Explorers of the Nile: The Triumph and Tragedy of a Great Victorian Adventure

Few geographical mysteries captured the imagination of the Victorian world quite like the search for the source of the Nile. In Explorers of the Nile: The Triumph and Tragedy of a Great Victorian Adventure, award-winning historian and biographer Tim Jeal delivers a compelling account of the remarkable men and women who risked everything to solve one of history’s greatest geographical puzzles. Drawing on extensive archival research, Jeal re-examines the lives, ambitions and rivalries of legendary explorers including Richard Burton, John Hanning Speke, James Grant, Samuel Baker, David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley and Florence von Sass.

Far more than a simple history of exploration, this meticulously researched work explores the personalities, political tensions, cultural encounters and unintended consequences that shaped nineteenth-century Africa. Explorers of the Nile challenges long-held assumptions about several of these iconic figures while presenting a balanced and engaging narrative filled with adventure, hardship and historical insight. Readers are taken across East and Central Africa through hostile terrain, tropical disease, shifting alliances and extraordinary acts of courage, resulting in a richly detailed account that appeals equally to historians and general readers.

An outstanding addition to any Africana, African history, exploration or imperial history collection, this substantial volume combines scholarly research with highly readable storytelling. Explorers of the Nile is an excellent choice for collectors of exploration literature, biographies of famous explorers, and anyone interested in Victorian history, the history of cartography, colonial Africa and the enduring mystery surrounding the River Nile. Jeal’s authoritative Explorers of the Nile remains one of the definitive modern accounts of one of history’s greatest expeditions.

Condition – Good

Hardcover with original dust jacket in good condition. The boards remain clean with light general shelf wear. The text block is clean and tightly bound. There is blue dye transfer (likely from the endpaper) affecting the inside front pastedown/endpaper and extending through approximately the first 11 pages, after which the pages are clean. Please refer to the photographs for a detailed indication of condition.