The adventure story of an extremely hazardous canoe trip taken just for the hell of it up one of the more obscure tributaries of the Amazon. Harrison's tale is compelling, full of suspense, humor and wonderful descriptions of Amazon wildlife, all told in down-to-earth unpretentious language with disarming honesty. His quest is ambitious, exciting and, ultimately, flawed.  ‘The style is the man: randy and rumbustious but never out of control. An admirable book by an admirable man who exposes himself mercilessly.’ The Daily Telegraph  ‘The author had no sponsorship whatever for his extremely hazardous canoe trip on one of the more obscure tributaries of that river about which I didn’t think anything new and startling could now be written. How wrong one can be. He escaped death I don’t know how many times in places where there was no hope of rescue. The style is the man: randy and rumbustious but never out of control. An admirable book by an admirable man who exposes himself mercilessly.’ The Daily Telegraph ‘The reader will find a totally convincing and matter-of-fact account of a grim series of encounters with a variety of predators – some human and some non-human. But however grim the tale, as a record of courage and endurance it deserves to stand in an honoured place on any shelf devoted to the self-punishing experiences of Anglo-Saxons up the Amazon.’ The Times  ‘Mountaineers have many classic accounts of daring ascents of horribly difficult peaks. With Up the Creek , tropical forest lovers now have their own epic adventure.  John Harrison vividly reminded me of experiences on similar expeditions: panic at being lost, insects and their bites, hunger and the daydreams it induces, the all-pervading smell of leaf-rot, and the character changes caused by exhaustion and undernourishment. But he also conveys the love of forests and rivers that keep luring him back to Amazonia.’ Dr John Hemming, Geographical Magazine John has written and presented several radio programmes for the BBC, and contributed articles to many magazines and newspapers. He has entertained audiences with more than 200 lectures and has been an on-board speaker for cruise lines. He lives in Bristol in the UK.