GRAND SOUTH AMERICA Suggested Reading List
GENERAL RESOURCES & READING Simon Reeve’s South America, documentary series In this BBC series, Simon Reeve travels through South America. From giant cities to remote communities, Simon meets the people of a changing continent. The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin, book Written as Darwin began developing his revolutionary theories on evolution, the book captures his experiences exploring South America and beyond, offering vivid accounts of places and discoveries that would shape scientific history. The Americas, documentary series From the frozen north to tropical beaches, mountain peaks to arid plains – this varied, breathtaking land is a place the most unexpected creatures call home. Narrated by Tom Hanks. The Motorcycle Diaries, film Directed by Walter Salles, this BAFTA winning film is based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. Guevara recounts adventures he, and best friend Alberto Granado, had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s.
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano, book The author organizes the various facets of Latin American history according to the patterns of five centuries of exploitation - gold and silver, cacao and cotton, rubber and coffee, fruit, hides and wool, petroleum, iron, nickel, manganese, copper, aluminum ore, nitrates, and tin. These are the veins which he traces through the body of the entire continent. The Mission, film Award-winning epic with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons. A Jesuit priest and a reformed slave trader forge an unlikely alliance to protect Indigenous South Americans from colonial Portugal. South America: An Anthology of Travel Writing, book This volume, an enchanting scrapbook of personal narratives from travellers, comprises both historical accounts and contemporary articles or blogs (their authors including Society Fellows past and present). This deftly curated collection of fine travel writing conveys the sense of excitement and awe that characterises exploration of this continent.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST FLORIDA, MIAMI, U.S.A. The Little Brown Bird, documentary An award-winning short film about how America's most endangered songbird, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, is saving the prairie landscape and the headwaters of the Everglades. Preserving Our Waters, documentary Preserving our Waters looks at the 50-year history of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and the people behind the efforts to establish it as the first estuarine preserve in Florida. It explores how these actions were the blueprint for the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act of 1975 and the statewide aquatic preserve system. Before Bartram: Artist-Naturalist Mark Catesby, online talk This lecture gives an overview of the watercolors and drawings of artist-naturalist, Mark Catesby, which, along with field notes and hundreds of preserved specimens constituted one of the earliest and most comprehensive systematic studies of the flora and fauna of southeastern North America. Florida Humanities: Beyond the Pages, podcasts A podcast series exploring Florida’s history, heritage, cultures and literature.
Florida and the Caribbean Open Book Series, books A series of open-access books on the history of Florida, including on early mapping, Revolutionary Florida, and African American history in Florida. All EPUBS are free and available to read online or download. Miami Museum, online exhibitions Online exhibitions available about the history of Florida and the Caribbean, including stereoviews, aviation, and more. Miami’s Little Known Indigenous History, article A BBC article explaining the considerable Indigenous history of this vibrant city.
THE CARIBBEAN Empire’s Crossroads: A New History of the Caribbean, by Carrie Gibson, book In Empire's Crossroads, Carrie Gibson offers readers a vivid, authoritative and action-packed history of the Caribbean. Visualizing Natural History, online exhibition Early Caribbean Digital Archive, Northeastern University Library. Digital exhibition showing Caribbean natural history and its ties to colonization.
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemmingway, book Hemmingway’s second novel set in the United States, published in 1937, follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain out of Key West, Florida, who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression. Raising Cane in the 'Glades: The Global Sugar Trade and the Transformation of Florida by Gail M. Hollander, book Over the last century, the Everglades underwent a metaphorical and ecological transition from impenetrable swamp to endangered wetland. Raising Cane in the ’Glades is the first study to situate the environmental transformation of the Everglades within the economic and historical geography of global sugar production and trade. ‘A Chart of the Antilles, or Charibbee, or Caribo Islands, with The Virgin Isles’, 1784
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST THE CARIBBEAN continued
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Caribbean with Simon Reeve, documentary series Simon Reeve travels around the edge of the Caribbean Sea for a stunning three-part series. With thousands of beautiful islands and a long mainland coast, the Caribbean spans a million square miles.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation, online exhibition Established in 1722, the plantation formed part of one of history’s largest migrations of people and resources. In 2015, the site was digitally preserved and the data used for educational purposes, to monitor erosion of visible structures, identify more hidden beneath dense tropical vegetation, and to plan for future conservation.
