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River of the Gods

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Candice Millard

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From the New York Times bestselling author of RIVER OF DOUBT and DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC comes a stirring tale of one of history's great exploration feats and its complex legacy. The Nile River, the world's longest, was vital to the rise of ancient Egypt, yet its headwaters remained a mystery for centuries. Pharaonic and Roman efforts to locate them were thwarted by a vast, treacherous swamp, and later expeditions achieved little. The 19th century saw renewed interest in ancient Egypt following the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, coinciding with European powers launching explorations to map uncharted territories and expand their empires. Two British explorers, Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, were commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society to uncover the Nile's source for England. Burton, a renowned traveler fluent in twenty-nine languages and known for his unorthodox views, clashed with the younger, more traditional Speke, who was eager to make his mark. Their partnership was fraught with tension as they faced numerous challenges. After two years, Burton fell ill, allowing Speke to claim he found the source in a lake he named Lake Victoria. Upon returning to England, Speke sought credit at Burton's expense, leading to a bitter rivalry that ended tragically when Speke took his own life. Amidst this drama was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, an enslaved man whose remarkable journey as a guide was crucial to the explorers' succe