The White Nile: The Classic Bestseller―A Dramatic History of 19th Century Nile Exploration and African Discovery

This is exciting history and the book, as is normal with this author, is also exciting and engaging to read. Extremely well written (see his other Nile account The Blue Nile) is very deeply researched (notes, resource and bibliography are included) and Moorehead is always at his best in bringing alive his selected characters from history. And what a cast ... from Herodotus as probably the first explorer, and the broadest outline of a map of the sources of this most famous river by Ptolemy, we explore the river springing from "fountains among the Mountains of the Moon" with Burton, Speke, Baker, Livingstone (and therefore, of course Stanley) Gordon, the Generals Wolseley, Kitchener and members of the Wingate family of Arabists, explorers and war leaders - and remarkably still alive at the book's publishing - Sir Winston Churchill. Any account of this period in African history would also have to include the slaver, Tippu Tib, the Islamic "new prophet' and leader El Mahdi, his brave successor the Khalifa leading his almost medieval troops under his black flag to paradise and glory against the maxims and artillery guns of a modern army. The prominent and successful African chiefs and kings, Khartoum, Omdurman, Cairo and the Sudan, the Congo, and Egypt complete the listing and are as thoroughly detailed in this work as the great river itself. In support of his research Moorehead also visited many of the significant points around the Nile's source, describing their current - and often remarkably unchanged - views and their further role in history. In his epilogue he tracks the explorers, kings, chiefs and Generals of his fascinating story, truly until the completion and mapping of the source only at the close of the 1900's "... the greatest geographical secret after the discovery of America." A recommended read for all history buffs or even those who just like a good story - and a great entry-point for further reading on African history and exploration and to this author's marvelously well researched and written books.

An excerpta from the book's epilogue seemed to make the most appropriate title for what I found one of the most engrossing reads of the last months. It took me only three days to gallop through this epical work that is dated exactly 1960. Yes, a book that has been in print for almost 50 years and still reads like it was published yesterday! Alan Moorehead (1910-1983) was a famous Australian journalist and prolific writer, that enjoyed great success during his lifetime and whose work covered many subjects, mostly dealing with exploration, history, military campaigns. "The White Nile" is the condensed but detailed history of the mostly British exploration of the sources of the Nile, that interested European society as a geographic/expansionistic/colonial curiosity and a metaphysical necessity in the second part of the Nineteenth Century. Starting from Burton and Speke's journey (see if you can "The Mountains of the Moon"), followed by Speke's and Grant's adventure and Baker of the Nile (read Pat Shipman's "To the Heart of the Nile") long permanence in the region of the great African lakes we are introduced into the mystery, magic and misery of the then unknown region Central Africa. Follow Livingstone and Stanley's adventures, whose minute explanation clarifies some often erroneous opinions on these incredible characters. Through the analysis of Egyptian relationship with colonial powers (the opening of the Suez canal) and the Sudanese people and the economical reasons (slavery and ivory trade) for warfare we are introduced to Gordon and his "skakespearian" (the Author's attribute) fate. The German born Emin Pasha's surrealistic life and rule of Equatoria concludes the great adventurous epoch, before the opening up of the river by the English defeat of the Islamic revolt in Sudan. This book has been criticized for its "whiteman's" historical view and has also been defined as racist. Naturally it is dated and today we have a much more open global perspective. History consequently is rewritten every few decades. However, balancing the pro's and con's, I believe this book is a milestone for a first approach to the fascinating history of the exploration of the Nile and of Central Africa. Many of the modern issues of Sudan and Uganda were born in the moment these countries were opened up by European powers, and Moorehead's work definitely is useful to understand what is going on today. If it were possible to make a comparison between Moorehead and more modern writer, I would choose Peter Hopkirk, whose history writing is similarly anglocentric and adventuresome. I strongly recommend this book for its content but also for its form that turns non fiction into a great roller coaster ride into history. The best way to learn!

This book is a fascinating history of a part of the world that in the 1800's was remarkably sought after. Especially in contrast to the marginalization of that region only 100 years later. The story is so well told, that one almost has a sense of suspense reading it. Also, the parallels to our own twenty-first century times were so apparent to me that I consider this one of those histories to which Seneca was referring when he so notoriously said that those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. The passages on British popular opinion of war with Egypt could have easily been applied to any number of more modern wars by simply changing the names. My wife and I read this book aloud to each other, and greatly enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more by the same author. My copy was an old hardback from Amazon's used section.

Dieses Buch habe ich vor vielen Jahren auf einem Nildampfer gelesen als wir tagelang im Sudan im "Sudd" steckten - ein Sumpfgebiet 390 km mal 240 km groß. Damals hatte die Durchquerung des Sumpfes bis zu einem Jahr für Forscher gedauert, während wir im Bürgerkriegsgebiet in "nur" vier Tagen durch waren. Die Geschichte liesst sich wie ein Krimi und spiegelt die heutige Zeit - schon damals hatte man ständig mit den gleichen islamistischen Problemen zu kämpfen wie heute - Jihad, Ermordung, Verschleppung, Versklavung usw. Also für alle, die gut Englisch können und für die Geschichte von Mittel- und Nordafrika ab 1860 interessieren, ist dies kein langweiliges Geschichtsbuch, sondern eine fasinierende Reportage einer vergangenn Zeit.

This is an outstanding piece of historical writing, racy, ironic and compulsive. Read it!

I read this book while traveling overland from Cairo to Juba. It helped and informed me a lot. Great book. Good information and great story’s about the explorers who were busy running around Africa so long ago. A great read.

I was curious to learn more about British colonial history in the Arab and African worlds and found this book by accident. What a pleasure it has proven to read! The author marries incredible research scholarship with a fluent style which tells the story of several explorers while also evenhandedly assessing the impact of their exploits. I am impressed. Presumably the journalistic training of the author taught him how to write for comprehension AND interest, something that few pure historians seem to be able to accomplish. I am ready to re-read The White Nile with an atlas by my side, and then it's on to The Blue Nile. Pity the author is no longer with us to write more of these great historical masterpieces. My only wish is that the publisher had been more generous with maps for each chapter in order to facilitate understanding of the immense distances which, as the author points out at the close, these tireless explorers actually WALKED.

Assolutamente eccellente. Intrattenimento colto. Grande conoscenza dell'argomento. Semplicità di esposizione. Facilità di comprensione. Intrigante. Di piacevole lettura. Emozionante. Notevole profondità di ricerca. Paesaggi magistralmente descritti. Personaggi da libro di avventura ma reali.