Description: River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile Author: Candice Millard Title: River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile Publication: Doubleday, 2022 Description: Hardcover. ***Signed by Author*** New tightly bound hardcover in new dust jacket. Author's signature on a special tipped-in endpaper by the publisher. Clean text free of marks or underlining. Includes bibliography, index, and B&W phot plates. 368 pp.Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. New / New. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time and its complicated legacy--from the New York Times bestselling author of The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST - GOODREADS "A lean, fast-paced account of the almost absurdly dangerous quest by [Richard Burton and John Speke] to solve the geographic riddle of their era." --The New York Times Book Review For millennia the location of the Nile River's headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe - and extend their colonial empires. Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, and was a decorated soldier. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton's opposite in temperament and beliefs. From the start the two men clashed. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke's great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate, Speke shot himself. Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan's army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without Bombay and men like him, who led, carried, and protected the expedition, neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived. In River of the Gods Candice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers. Seller ID: 200046 Subject: Ecology, Middle East , Signed The Anthropologists Closet offers a wide variety of non-fiction academic books that are hard to find. We have been in business since 2014. Terms All orders ship within two business days. All items are guaranteed to be as described or they may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a full refund.This listing was created by Bibliopolis.
Price: 35 USD
Location: Urbandale, Iowa
End Time: 2025-01-08T19:59:56.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.5 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Return policy details:
Author: Candice Millard
Publisher: Doubleday
Year Printed: 2022
Special Attributes: Dust Jacket, Signed
Binding: Hardcover
Language: English
Subject: Biography & Autobiography