Canoeing The Congo
First Source to Sea Descent of the Congo River
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Canoeing The Congo
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Narrated by:
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Gareth Armstrong
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By:
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Phil Harwood
About this listen
Canoeing the Congo narrates the journey of Phil Harwood, who undertook an epic five-month solo attempt to canoe the Congo River in war-torn Central Africa. It was a historic first descent from the true source in the highlands of Zambia. Just short of 3,000 miles long, the Congo River is the eighth longest in the world and the deepest river in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Along the way, Phil encountered numerous waterfalls, huge rapids, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes and spiders' webs the size of houses. He faced endemic corruption, was arrested, intimidated, bullied, chased and he received numerous death threats. He also collapsed from malaria.
The people were mostly friendly, however, and Phil received tremendous hospitality from a proud and brave people, especially from the riverside fishermen who helped him wherever they could. On one stretch of river known as The Abattoir due to its past history of cannibalism and current reputation for criminal activity, he hired four brothers with a shotgun to accompany him as bodyguards. They paddled and floated for five days and nights on the river. Common questions from locals were, ‘why haven't you cut his throat yet?’ and ‘if you don't want to do it, tell us where your camping and we'll come and do it for you ...We'll share his money.’ It was an exhilarating, terrifying and wonderful journey but Phil managed to survive, despite the odds, to tell his story.
Canoeing the Congo will appeal to fans of adventurous travel writing and people who love the nature and wilderness. Phil, who is a fan of adventure stories himself, enjoys the work of Ranulph Fiennes and Bill Bryson. Phil has worked all over the world as an ex-Royal Marine Commando, ski-guide, expedition leader, outdoor instructor and development trainer. He is qualified as mountain leader, a level 4 canoe coach, a level 3 kayak coach, a rock climbing instructor, a wilderness emergency medical technician and a first aid instructor. Phil's passions are adventure and challenge, in particular canoeing remote wilderness rivers - the more wild the better!
©2013 Phil Harwood (P)2013 Audible LtdCritic Reviews
What listeners say about Canoeing The Congo
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-07-2022
Captivating Adventure!
Wow, what a fantastic book! I was hooked from the introduction and had to stop myself from trying to listen to it all in one go. A story of adventure, humanity and a mix of sad and then hilarious exploits!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S
- 02-04-2020
Incredible journey and storytelling
This is one of my favourite books of all time (I’m writing this review many months after finishing, so I assure you I’m not still riding a short lived buzz). The real life journey itself is inspiring, honest, and self deprecating. We found Phil’s storytelling to be entirely engaging. His blunt humour and reflective storytelling, mixed in with history, culture, and politics of the Congo gives an intriguing look inside the geographic regions and eras that the Congo winds it’s way through. Roll this in with his personal experiences on his Congo journey - from frustrating to empowering, introspection to adrenaline rush, social exclusion to celebration, constrained to total freedom, and a constant balance of life and death - this whole story is awe inspiring.
This text is a very rare gem that has not been given the full recognition it deserves (yet). This had no reviews when I downloaded it!
There are also some snippets of video I found from his trip online. It makes the story even more phenomenal when you can view his footage from the paddle.
I sincerely hope that you take on the next big challenge Phil and write a sequel for us!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- gregory arnold
- 25-08-2021
Adventure Epic
Thoroughly enjoyed this story, I want to get back to Africa to experience it more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan
- 03-12-2022
Legend
excellent book, what a man Phil Harwood is, would love to have a beer with him one day
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tim davis
- 06-07-2019
Best adventure book
Very tired writing this so I’ll keep it short. This was a fascinating journey that I didn’t want to stop. Thanks for so much insight into the DRC and the mighty Congo.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joanne Bell
- 16-06-2022
Easy to listen to modern day adventure
I loved it. Easy to listen to, well narrated, exciting and not too long to be tedious. Inspired me to start planning my own mini paddling adventures.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katie
- 09-12-2015
Picks up speed the further downriver you go
What made the experience of listening to Canoeing The Congo the most enjoyable?
I enjoyed the interactions between Phil and the local communities he passed through. The journey was remarkable and Phil's account of it was fascinating. I read Blood River a few years ago, and was disappointed to hear it dissed so much, but apart from that and the fact that it finished very abruptly, it was a very good read/listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan Faulkner-Hogg
- 18-01-2024
Pure adventure
They don’t bury the lead. Phil canoed one of the most remote places on Earth.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-05-2022
Should have been so much better
An amazing premise but fell flat, I expected it to be so much more exciting. Narrator a little dull and I think the writing style didn’t help. Stopped with 2 hours to go, I constantly felt that I was waiting for the story to really start.
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