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

This New York Times Bestseller from acclaimed author David Grann reads like a thriller you can’t put down—except every word is true. When Grann stumbled upon forgotten diaries, he became obsessed with unraveling one of history’s greatest mysteries: What happened to British explorer Percy Fawcett, who vanished into the Amazon in 1925 while searching for a lost civilization?

For centuries, the Amazon has lured adventurers with whispers of El Dorado—a glittering kingdom hidden beneath the jungle canopy. Most who searched for it never returned. Fawcett believed he’d found evidence of an ancient, sophisticated civilization deep in the rainforest, a discovery that would rewrite history. Then he disappeared without a trace, along with his son and their companion.

What makes this book extraordinary is how Grann weaves together two expeditions: Fawcett’s doomed 1925 journey and his own modern-day trek into the jungle. The result is a spellbinding narrative that explores deadly obsession, the thin line between courage and madness, and what drives people to risk everything for discovery.

The New York Times praised it for having “all the pace and excitement of a movie thriller,” while New York Magazine called Grann “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today.” This is the same masterful storytelling that would later bring us Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager.

Perfect for readers who love history, adventure, and mysteries that refuse to let go—even after you’ve turned the final page.

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