The Republic of Pirates: Being the true and surprising story of the Caribbean pirates and the man who brought them down by Colin Woodard, book Learn all about the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean, and how the authorities responded. The Traveller’s Tree: Island Hopping Through the Caribbean in the 1940s by Patrick Leigh Fermor, book The author's first travel book, "The Traveller's Tree" won the Heinemann Foundation Prize for Literature and is an account of his extensive travels through the Caribbean during the 1940s. Liz Bonnin's Wild Caribbean, documentary series Over 7,000 incredible islands, bursting with unique natural wonders. Liz Bonnin shares the sights that ignited her passion for nature and discovers the Caribbean's untamed heart.
PUERTO RICO Puerto Rico: a National History by Jorell A. MeléndezBadillo, book Meléndez-Badillo sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico’s turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511—led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II—to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952. The Museum of the Old Colony: An Art Installation by Pablo Delano, exhibition StoryMap This constantly evolving, immersive exhibition project, based at the New Britain Museum of American Art Connecticut, considers how Puerto Rican history is seen, remembered and believed, via the authority invested in museums – and, by extension, empires.
Geology of the U.S. Virgin Islands, ArcGIS story map Uncover information on the relative locations of the islands and the archipelago’s geological history and future. This story map includes summary text, illustrations, maps and links to other resources.
SAINT BARTHÉLEMY Saint-Barthélemy Territorial Environment Agency, website Useful information on the natural environment of the island with particular focus on the Saint-Barthélemy Marine Reserve. Former Local Fisherman Turned Conservationist Named Champion of Saint Barthélemy Hope Spot, article Mission Blue, founded by Society Gold Medallist Sylvia Earle, named Saint Barthélemy a Hope Spot® in recognition of Didier Laplace and his team at Coral Reef Restoration Saint Barth. Saint Barthélemy native Didier turned away from his former life as a commercial fisherman to become an ecologist with a steadfast dedication to protecting the ocean. Le Brigantin Museum, website Gustavia’s Le Brigantin focuses on everyday island life, highlighting traditional craftsmanship, such as the weaving techniques once essential to island living. Their website hosts written and audio introductions to the island’s story, from prehistory to contemporary times.
SAINT KITTS & NEVIS The Archaeology of Slavery, online exhibition An innovative project investigating the undocumented experiences of the enslaved Africans on sugar plantations in the Caribbean, particularly focused on St Kitts and Nevis, during the time of the transatlantic slave trade.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST NETHERLANDS ANTILLES Netherlands Antilles: A Journey Through Time, podcast This episode of the History of the Caribbeans series describes the development of the archipelago over the 20th century and beyond. While some island leaders advocate for complete sovereignty, concerns over economic stability and governance challenges have kept most islands within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And, while tourism remains the primary industry, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed its vulnerabilities, forcing the islands to seek new opportunities in financial services, digital industries and renewable energy. Animals of the ABC Islands (Wild Caribbean series, BBC Earth), documentary Arid and subject to strong winds, the desert archipelago of the Caribbean is a tough place to live. But some brave species, including reptiles and birds, call these islands called home. An introduction to the fauna of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) islands, with captivating imagery and an evocative soundtrack.
Historic Reefs of the Dutch Caribbean, exhibition StoryMap A StoryMaps exhibition by the World Wildlife Foundation. Expertly curated and full of amazing images, learn about the past, present, and future of coral reefs in the Dutch Caribbean.
BARBADOS Absolutely Barbados: One Man's Mission to Discover the Heart and Soul of a Caribbean Paradise by Julian Armfield, book Narrated in an infectious upbeat rhythm, Absolutely Barbados follows the fiercely curious author around the island as he explores and embraces every aspect of Barbados’ lifestyle, culture and heritage, meeting a host of beguiling characters along the way. Barbados Sea Turtle Project, website The 25 year old project to conserve Barbados’ endangered marine turtle species through research, education and public outreach as well as monitoring of nesting females, juveniles and hatchlings. The website contains information on the different turtle species and explanations of the project’s conservation efforts.
A view of Bridgetown harbour, Barbados. Photographer: W.J. Dunstall, 1930
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST THE AMAZON River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana and the Deadly First Voyage through the Amazon by Buddy Levy, book From the Ecuadorian coast in 1541, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Orellana mounted an enormous expedition in search of the fabled El Dorado. Author Buddy Levy reconstructs Orellana's journey as the first European to navigate the world's largest river.
