{"product_id":"river-of-the-gods-genius-courage-and-betrayal-in-the-search-for-the-source-of-the-nile-hardcover","title":"River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCandice Millard\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER - The harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time and its complicated legacy--from the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe River of Doubt\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDestiny of the Republic\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eBEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003e THE WASHINGTON POST - \u003c\/i\u003eGOODREADS \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A lean, fast-paced account of the almost absurdly dangerous quest by [Richard Burton and John Speke] to solve \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e geographic riddle of their era.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor millennia the location of the Nile River's headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRichard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, and was a decorated soldier. 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the start the two men clashed. 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYet 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 Bombay and men like him, who led, carried, and protected the expedition, neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eRiver of the Gods \u003c\/i\u003eCandice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCANDICE MILLARD is the author of the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers \u003ci\u003eThe River of Doubt\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDestiny of the Republic, and Hero of the Empire\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Kansas City, Kansas, with her husband and three children.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 9.4 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 17, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42698462658623,"sku":"9780385543101","price":32.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/b49f1bb139f61792a1dfd81f4e154a95.webp?v=1765010392","url":"https:\/\/dhl-adrianne.myshopify.com\/products\/river-of-the-gods-genius-courage-and-betrayal-in-the-search-for-the-source-of-the-nile-hardcover","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}