Speke
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed biography, Speke chronicles the extraordinary and turbulent life of John Hanning Speke, the Victorian explorer who claimed to have discovered the source of the Nile at Lake Victoria. Alexander Maitland presents a vivid portrait of a driven, complex man whose ambitions and rivalries — most famously with fellow explorer Richard Burton — defined one of the most contentious geographical debates of the nineteenth century. The narrative uncovers the fierce personal and professional tensions that shadowed Speke's expeditions into the heart of Africa, illustrating how glory and controversy were inseparable companions on his journey to fame. Written with scholarly authority yet propelled by the pace of an adventure story, the biography details the political and scientific climate of the era that both celebrated and doubted Speke's monumental claim. Maitland's account stands as a compelling reassessment of a man whose legacy remains as disputed as the waters he sought to trace.
Author: Alexander Maitland
Format: Hardback
Published: 1971, Constable London
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed biography, Speke chronicles the extraordinary and turbulent life of John Hanning Speke, the Victorian explorer who claimed to have discovered the source of the Nile at Lake Victoria. Alexander Maitland presents a vivid portrait of a driven, complex man whose ambitions and rivalries — most famously with fellow explorer Richard Burton — defined one of the most contentious geographical debates of the nineteenth century. The narrative uncovers the fierce personal and professional tensions that shadowed Speke's expeditions into the heart of Africa, illustrating how glory and controversy were inseparable companions on his journey to fame. Written with scholarly authority yet propelled by the pace of an adventure story, the biography details the political and scientific climate of the era that both celebrated and doubted Speke's monumental claim. Maitland's account stands as a compelling reassessment of a man whose legacy remains as disputed as the waters he sought to trace.