{"product_id":"paradise-of-the-damned-the-true-story-of-an-obsessive-quest-for-el-dorado-the-legendary-city-of-gold-hardcover","title":"Paradise of the Damned: The True Story of an Obsessive Quest for El Dorado, the Legendary City of Gold - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKeith Thomson\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \"rollicking,\" \"vividly re-created,\" and \"enticing romp\" that tells the true story \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eof an obsessive quest to find El Dorado, set against the backdrop of Elizabethan political intrigue and a competition with Spanish conquistadors for the legendary city's treasure\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e, all in a \"breezy narration that makes the historical subject matter sizzle\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As early as 1530, reports of El Dorado, a city of gold in the South American interior, beckoned to European explorers. Whether there was any truth to the stories remained to be seen, but the allure of unimaginable riches was enough to ensnare dozens of would-be heroes and glory hounds in the desperate hunt. Among them was Sir Walter Raleigh: ambitious courtier, confidant to Queen Elizabeth, and, before long, El Dorado fanatic. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Entering the Elizabethan court as an upstart from a family whose days of nobility were far behind them, Raleigh used his military acumen, good looks, and sheer audacity to scramble into the limelight. Yet that same swagger proved to be his undoing, as his secret marriage to a lady-in-waiting enraged Queen Elizabeth and landed him in the Tower of London. Between his ensuing grim prospects at court and his underlying lust for adventure, the legend of El Dorado became an unwavering siren song that hypnotized Raleigh. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e On securing his release, he journeyed across an ocean to find the fabled city, gambling his painstakingly acquired wealth, hard-won domestic bliss, and his very life. What awaited him in the so-called New World were endless miles of hot, dense jungle packed with deadly flora and fauna, warring Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous civilizations, and other unforeseen dangers. Meanwhile, back at home, his multitude of rivals plotted his demise. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eParadise of the Damned\u003c\/i\u003e, like Keith Thomson's critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eBorn to Be Hanged\u003c\/i\u003e, brings this story to life in lush and captivating detail. The book charts Raleigh's obsessive search for El Dorado--as well as the many doomed expeditions that preceded and accompanied his--providing not only an invaluable history but also a gripping narrative of traveling to the ends of the earth only to realize, too late, that what lies at home is the greatest treasure of all.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKeith Thomson\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the nonfiction book \u003ci\u003eBorn to Be Hanged, \u003c\/i\u003eas well as several novels, including\u003ci\u003e Pirates of Pensacola \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller \u003ci\u003eOnce a Spy. \u003c\/i\u003eThe former Columbia history major also writes nonfiction for the\u003ci\u003e New York Times, Garden \u0026amp; Gun\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eHuffington Post \u003c\/i\u003eon a range of topics, including national security and piracy. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 400\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 9.3 x 6.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 21, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52700901310797,"sku":"9780316497008","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/3304\/7117\/files\/Ub-inkRon39780316497008.webp?v=1762212029","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.us\/products\/paradise-of-the-damned-the-true-story-of-an-obsessive-quest-for-el-dorado-the-legendary-city-of-gold-hardcover","provider":"belfastbooks.us","version":"1.0","type":"link"}