together the explorer’s last journey, Grann found himself mirroring Fawcett’s obsession, retracing the perilous route through one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. His research revealed not only tantalizing clues about what may have happened to Fawcett and his party but also groundbreaking archaeological evidence suggesting that the explorer may have been right—that great, complex societies once thrived in the Amazon long before European contact.

More than a story of exploration, The Lost City of Z delves into the psychology of obsession, the dangers of myth, and the fine line between discovery and ruin. It examines humanity’s relentless drive to uncover secrets hidden in the natural world, even at the cost of sanity or life. Suspenseful, richly detailed, and haunting, Grann’s account blends history, adventure, and science into a narrative that continues to fascinate modern readers with its unanswered questions and enduring mystery.