God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre

Richard Grant (2008)
image links to Amazon

THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

The rugged Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico is one of the largest drug-producing areas in the world.  Only a few miles south of the Arizona border, this dangerous region is generally ignored by the government and murder rates are especially high.  For some foolhardy reason, British journalist Richard Grant decided that this environment made for a perfect place to explore, and God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre is the result.  He quickly finds some crazy adventures in his travels, attending terrifying religious rituals, searching for buried treasure, and at the end literally being hunted for sport by cocaine-fueled outlaws.  Grant navigates through all this with fascination and a self-deprecating humor, providing a authentic, empathetic account of this uncharted part of the world. 
Click here to see reviews and prices for this book on Amazon.

OTHER A5 RECOMMENDED TRAVEL BOOKS BY RICHARD GRANT

Richard Grant is a freelance English travel writer who now lives in Mississippi, best known for his writing on exploration and culture.  He has published a number of books including two travelogues: ​God's Middle Finger (2008) recounting his travels in a dangerous part of Mexico and Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa (2011).  Click here to learn about Richard Grant and his work.

GREAT QUOTES FROM GOD'S MIDDLE FINGER: INTO THE HEART OF THE SIERRA MADRE

“So this is what it feels like to be hunted.  My spine is pressed up against the bark of a pine tree.  My heart hammers against its rib cage with astonishing force.  Here they come again.  Here comes the big dented old Chevy pickup with its engine roaring and its high-beam lights swinging through the darkness and trees.  The men in the truck are drunk and they have rifles and now there are other men on foot looking for me with flashlights."

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • Read the review from SFGate by Noam Lupu in 2008 on the book.
  • There aren't many travel guides obviously that cover this part of the world in detail, so for more information on the Sierra Madre region, we simply recommend Wikipedia.​
  • This book is one of our favorite books on exploration.  Click here to see our full list of recommendations on adventure travel books.

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MAP OF THE SIERRA MADRE

RICHARD GRANT'S VIDEO