Review 87: River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is why you would, or perhaps should, need to read historical non-fiction. It is an absolutely amazing portrayal of a rivalry between two men, vying to be the first to ''discover'' the source of the Nile. Discover in brackets, as N'yanza, or Lake Victoria as we would come to know it in the Western world had of course been known to the local population since time immemorial, obviously under many different names, none which had anything to do with English queens. Millard manages to thread this line very well, balancing admiration for the near-superhuman efforts of the explorers and their crew with a clear understanding of the implications of European exploration for the local population. 

It is these insights into local culture, politics and languages that adds so much quality to this book. The description of the encounters of both Burton and Speke (the two main rivalling characters) with the the local population, how each viewed and treated them are gems of knowledge that were often completely new to me. Burton one the one hand had a clear interest, dressing up like a local without mocking them, learning their languages (over 20 in his lifetime) and employing locals to work with him in achieving his goals. Though he had numerous less noteworthy traits, he comes off better than his adversary Speke. He, on the other hand, had no interest in languages or culture, but more so in fame, hunting and not getting his ego bruised (and failing at that). 

The interplay of these two aspects paints a marvelous picture of a time when the world truly was still large and many parts of it unknown. A time when the world became more interconnected, and countries, places and people were pulled, often forced, into the global web European trade and conquest was creating. This book shows just one small chapter of this massive global change and it is one most worthwhile to read.

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