A review by crownoflaurel
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard

adventurous sad tense slow-paced

3.5

Even if you argued this text is biased in favor of Burton, I think Speke would have been a incredibly poisonous person to know. 

Additionally, if Sidi Mubarak Bombay is the true center of this story as is hinted at — the summary of his life, apart from Burton and Speke, should have earned a chapter of its own, as they received. And not tucked into the epilogue. Arguably, he did go further and see more then either, so the content was there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Slavery, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Genocide, Suicide, and Islamophobia

References to hunting:

killing of pregnant animals on purpose, and eating the fetuses