River of the gods : genius, courage and betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile
(Audiobook)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Published
[New York] : Penguin Random House Audio, [2022].
ISBN
9780525524076, 052552407X
Physical Desc
8 audio discs (10 hr., 2 min.) ; 4 3/4 in.
Status
WENATCHEE PUBLIC LIBRARY
CD 916.204 MILLARD
1 available

Description

Loading Description...

Also in this Series

Checking series information...

Copies

LocationCall NumberStatus
WENATCHEE PUBLIC LIBRARYCD 916.204 MILLARDOn Shelf

More Like This

Loading more titles like this title...

Other Editions and Formats

More Details

Published
[New York] : Penguin Random House Audio, [2022].
Format
Audiobook
Language
English
ISBN
9780525524076, 052552407X
UPC
9780525524076

Notes

General Note
Title from container.
General Note
Unabridged.
Participants/Performers
Read by Paul Michael.
Description
"For millennia the location of the Nile River's headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the nineteenth 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. Two British men--Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke--were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton was already famous for being the first non-Muslim to travel to Mecca, disguised as an Arab chieftain. He spoke twenty-nine languages, was a decorated soldier, and literally wrote the book on sword-fighting techniques for the British Army. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton's opposite in temperament and beliefs. From the start the two men clashed, Speke chafing under Burton's command and Burton disapproving of Speke's ignorance of the people whose lands through which they traveled. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke's great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate, Speke shot himself. Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan's army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without his talents, it is likely that neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived"--!cProvided by publisher.

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Millard, C., & Michael, P. (. (2022). River of the gods: genius, courage and betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile . Penguin Random House Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Millard, Candice and Paul (Actor), Michael. 2022. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile. Penguin Random House Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Millard, Candice and Paul (Actor), Michael. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile Penguin Random House Audio, 2022.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Millard, Candice,, and Paul (Actor) Michael. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile Penguin Random House Audio, 2022.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

Staff View

Loading Staff View.