Jan Brokken’s account of his search for Rudy Truffino, the mysterious founder of the Canaima National Park in Venezuela starts out as an adventure story, as Brokken makes his way to this remote area... The book moves between biography, history, anthropology and travel.

The first of three parts covers Brokken’s first trip and his growing obsession with Rudy Truffino, his countryman. The myth of Rudy expounded in the first part is deconstructed in the second part as details of his life story emerge from interviews with his relatives and with his Indian employees. In the third part of the book Brokken undertakes a tough trek in the jungle, testing out his own jungle credentials, and demonstrating just how remarkable Rudy’s achievements in that inhospitable environment were.

The real star of the book, though, is neither Rudy, who ultimately remains a mystery, or the narrator, Brokken. It is the jungle, the unique landscape of mountains, rivers, plains and forests, that make this book worth reading. Brokken’s account of the discovery of the area by pioneer pilots, most of whom ended up crashing into its depths, and its subsequent change and development fascinates the reader. The dangers and attractions of the area include mountains where evolution has taken a different, largely unknown path, enormous waterfalls and rivers and a wide variety of lethally poisonous snakes.