Hamilton Rice’s Amazon - Luciana Martins and Rob West, talk This talk celebrates the centenary of Alexander Hamilton Rice’s final expedition to Amazonia (1924-1925) which pioneered technological innovations such as the use of hydroplanes for reconnaissance, aerial photography and shortwave radio in the field.
The Lost City of Z: A Legendary British Explorer's Deadly Quest to Uncover the Secrets of the Amazon by David Grann, book Follow the riveting story of Percy Fawcett’s obsessive Can Brazil’s indigenous population save the Amazon?, exploration of the Amazon. The book was heavily podcast researched at the RGS and Fawcett was a Fellow whose A podcast discussing if greater protection of Brazil’s indigenous population and their way of life can help save expeditions received funding from the Society. the Amazon. A naturalist on the River Amazons by Henry Walter One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Bates, book Published in 1863, Bates's account of eleven-year Rain Forest by Wade Davis, book A compelling narrative that chronicles the adventures of expedition through the Amazon basin collecting specimens blends natural history with vivid descriptions Wade Davis and his mentor Richard Evans Schultes as of wildlife behavior, indigenous societies, and Brazilian they explore the Amazon rainforest, uncovering its life along the river. botanical secrets and the rich cultural heritage of its indigenous peoples. Amazonia, exhibition In this Science Museum exhibition from 2022, Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado presents Amazônia breath-taking photography that celebrates the indigenous peoples and varied landscapes of the Brazilian rainforest. Contains videos and links to a blog. Amazon; Dr Hamilton Rice, film Take a journey with Dr Hamilton Rice as he embarks on his final expedition of the easterly tributaries of the Amazonian basin. This stunning piece of film documents the 1924-25 expedition, which pioneered technological innovations including the use of two hydroplanes for reconnaissance and aerial photography, as well as shortwave radio in the field. The Forest is Our Teacher. It's Time to Respect it, talk For thousands of years, the Amazon rainforest has provided for its indigenous inhabitants and the world. But extraction of its natural resources by oil companies and others is destroying the lives of those who live there and threatening the stability of Earth's biosphere. In this powerful talk, Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo reminds us of the destruction that continues to happen and demands respect for Mother Nature.
Jungle, River Amazon. Watercolour by Victor Coverley-Price, 1932
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST BRAZIL One River, One Journey, podcast In 1867, explorer Richard Burton canoed the length of the previously uncharted São Francisco river in Brazil scouting for the British empire. BBC Brazilian journalist Paulo Cabral retraces the route, recording his own 21stcentury impressions of life there. Brazil with Michael Palin, documentary series Michael Palin visits Brazil for the very first time, travelling from the lost world of Amazonia to the buzzing metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, to meet the people and visit the places that shape this nation. The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil, talk Biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira, a TED Senior Fellow, talks about her work helping to save birds and other animals stolen from the wild in Brazil. Once these animals are seized from smugglers, she asks, then what? Recreating the Emerald Green Forest, article Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. The long, slow retreat of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest has been reversed thanks to Laury Cullen Jr. who is protecting its unique wildlife and engaging local farmers in conservation.
‘Victoria Regia water lilies near Manaos’. Watercolour by Victor Coverley-PRice, 1932.
World Routes: Brazil 2008, podcast Lucy Duran travels to Brazil to discover traditional music, meet local performers and hear music associated with its famous Carnival. Brazil: a Biography by Heloisa M. Starling, book An overview of the overwhelming diversity and challenges of this huge country. From wasteland to paradise: Sebastião and Lélia Salgado's dream, documentary A documentary about the photographer, Sebastião Salgado, and his wife’s non-profit organization, Instituto Terra dedicated to conservation and largescale restoration of degraded ecosystems in SE Brazil.
URUGUAY This country runs on 98 percent renewable electricity, talk Fifteen years ago, Uruguay was experiencing an energy crisis brought on by its reliance on fossil fuels; today, the nation produces 98 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Uruguay's former secretary of energy, Ramón Méndez Galain, explains how they pulled off this unprecedented shift.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST ARGENTINA
Falkland Islands: Once Home to Vast Rainforests, documentary A recent scientific discovery has shown that the Falkland Islands was once home to vast rainforests. In this short video, lead scientist, Dr Zoe Thomas, describes the discovery. The Falkland Conflict, online resource A series of short videos and resources by the Imperial War Museum explaining the Falklands Islands conflict and its aftermath.
