"Distinguished by fine scholarship, deft writing, and a vivid sense of being there, Hemming's books bring readers a deep understanding of individuals and cultures far from the here and now ... Rich in human detail and love of nature, People of the Rainforest is a wise, moving and important book." —Times Literary Supplement
"At this frankly apocalyptic moment for indigenous rights in Brazil, [this] is a timely work it is packed with detail and fascinating anecdotes." —Literary Review
In 1945, three young brothers joined and eventually led Brazil’s first government-sponsored expedition into its Amazonian rainforests. After more expeditions into unknown terrain, they became South America's most famous explorers, spending the rest of their lives with the resilient tribal communities they found there. People of the Rainforest recounts the Villas Boas brothers’ four thrilling and dangerous ‘first contacts’ with isolated indigenous people, and their lifelong mission to learn about their societies and, above all, help them adapt to modern Brazil without losing their cultural heritage, identity and pride. Author and explorer John Hemming vividly traces the unique adventures of these extraordinary brothers, who used their fame to change attitudes to native peoples and to help protect the world’s surviving tropical rainforests, under threat again today.