The White Nile Diaries

The White Nile Diaries is a captivating coming-of-age journey and a tantalizing glimpse into a time when Africa was an oyster for the young, brave, and free. The adventurers escape armed vigilantes in the Tunisian desert and are chased by the border patrol across Libyan sands. They climb the Great Pyramid at Giza at dawn, endure "The Desert Express" across the Nubian desert, and travel by paddlewheel steamer through the Sudd, a swamp bigger than Britain. Their final adventure, at the idyllic Impala Farm at the foot of Mount Kenya, turns out to be a poisoned paradise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 20 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

A captivating coming-of-age tale and a tantalizing glimpse into a time when Africa was a land of boundless opportunities for the young, brave, and free. It all began at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station in 1961. Two young Princetonians, having returned from their dream of purchasing a coffee plantation in the Peruvian jungle, find themselves in New York. Despite the disappointment, their thirst for adventure remains unwavering. Tempted by a mysterious letter from Kenya, they embark on a remarkable journey across Africa. Armed with a white BMW motorcycle, they paint the words "The White Nile" on the tank, paying homage to the route they will traverse.

In his elegant and evocative prose, John Hopkins takes the reader on a journey through perilous salt flats, enigmatic Saharan oases, and the solemn funerals of young Tunisians tragically killed by the French Foreign Legion. He transports us to ancient Rome and visits Homer's fabled island of the Lotus Eaters. The adventurers evade armed vigilantes in the Tunisian desert, are pursued by the border patrol across the Libyan sands, and even climb the majestic Great Pyramid at Giza as the sun rises. They endure the treacherous "Desert Express" across the Nubian desert and travel by paddlewheel steamer through the vast Sudd, a swamp larger than Britain.

However, their final destination, the idyllic Impala Farm at the foot of Mount Kenya, turns out to be a poisoned paradise. The places, the people, the writing, and the emotional resonances of The White Nile Diaries captivate the reader, holding them spellbound from beginning to end.

Weight: 258g
Dimension: 138 x 217 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755647453