Clever Men

How worlds collided on the scientific expedition to Arnhem Land of 1948.

"Here was I with the status of little more than a telephone mechanic, taking out the biggest scientific expedition in history."

This is how the legendary Charles Mountford immodestly described his biggest assignment: to lead an expedition of American and Australian scientists to Arnhem Land in northern Australia, investigating traditional Aboriginal life and the tropical environment. Backed by National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution and the Australian government, it was also a display of the friendship between Australia and the US. But the adventure turned out to be anything but friendly.  In this encounter between scientific hubris and the world's oldest surviving cultures, Thomas finds a story of global significance and profound long-term impacts.