Interview: David Grann, On the Line with Joseph Planta (thecommentary.ca)

David Grann - Monday, 06 April 2009

The New Yorker's David Grann discusses his bestselling book, The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (Doubleday, 2009), a captivating book about Colonel Percy Fawcett and his disappearance in the jungles of Brazil.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. (Doubleday, 2009)

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Lost City of Z

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

David Grann joins me now. He is the author of a gripping and remarkable book: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. It is a New York Times Bestseller, and the notices have been universally good. It is the story of Colonel Percy Fawcett, who in 1925 vanished. The British explorer was in search of a mysterious ancient civilisation in the jungles of the Amazon. He thought that there was a sort of Lost City of Z, or El Dorado, and he sought to prove it. However he disappeared without a trace. Many have tried to follow in Fawcett's footsteps, and about 100 people have also died trying. Grann sets out first to write a book on Fawcett's fascinating life, which is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle, but also sets out on his own journey. What happens makes for a fascinating book, thus the well-deserved acclaim and book buying. It has also captured the attention of Hollywood, as Brad Pitt has optioned the book, and could very well star in a film adaptation of The Lost City of Z, which is published by Doubleday. David Grann is a staff writer at the New Yorker, where he's been since 2003. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Toronto this morning, David Grann; Good morning, Mr. Grann.

Weblinks:

David Grann website: http://www.davidgrann.com