River of the gods : genius, courage, and betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile / Candice Millard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Millard, Candice, Author.

Contributor:

Rosengarten Family Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nile River--Discovery and exploration.

Nile River.

Nile River Valley--Discovery and exploration.

Nile River Valley.

Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890--Travel--Nile River.

Burton, Richard Francis.

Speke, John Hanning, 1827-1864--Travel--Nile River.

Speke, John Hanning.

Bombay, Sidi Mubarak--Travel--Nile River.

Bombay, Sidi Mubarak.

Explorers--Nile River--History--19th century.

Explorers.

Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.

Speke, John Hanning, 1827-1864.

Discoveries in geography.

Travel.

Genre:

History.

Travel writing.

Physical Description:

xii, 349 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Genius, courage, and betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile

Place of Publication:

New York : Doubleday, [2022]

Summary:

Set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers, a story of courage and adventure brings to life the rivalry between two enemies--a decorated soldier and a young aristocrat/Army officer--as they set out to find the mysterious headwaters of the Nile River.

For millennia the location of the Nile River's headwaters was shrouded in mystery. Expeditions to find it were stymied by a giant labyrinthine swamp. In the 19th century Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. From the start the two men clashed. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior Speke claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. Back in England Speke disparaged Burton; Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. Millard turns to the third man on both expeditions: Sidi Mubarak Bombay, a former slave in a Sultan's army who used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. -- adapted from jacket

Set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers, a story of courage and adventure brings to life the rivalry between two enemies--a decorated soldier, and a young aristocrat and Army officer--as they set out to find the mysterious headwaters of the Nile River.

Contents:

Some Gallant Heart

A Blaze of Light

Shadows

Bond for our Blood

The Abban

The Enemy is Upon Us

What Might Have Been, What Would Have Been

Into the Mouth of Hell

What a Curse is a Heart

Horror Vacui

Bombay

Death Was Written

An Old Enemy

Tanganyika

To the End of the World

Fury

The Knives are Sheathed

'Twas me he shot

An Exile's Dream

Hard as a Brick

The Malignant Tongues of Friends

The Prince

Damn Their Souls

Neston Park

The Weary HeartGrows Cold.

Prologue: Obsession

Part one: Some gallant heart. A blaze of light ; Shadows ; Bond for our blood ; The Abban ; The enemy is upon us

Part two: What might have been, what would have been. Into the mouth of Hell ; What a curse is a heart ; Horror vacui ; Bombay ; Death was written ; An old enemy ; Tanganyika ; To the end of the world

Part three: Fury. The knives are sheathed ; 'Twas me he shot ; An exile's dream ; Hard as bricks

Part four: The malignant tongues of friends. The prince ; Damn their souls ; Neston Park ; The weary heart grows cold

Epilogue: Ashes.

Notes:

Maps on endpapers.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [323]-328) and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Livezey Fund bookplate.

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.

Other Format:

Online version: Millard, Candice. River of the gods.

ISBN:

9780385543101

0385543107

OCLC:

1264273298

Publisher Number:

99991057152