Uncovering the Unknown: The Exciting and Tragic Journey of the Victorian Explorers of the Nile

jdmcox: Fascinating stories of the 5 men who went to Africa to discover the source of the Nile. Dr Livingston was the only one to die there, which in itself is amazing; any of their travels and travails would kill most men. Speke and Stanley turn out to be the real heroes. But all of them were heroic in their failures and successes in Darkest Africa. Each one's story is told fully. Well written and researched.

United States on May 22, 2023

Amazon Customer: ‘Highly nervous temperament’ with a ‘loner’s steely self reliance’ ‘for years [too much] his own master’. So said Burton of the stubborn and socially maladroit Speke who was born to be his unexpected nemesis destined to occupy the long coveted spot on destiny’s tapestry: the discover of the source of the Nile. Tim Jeal’s brilliant book ‘Explorers Of The Nile’ redresses a historic wrong done by Burton (and his myriad acolytes) who wrote the history books for decades even after Burton suspected the terrible truth yet relentlessly up to his death refused to honestly admit: Speke was right about the source of the Nile. He, the great Burton, the genius of the era, was wrong. Even today Burton’s mesmerizing persona blinds one and all to the fact that the dazzling and charismatic Burton was wrong. A ridiculously maladroit and dyslexic or else ADHD school dropout nobody son of a boring country squire farmer was right. The source of the Nile is Lake Victoria. Even today it is so irritating and exasperating that people are still trying to deny it. That idiot Speke couldn’t have solved the eons old mystery! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!!!!!!! But as Tim Jeal expertly confirms...

United States on Jun 26, 2022

Stephen W. Hart: It is always a great pleasure to read a book that contains truth that is stranger than fiction to use a well used phrase. However the author of this very engaging history has achieved just that. Burton has always been an character of illusion to me, but this work puts him in perspective. I have separately read about Baker, but is place has been better shown with reference to the other well known African explorers. It is also very interesting that the author bravely confronts the current criticism of western culture by shining a light on pre exploration African civilisation.

Australia on Dec 20, 2018

Tommy: This is a very readable book about African “ discovery” in the mid 19th century. The author has clearly done a lot of research and the reader comes away with a good understanding of 5-6 prominent explorers. It seems clear that all had lots of ambition and ego to supplement their courage and bravado. I was left with the impression that Speke was the closest to being a real explorer and a likeable individual, and that until now, history has not sufficiently recognize his achievements. It was an interesting period of time and the book will stimulate further reading about Livingstone and Stanley.

Canada on Sep 22, 2018

Boyd Hone: Tim Jeal's EXPLORERS OF THE NILE is a noble successor of Moorehead's THE WHITE NILE. No earthly power can explain the unfathomable thick-headedness of the early explorers. Some were nearly saints, as was Livingston (who on one trip reread his bible four times), Livingston who refused to believe that a people he frequented were cannibals until they ate his porter; who admired the red feathers worn by another tribe, until he learned that each represented a man killed; and who hated the Arab slave traders until one nursed him back to life. (They Arabs, aided by blacks, were savages who immediately dashed in the heads of slow or sick slaves and, in one incredible case, an Arab cut off the head of his ill mistress, who was holding them back, so that no one else would ever have access to her.) The explorers died like flies from dysentery, murder (Jeal relates the death of a millionairess, hacked to pieces by Tuaregs) and malaria. Jeal goes on about Burton, a priapus who changed girls as one changes one's shirt (a French saying meaning often), who possessed 29 languages and translated the Kama Sutra into English, adding ample paragraphs from his own experiences. (I've just finished a...

France on May 05, 2013

Lona: In popular books on Leadership, we explore the motivation of leaders and discuss the need for collaborative endeavour. Understanding how Burton and Speke worked together "against all odds" is a fascinating tale that should be examined by anyone interested in Leadership and the question "what makes people work together to achieve a goal?". This tale of Explorers uncovers many facets of motivation and is an interesting read.

Canada on Sep 03, 2012

Bobby D.: In 2007 Tim Jeal wrote an outstanding biography STANLEY. It is a most interesting telling of the life of Henry Stanley who also takes up a lot of pages in this Jeal's latest book as one of the Explorers of the Nile. If you have not done so yet, I suggest you read that biography before reading this latest work.

Jeal's objective in EXPLORERS is to update with new research what Allan Moorhead wrote in the popular 1960 WHITE NILE. Tell the story of the Nile explorers and their discoveries. In addition Jeal brings the history of the region up to the present time with concluding chapters that provide a tragic view of the unintended consequences of the discoveries on modern Uganda and Sudan. These final chapters are interesting but for the most part read like they should be part of another book.

Although I enjoyed the EXPLORERS and found much of it most interesting it did not pull me in as Jeal's biography of Stanley had. I think this is due, in part, to the organization of the book and that Jeal spends a good amount of time arguing conclusions based on his new research. The stories of the Nile Explorers and their accomplishments are amazing as stand alone adventures and...

United States on Jan 04, 2012

Katharine Kirby: Having the ability to write definitive non-fiction that reads fluently and easily as a good novel, so comfortably carried off here, is a rare skill. Necessarily dense with facts and place names it was reassuring to find myself interested in David Livingstone from the start; we get to know him as he endures lonely, frustrating months in a hut while trying to heal his "irritable, eating ulcers fastening on both feet"; without his full team and the equipment required; feeling abandoned by his supporters. Stanley of course later takes up his quest, after their fabled meeting. Perhaps, unless you are already familiar with 1850-1870's, you will quickly need to latch on to the individuals in order to be swept up into the story. In the past, books have fixed on the geography and re-creation of this adventure rather than the characters. `Explorers of the Nile' is delivered fully-grown and well rounded. It is the many human and even some animal encounters that flesh out the narrative. I'll never look at my (inherited) ivory backed hair- brush in the same light. I now know what it cost.

The author owns his Victorians as intimate friends; he really is the authority on these fired up...

United Kingdom on Sep 22, 2011