Explorers of the Nile
The Triumph and Tragedy of a Great Victorian Adventure
2 of 2 copies available
the quest to discover the source of the White Nile. It was the planet's most elusive secret, the prize coveted above all others. Between 1856 and 1876, six larger-than-life men and one extraordinary woman accepted
the challenge. Showing extreme courage and resilience, Richard Burton, John Hanning Speke, James Augustus Grant, Samuel Baker, Florence von Sass, David Livingstone, and Henry Morton Stanley risked their lives and
reputations in the fierce competition. Award-winning author Tim Jeal deploys fascinating new research to provide a vivid tableau of the unmapped "Dark Continent," its jungle deprivations, and the courage—as well as malicious tactics—of the explorers.
On multiple forays launched into east and central Africa, the travelers passed through almost impenetrable terrain and suffered the ravages of flesh-eating ulcers, paralysis, malaria, deep spear wounds, and even death. They discovered Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria and became the first white people to encounter the kingdoms of Buganda and Bunyoro. Jeal weaves the story with authentic new detail and examines the tragic unintended legacy of the Nile search that still casts a long shadow over the people of Uganda and Sudan.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
December 26, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781452625423
- File size: 431383 KB
- Duration: 14:58:42
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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It's difficult for a narrator to do justice to a book like this--a well-written multidimensional look at the efforts of Europeans to discover the source of the Nile River. The actions and attitudes of the explorers were prequels to the rash of colonizations of the "Dark Continent" (as it then was called), from which many effects continue to this day. Narrator Clive Chafer, whose mild British accent fits right in, performs smoothly and keeps the narrative going, but this is not a compelling presentation. It is more like a lecture by a pretty good academic (he's an adjunct professor, as a matter of fact) and worth listening to. D.R.W. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
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