The Man Who Swam the Amazon: 3,274 Miles on the World's Deadliest River

By Martin Strel and Matthew Mohlke

Book Overview

On Sunday, April 8, 200 7, 52-year old Martin Strel completed the first-ever swim of the 3,274-mile-long Amazon River. The Fish Man, as he was called by locals, almost died in the process several times; he encountered deadly piranha, crocodiles, anaconda, river sharks, blistering, relentless sun, dangerous currents, river pirates and drug runners, and the insidious candiru. At the finish his blood pressure was at heart attack level, his entire body full of subcutaneous larvae, and besieged by dehydration, diarrhea, and exhaustion.

Strel, who holds multiple Guinness world records for long-distance river swims, undertook this epic Amazon swim to call attention to deforestation and river pollution. His journey was covered by national media around the world, and followed by tens of millions of readers on a website tracking his progress (www.amazonswim.com). A documentary film of his journey will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008.

Drawn from the eloquent and evocative trip diaries of writer Matthew Mohlke, who guided Strel armed with buckets of blood to divert piranha, The Man Who Swam the Amazon is a gripping and inspirational story of perseverance, passion, and endurance: A real-life odyssey of a rare and driven man.

Martin Strel is one of the most elite athletes in history. He holds three Guinness world records in distance swimming, and is about to earn his fourth for his Amazon swim.

Matthew Mohlke is author of Floating Down the Country, an account of his Mississippi River paddling adventures.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599213583
• ISBN13: 9781599213583
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Larger than Life - The Fish Man

What an exceptional and wonderful book! It was spellbinding, and I couldn't put it down. As others have said, we followed the daily blog, but the book took us to a different level; we felt like we were there with Martin and the team. We were fortunate to meet Martin, Matt and Borut on the Mississippi River swim. The book of Martin's latest accomplishment will hold your interest and keep you yearning for more. That will happen when the film is released early next year. John and Jo Pouchnik, Virginia, Minnesota

Amazing!

I absolutely could not put this book down. I read it all night. I think it is a true testament to what the human spirit can achieve. I truly believe this is one of the most amazing accomplishments in history. He did what I still have a hard time believing is possible. I think about my petty problems and they truly become non-existent when I think of what Martin did. I do long distance swimming and have a small idea of the pain and suffering he must have endured. If you have to ask "why" then this book will explain it. It was one of the most motivating books I have ever read.