First published 2022
Candice Millard chronicles the bitter rivalry between Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke as they compete to solve one of geography's greatest mysteries: locating the source of the Nile River. Burton arrives as a decorated soldier and polyglot who had infiltrated Mecca in disguise. Speke comes as an ambitious young aristocrat eager to build his reputation. The Royal Geographical Society sends both men into uncharted African territory, where their clashing personalities ignite a feud that will consume them both. Millard reveals how their success depended entirely on Sidi Mubarak Bombay, an enslaved man turned guide whose skills kept the expedition alive. When Burton falls ill deep in the interior, Speke pushes forward alone and claims to discover the Nile's source at Lake Victoria. The discovery sparks a public battle for credit that ends in tragedy. Millard exposes how colonial ambitions shaped this quest and demonstrates that the true hero of the story was the African guide whose contributions were erased from history.
Genres: biography, history, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, non-fiction, 19th-century, africa
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-rivals, historical-figures, race-against-time
Setting: Africa, Mecca, Nile River, Lake Victoria
Period: 19th Century
349 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday