Davis is a powerful, penetrating and immensely knowledgeable writer.

... it would be a gross understatement to call this book a river journey. It is far more than that. Magdalena is a devotee’s pilgrimage.

The author vividly recounts the various civil wars and regional conflicts Colombia has suffered since its independence from Spain in 1810.

There are maps in the book—and you will need them. It’s tricky at times to know where you are. His central point, however, is easy to grasp—the Magdalena is Colombia.

Davis's...florid appreciation of the land and people can on occasion tip over into purpled gush. He describes earlier plant-hunters, dazzled by local abundance, as 'prostrate before the gates of awe.' Intermittently, he assumes that pose himself. Still, no traveller would deny the 'warmth and decency' he celebrates everywhere along his route. Colombia really is easy to love.

...this timely book explores one of the few dividends to emerge from such a terrible conflict.

If ever there was a ballad composed in the fullness of a lifelong affair, it is Magdalena.

In this deeply inquisitive, dazzlingly fluent scientific, cultural, and spiritual investigation, Davis illuminates the natural and human history of Río Magdalena.

Shifting seamlessly from travelog to history to nature writing, Davis weaves together a fascinating story of the geographical and cultural diversity of the Rio Magdalena, a diversity that characterizes the spirit of Colombia. Recommended for those who enjoy good writing, and all interested in a new perspective on personal narratives..

Davis stocks his lively narrative with piquant characters, dramatic historical set pieces, and lyrical nature writing.

Davis is a natural, engaging storyteller, and while he makes his way through Colombia’s history.