Book Recommendations

Mad about the Mekong

By John Keay

History, Asia, General, Expeditions & Discoveries, Nature, Ecosystems & Habitats, Rivers, Travel, Southeast | 294 pages
1 recommendation
A dramatic journey both retracing the historic voyage of France's greatest 19th-century explorer up the mysterious Mekong river and a portrait of the river and its peoples today. Any notion of sailing up the Mekong in homage to Francis Garnier has been unthinkable till now. From its delta in Vietnam up through Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and on into China, the Mekong has been a no-go river, its turbulent waters fouled by ideological barriers as formidable as its natural obstacles. But recently the political obstacles have begun to be dismantled: river traffic is reviving. John Keay describes the world of the Mekong as it is today, rehabilitating a traumatised geography while recreating the thrilling and historic voyage of Garnier in 1866. The French expedition was intended to investigate the 'back door' into China by outflanking the British and American conduits of commerce at Hong Kong and Shanghai.
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Jon Whitehall
6th Sep 2024
"When you are sailing down the Mekong, with drink in hand, imagine the French explorers battling the rapids and hostiles. A corner of the World that no Great Power wanted to colonise, but France wanted a slice of the cake before it was too late. The start of French Indo China."