PATAGONIA Modern Buenos Aires (1902) the Plaza Mayo & Government House.
Magical Andes, documentary From Argentina to Colombia, journey through South America's mountains and meet the people whose bond with the Andes has led them to live unique lives. The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Che Guevara, book At the age of twenty-three, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado set out on an epic road trip across South America which becomes a journey of personal awakening. MapBiomas Argentina, website The MapBiomas network is a collaboration of NGOs, universities and technology companies. Explore layered mapping illustrating, amongst other things, land use, biodiversity and national protected areas.
FALKLAND ISLANDS Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, online resource View sensational images of the wreck of the Endurance, recently discovered in 2022, unlock a treasure trove of maritime stories and use their interactive map to find shipwrecks. My Falkland Islands Life: One Family’s Very British Adventure, book This is the story of one family’s adventure in a British territory 8,000 miles from the UK. Part homesteading, part off-the-grid and all charm, it provides a loving testimony to the resilient people of the islands through author Jen Carter’s engaging memoir of a life at the bottom of the world.
Between Extremes: a Journey Beyond Imagination by Brian Keenan & John McCarthy, book During a four-year incarceration in a Lebanese cell, authors Brian Keenan and John McCarthy envisaged walking in the High Andes and across Patagonia. Five years after their release, they travelled to Chile to fulfil that dream. Their journey found them once more far from home, in an unfamiliar landscape but this time living by their own rules. Dire Straits: Patagonia and the Magellan Circumnavigation at 500, online conference A series of recorded talks from an online conference marking 500 years since Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the strait at the southernmost tip of the Americas that now bears his name. The Wager by David Grann, book From the international bestselling author of The Lost City of Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, book Bruce Chatwin sets off on a journey through Patagonia in this wistful classic travel book. Let’s Make the World Wild Again, talk Earth, humanity and nature are inextricably interconnected. To restore us all back to health, we need to "rewild" the world, says environmental activist Kristine McDivitt Tompkins. Tracing her life from Patagonia CEO to passionate conservationist, she shares how she has helped to establish national parks across South America -- and discusses the critical role we all have to play to heal the planet.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST PATAGONIA continued My Year of Solitude in Patagonia, podcast Bob Kull has lived many lives and travelled many places, but there is one thread through it all: his love of being alone in nature. In this podcast he describes his year of solitude and what he learned from it. The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux, book A classic 1970s account of the author taking a train journey from Boston all the way down to the tip of Argentina.
CHILE The Most Martian Place on Earth, talk How can you study Mars without a spaceship? Head to the most Martian place on Earth - the Atacama Desert in Chile. Astrobiologist Armando Azua-Bustos studies the rare life forms that have adapted to survive there. Saving Chile's Urban Wetlands, podcast In this ‘People Fixing the World’ series, this episode visits the communities in Chile restoring vital wetlands in cities and towns. Wild Chile, documentary series A series of eight documentaries highlighting the beauty and variety of wildlife in Chile.
‘Eden Harbour’, Chile. Watercolour by Foley Charles Vereker
Chile: Travels in a Thin Country by Sara Wheeler, book Squeezed in between a vast ocean and the longest mountain range on earth, Chile is 2,600 miles long and never more than 110 miles wide - not a country which lends itself to maps, as Sara Wheeler found out when she travelled alone with two carpetbags from the top to the bottom, form the driest desert in the world to the sepulchral wastes of Antarctica. The Cordillera of Dreams, documentary Director Patricio Guzmán left Chile more than 40 years ago when the military dictatorship took over the government. However, he never stopped thinking about a country, a culture and a place on the map.
