Part historical reconstruction, part travel story, part study in the psychology of obsession, this is a book about searchers, a journey into a state of mind as much a place. Nicholl's actual journey was a trip up the rivers of Venezuela, following the route of Sir Walter Raleigh on his famous search for El Dorado. The author gives an insight into understanding this bitter, complex figure, hazarding his reputation on this chimerical adventure. Nicholl goes on, where Raleigh turned back, into the tropical forests of Paragna and Canaima, a place that still draws adventurers, looking for gold and diamonds.