Free The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale Of Love, Murder, And Survival In The Ebooks To Download
In the early years of the 18th century, a band of French scientists set off on a daring, decade-long expedition to South America in a race to measure the precise shape of the earth. Like Lewis and Clark's exploration of the American West, their incredible mission revealed the mysteries of a little-known continent to a world hungry for discovery. Scaling 16,000foot mountains in the Peruvian Andes, and braving jaguars, pumas, insects, and vampire bats in the jungle, the scientists barely completed their mission. One was murdered, another perished from fever, and a third-Jean Godin-nearly died of heartbreak. At the expedition's end, Jean and his Peruvian wife, Isabel Gramesón, became stranded at opposite ends of the , victims of a tangled web of international politics. Isabel's solo journey to reunite with Jean after their calamitous twenty-year separation was so dramatic that it left all of 18th-century Europe spellbound. Her survival-unprecedented in the annals of exploration-was a testament to human endurance, female resourcefulness, and the power of devotion.Drawing on the original writings of the French mapmakers, as well as his own experience retracing Isabel's journey, acclaimed writer Robert Whitaker weaves a riveting tale rich in adventure, intrigue, and scientific achievement. Never before told, The Mapmaker's Wife is an epic love story that unfolds against the backdrop of "the greatest expedition the world has ever known."
File Size: 9328 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0738208086
Publisher: Basic Books; Reprint edition (November 5, 2008)
Publication Date: November 5, 2008
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Language: English
ASIN: B001F517PG
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #256,630 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #10 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Ecuador #41 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Brazil #43 in Books > Travel > South America > Brazil > General
A book well worth reading, but it may not be what you expect.The title is a bit misleading as Jean Godin is not truly a mapmaker nor is the book mostly about his wife. The first half of this book is almost entirely about the French expedition to colonial Peru in the early 1700's, the politics and science behind it, and the different personalities which comprise it. I did find this reading enjoyable, but I became a little frustrated when each time the plot seemed to get rolling again, Whitaker would take 10 pages to explain the geography of Peru or the history of Spain. If you're science minded, like me, you'll get a good dose of history that you would not have otherwise chosen to read or learn.The story, what there is of it, is adventurous and entertaining, especially for the outdoor enthusiast. The history, politics, geography, and bugs he talks about do truly add to the understanding of the fate of the characters. He has brought to life a story that has been handed down only as legend. Whitaker does his best to compile all the facts, but there are still some things about this tale that we will never know.I also felt misled by the subtitle, "A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the ." Though it was all of these, it was written more like a history book than a novel. So if you're looking for romance, you won't find it here. The facts are laid out one by one leaving you to make your own pictures as to what the people looked like or the dialogue they had.One ironic note: for a book titled "The Mapmaker's Wife", the maps are rather simplistic. No scales, keys, north arrows, or even a list of maps in the contents. There is a list of maps in the index, however, along with other helpful information.
The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale Of Love, Murder, And Survival In The Murder Most Vile Volume 10: 18 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases (True Crime Murder Books) If the Devil Had a Wife: A True Texas Tale True Crime Stories: 12 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases: True Crime Anthology, Vol. 1 True Crime Stories Volume 3: 12 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases (True Crime Anthology) True Crime Stories: 12 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases (True Crime Anthology) True Crime Stories Volume 2: 12 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases (True Crime Anthology) Murder Most Vile Volume 1: 18 Shocking True Crime Murder Cases BEATRIX POTTER Ultimate Collection - 22 Children's Books With Complete Original Illustrations: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, ... Moppet, The Tale of Tom Kitten and more Texas Tragedy: The Story of Priscilla Davis: A True Story of Money, Murder and Survival The Sea Captain's Wife: A True Story of Love, Race, and War in the Nineteenth Century 100 Ways to Love Your Wife: A Life-Long Journey of Learning to Love The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale CD: From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Read by Elizabeth Salter (Selected Tales from Chaucer) Aloha: Love, Suite Love/Fixed by Love/Game of Love/It All Adds Up to Love (Inspirational Romance Collection) Love's Unending Legacy/Love's Unfolding Dream/Love Takes Wing/Love Finds a Home (Love Comes Softly Series 5-8) Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea Stella: One Woman's True Tale of Evil, Betrayal, and Survival in Hitler's Germany Eight Dolphins of Katrina: A True Tale of Survival Brisko: a true tale of Holocaust survival Silence and Secrets: A Jewish Woman's Tale of Escape, Survival and Love in World War II
