Drums Along the Congo

In the heart of the Congo is rumored to live a dinosaur called Mokele-Mbembe, or the god-beast. A handful of scientific expeditions have searched for it over the years with little success, but Nugent relied less on science than a desire to document the obscure. He made his way by dugout canoe and foot to Lake Tele, reputed home of the brontosaurus-like creature. It's an environment little changed since the age of dinosaurs and he spent weeks paddling and trekking the area. He finally spotted a periscope-shaped object moving through the water. But when he tried to get closer, his guides threatened to shoot him, explaining that the "e;the god can approach man, but man never approaches the god."e; Nugent's photographs have been reprinted hundreds of times by those who believe in the god-beast. Drums Along the Congo merited inclusion on "e;Best 50 Books of the Year"e; list compiled by every major US newspaper.