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Richard Burton joins the contingent of people from the past with whom I would love to have a conversation over a long dinner. Explorer, poet, linguist and translator; a man who loved to study other cultures and was not content just to hear about others experiences.
Millard's new book is not so much a book about a single expedition, but rather a study of the state of British exploration in the 1850s and its leading figures (Burton, Speke, Livingston, Murchison, etc.). The Royal Geographical Society was focused on the source of the Nile at that time, and 'River of the Gods' covers Burton and Speke's expeditions in East Africa and the implications of their complicated relationship thereafter. Some readers might complain that Millard doesn't spend enough time on the expeditions themselves, but I found that to be a strength of the book. The details of their journeys are not the point of the book; Millard wants to focus on the debate on the source of the Nile and the differences between Burton and Speke.
This is the third book by Millard that I have read, and it is by far my favorite. I loved it. Comfortable five stars.
Millard's new book is not so much a book about a single expedition, but rather a study of the state of British exploration in the 1850s and its leading figures (Burton, Speke, Livingston, Murchison, etc.). The Royal Geographical Society was focused on the source of the Nile at that time, and 'River of the Gods' covers Burton and Speke's expeditions in East Africa and the implications of their complicated relationship thereafter. Some readers might complain that Millard doesn't spend enough time on the expeditions themselves, but I found that to be a strength of the book. The details of their journeys are not the point of the book; Millard wants to focus on the debate on the source of the Nile and the differences between Burton and Speke.
This is the third book by Millard that I have read, and it is by far my favorite. I loved it. Comfortable five stars.