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Drums Along the Congo: On the Trail of Mokele-Mbembe, the Last Living Dinosaur by Rory Nugent |
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Drums Along the Congo: On the Trail of Mokele-Mbembe, the Last Living Dinosaur by Rory Nugent
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin (P)
List Price :$10.95
Amazon Price :
Used Price : $5.74
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| Reviews for Drums Along the Congo: On the Trail of Mokele-Mbembe, the Last Living Dinosaur
From Publishers Weekly
"Being more interested in chasing a dream than in the precise diameter of a footprint, I'm here to substantiate the obscure," says explorer Nugent, who takes us on an energizing, entertaining spin through the Congo in pursuit of a prehistoric creature purported to be still roaming the rain forest: the legendary dinosaur called Mokele-Mbembe, the God-Beast. Along the way, a witch doctor takes Nugent's money, strips him naked, covers him with a foul-smelling jellied substance and exorcises his devils. Nugent tangles with government bureaucrats to obtain necessary travel permits, he meditates on the African notion of river spirits and on animism, suffers from diarrhea and scorching heat, witnesses a celebration in honor of a girl's first menstruation, tries to coax music and magic out of a set of bongos, hunts and eats crocodiles (he finds that a roasted croc steak is tasty but very greasy), and is threatened by Pygmies with bows and arrows. From a distance, Nugent finally spots the God-Beast. But the natives are spooked and, by gunpoint, prevent him from getting closer; he only sees a vague image and, he relates, even the experts who examine his photographs later in New York aren't sure what Nugent has captured on film. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. (June) Nugent's The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck , about his quest for a rare bird in India, is a June paperback reprint from Houghton Mifflin, $10.95 *
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Nugent, in his second travel tome, continues his quest for the unknown and unreachable. His Search for the Pink-Headed Duck (Houghton, 1991) took him deep into the wilds of the Himalayan kingdoms. In his latest travel adventure, Nugent takes his captivated readers to Lake Tele, deep in the heart of the Congo, in search of a dinosaur-like creature named Mokele-Mbembe, a legendary deity that exhibits all the frightening qualities of the Loch Ness Monster. The author, once again employing his sublime sense of humor and adventuresome sense of the outrageous, visits with local witch doctors and tribal chiefs while making his way through the Cretaceous-period jungle and the threatened rain forest. He provides us with a fascinating account of an almost unexplored and wild region.
- Melinda Stivers Leach, Wondervu, Col.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
Nugent (The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck, 1991--not reviewed), a specialist in cryptozoological adventures--combing the far regions of the earth for undiscovered beasties--takes on Mokele-Mbembe, a brontosaurus-like dinosaur reported to dwell in the rain forests of central Africa. Most of Nugent's wry account consists of his misadventures in getting to Lake Tele in the Congo, purported home of Mokele-Mbembe. The clues are scarce: a few sightings by explorers; a questionable footprint; Pygmy tales of a rusty-skinned, long-necked creature with a single giant tooth. The natives, avid fetishists, revere Mokele-Mbembe as an immensely powerful spirit or god. A determined Nugent spends weeks in the broiling heat of Brazzaville, pleading with petty officials for a travel permit, even undergoing a naked exorcism to help his cause. Finally, the permit materializes and the author sets out for Lake Tele. Along the way, he collects gorgeous butterflies and hideous beetles, drinks crocodile brains, gets butted by a pangolin. And some illusions are shattered: He arrives at a remote village with trinkets for the natives only to find mowed lawns, clipped hedges, and stereos blasting heavy-metal music. But eventually the primeval jungle appears, and Nugent gets lost in it, encountering Pygmies who threaten him with bows and arrows. At last, he spots from about a kilometer away an ``elongated black form that curves in on itself,'' but when he dashes in for a closer look, his guides restrain him at gunpoint, explaining that ``The god can approach man, but man NEVER can approach the god. He would have killed us all.'' Much wittier than most cryptozoological reports (which veer toward stuffiness to counterbalance the jeers)--and a spanking good travelogue to boot. (Photos--not seen) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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