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

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Clive Chafer
1 review
Audiobook
14 hr 58 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Want a free 1 hr 30 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

Nothing obsessed explorers of the mid-nineteenth century more than
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.
Nothing obsessed explorers of the mid-nineteenth century more than 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....

Discover more

Ratings and reviews

1 review

About the author

Tim Jeal is the author of several acclaimed biographies and the winner of the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.

AudioFile Earphones Award winner Clive Chafer is a professional actor, director, and producer, as well as a theater instructor. He is also the founder of TheatreFIRST, the San Francisco Bay Area's only internationally oriented theater.

Tim Jeal is the author of several acclaimed biographies and the winner of the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography. AudioFile Earphones Award winner Clive Chafer is a professional actor, director, and producer, as well as a theater instructor. He is also the founder of TheatreFIR...

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.