A spell-binding early account of the river and its environs, first published in 1863. A talented naturalist himself, Bates accompanied Alfred Russel Wallace on a collecting expedition for the British Museum in 1848. He stayed on for 11 years, traveling throughout the region. This classic chronicle of his adventures, part natural history and part travelogue, has inspired generations of tropical biologists. Darwin liked it too.  (AMZ07, $24.95)