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

The Nile River's headwaters were unknown until the mid-19th century when Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were dispatched by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the reward for Britain. Despite their disagreements, they were able to find the source of the Nile thanks to Sidi Mubarak Bombay, an enslaved person who was taken from his East African hometown and transported to India.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 14 September 2023
Publisher: Swift Press

A captivating and intricate narrative unfolds with remarkable simplicity and elegance, as depicted by The Times. This tale of courage and adventure unfolds against the backdrop of the race by colonial powers to exploit Africa. For countless centuries, the enigmatic location of the Nile River's headwaters remained shrouded in mystery. In the mid-19th century, Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, dispatched by the Royal Geographical Society, embarked on a mission to claim the coveted prize for Britain. Burton, a multilingual and decorated soldier, possessed a mercurial, nuanced, and iconoclastic atheist temperament. Speke, on the other hand, was a young aristocrat and Army officer driven by a fierce determination to leave his mark.

From the outset, the two men clashed, enduring immense hardships, illness, and relentless setbacks. Two years into their expedition, deep within the African interior, Burton succumbed to illness, rendering him incapable of continuing. However, Speke pressed on, claiming to have discovered the source in a vast lake that he christened Lake Victoria. Upon their return to England, the two men became sworn enemies. Yet, amidst the tumultuous journey, a third figure, obscured by the annals of imperial history, emerged with exploits even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, an enslaved individual from his native village in East Africa, who was forcibly transported to India. After the passing of his enslaver, Bombay managed to find his way into the local Sultan's army and eventually returned to Africa, where he honed his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess, and unwavering courage to carve a livelihood as a guide. Without the guidance and unwavering support of individuals like Bombay, neither Englishman would have been within proximity to the headwaters of the Nile, let alone have survived the treacherous expedition.

Weight: 236g
Dimension: 200 x 130 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800752634