PERU Ancient Peruvian Cultures and Their Living Landscapes, talk Cecilia Pardo-Grau, Lead Curator for the British Museum exhibition Peru: a journey in time, chairs a panel of experts as they explore this ancient landscape and its people. Hunting for Peru's Lost Civilizations -- with satellites, talk Hundreds of thousands of lost ancient sites lie buried and hidden from view. Satellite archaeologist Sarah Parcak is determined to find them before looters do.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST PERU continued Cloud Catchers In Peru, podcast What can you do if you don’t have access to running water? No pipes, no wells, no rainfall? The solution may be to catch water from fog. We meet Abel Cruz, the Peruvian man behind a huge fog net project which is providing water to a community in the slums of Lima. The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MaQuarrie, book The epic story of the fall of the Inca Empire to Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, and the recent discovery of the lost guerrilla capital of the Incas, Vilcabamba, by three American explorers. Constantino Aucca Chutas, 2023 Rolex Awards Laureate, article A Peruvian biologist discusses his work with local communities to help reforestation in the Andes. Touching the Void, film The BAFTA award winning true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. ‘Cuzco, the Plaza de Armas’. Watercolour by Victor Coverley-Price, 1932
Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham, book Hiram Bingham's classic work captures all the magnificence and mystery of the amazing archeological sites he uncovered, including the Inca city that made him famous: Machu Picchu. Sir Clements Markham, President of the RGS: success or failure?, talk RGS talk. Isobel Williams discusses the life of Sir Clements Markham, who in 1859 successfully organised the transplanting of chinchona trees from Peru to India for quinine, a treatment for malaria. In Our Time: the Incas, podcast In this podcast Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rise and fall of the Inca Empire. Preserving Peru’s Food Heritage, podcast Peru is famous for its diverse and innovative cuisine but how is it making sure its venerable food heritage is preserved for decades to come? We meet the indigenous Quechua people who are cultivating more than 1300 species of potato, working with scientists to safeguard seeds in community banks as part of both ecological and cultural efforts.
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST ECUADOR The Panama Hat trail by Tom Miller, book Critically acclaimed author Tom Miller reveals the making and marketing of one Panama hat, from the straw fields of Ecuador’s coastal lowland to a hat shop in Southern California. Along the way, the hat becomes a literary device allowing Miller to give us his impressions from the tributaries of the Amazon to the mountainsides of the Andes. The General in his Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, book A compelling tale of Simón Bolívar, a hero who has been forgotten and whose power is fading, retracing his steps down the Magdalena River by the Nobel Laureate Gabriel García Márquez. The Paraecologist Approach to the Rights of Nature, talk In this Resurgence Trust talk, Professor Mika Peck highlights Ecuador as a pioneer nation in acknowledging ‘the rights of nature’ in tackling biodiversity and climate emergencies.
PANAMA The Land Divided, the World United, exhibition This online exhibition from the Linda Hall Library gives a brief history of the building of the Panama Canal as seen through the eyes of A.B. Nichols, who amassed a vast collection of photographs, blueprints, maps and archives during his role as Office Engineer during the canal’s construction.
Life in the Plug: a Journey Through the Forests of Panama, talk In this RGS microlecture, John Fuller recounts his journey to the Darién Province to visit ancient stone petroglyphs.
MEXICO Exploring the Maya World, exhibition In collaboration with the British Museum, this online exhibition looks at the Mayan people and their culture. Guardians of the Stingless Bees: Exploring the Mission to Sustain Melipona Bee Populations, podcast This podcast looks at efforts being made to preserve healthy native Mayan Melipona bee populations by sustaining ancient Mayan beekeeping practices and empowering women in rural areas. Jungle of Stone: the Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood by William Carlsen, book The chronicle of the discovery of the legendary lost civilization of the Maya. Includes the history of the major Maya sites, including Palenque, Uxmal and more. On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Road Trip, book Paul Theroux immerses himself in the beautiful, culturally rich but troubled heart of modern Mexico. Attending local language and culinary schools, driving through the country and meeting its people, Theroux gets under the skin of a nation.
The Path Between the Seas: the Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough, book A national bestseller and testament to human determination, The Path Between the Seas tells the stories of the men and women who fought against all odds to fulfill the 400-year-old dream of constructing a maritime passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez, book A breathtaking historical novel following the incredible construction of the Panama Canal and casting light on the unsung people who lived and laboured in its shadow.
‘Ruins, Mexico’. Photographer: Desire Charnay, 1870
GRAND SOUTH AMERICA READING LIST FURTHER TRAVELS The Future of Exploration, podcast For guests having completed their cruise, this podcast Explore: How To Plan An Expedition, focuses on the future of exploration. A panel discuss what it means to be an explorer in the 21st century and talk about the myriad of global challenges facing exploration today, as well as the responsibilities and tasks facing travellers, adventurers and field scientists, and where they overlap or differ. Stories from our Collections, resource Learn more about objects in the Royal Geographical Society’s Collections and the geographical themes and histories which underpin them through these online exhibitions and short stories.
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