River of the Gods Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

Candice Millard

eBook - 2022

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 RepublicA 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 ReviewFor 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... more