How I Found Livingstone

I thought it was dated but that would be expected but I enjoyed it. I thought the choice of words at times was interesting.

This is a really interesting book worthy of your reading, and very informative. I really like reading about missionaries from early times in history and what all they went through on little or nothing.

Ive have read other books about this trek into darkest Africa plus the movies. This version ranks right up there with the best. More than just a story of the search is tells us a lot of the mind set of the Victorian Male and the craze the whole era had for exploring in general. Great read.

While the value of this book for historical research is unquestionable, I found the account to be often somewhat tedious to slog through. Stanley must have felt the same way on many a grueling days march. Parts of the book were quite interesting, particularly to me those portions dealing with Stanleys meeting with and association with David Livingstone. I listened to the Audible Audio unabridged version of this book and found the narration to be good. The printed book might be a better choice for the casual reader as one could skim over less interesting portions of the book more easily and any maps contained therein might be of some help. The average armchair adventure reader might prefer to check out Tim Jeals Stanley, a book I highly recommend.

This is an essential read for any scholar of African history. For sure this work will now be seen as politically incorrect in places but it reflects the issues of the Age. Travel with Stanley from the coastal swamps to the great lake Tanganyika and witness his immortal meeting with Livingstone. The descriptions of the people, animals and environment are outstanding.

African history without the politcally correct filter. Written in a 19th century style that tells of the trials of safari in early Africa

A very interesting time and place for an adventure. Insightful into the history and relationships and culture of those times. It was quite dangerous and extremely hard work to go where they went. Worth the read.

I am deeply amazed at the dedication and fortitude of these men. Their courage and strength of character are truly astounding. An intricate look at history and the thirst for knowledge. I have been humbled by this whole reading experience. I view our world through different eyes. I mourn the passing of men of this nature, the pure scholars.. How would they view our world now?

Doctor Livingston, I presume? The account of Stanleys journey into Central Africa is a good read - and you get insights into the journey and in part the role that Arabs played in the economy and social fabric of Eastern Africa, in particular Zanzibar. A good read.

I would have given this intriguing book five stars if it had been abridged and if it werent for errors in formatting that required adjusting the fonts from chapter to chapter. Henry M. Stanley (1841-1904) was retained by George Gordon Bennett of the New York Herald to travel to Africa to determine the fate of missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone. This book is an autobiographical account of Stanleys expedition. It is detailed and told with 19th Century verbosity, yet still manages to retain the readers interest until the very end. It would be still more interesting the casual reader if it were abridged by 30 percent. Stanley describes the plants and animals he encounters in great detail, as well as the topography and geology. These details lend a certain authenticity to the account, but quickly become boring. However, his accounts of the trials he faced from disease, weather, swamps, insects and nefarious tribal chieftains and Arab traders brings the toils of 19th Century African travel to life. I found his accounts of the brutalities and complexities of pre-modern Africa to be intriguing and educational. Stanley is often criticized for his occasional brutality, but this book makes clear that central Africa at the time was, itself, a brutal and unforgiving place. Inured to force and intimidation, the native peoples and Arab traders were unlikely to respond to much less. Part of the evidence of this is Livingstones own experiences; Livingstone was loved by the natives, but at the same time was the victim of thievery and cowardice. Stanley managed to overcome these problems, and was (in the end) respected by his followers. His methods (in alternating kind behavior with strict punishment) might have been the only way to accomplish his goal. I often found Stanleys account brutally believable. Central Africa had been intimidated by Arab ivory and slave traders for centuries, and a complex form of interaction between the Arabs and the natives had developed. It is noteworthy that whenever Stanley entered areas in which the Arabs had not intervened, the native Africans were more friendly and, usually, more well off. Stanley happened to enter this part of the world while it was just beginning its transition to modern times, accompanied by even greater brutality and exploitation. Another complaint one hears is that Stanley used racist language and wrote in terms of racial stereo types. If one applies modern standards to 19th Century writers, one would not read very much. In fact, people such as Stanley were conforming to the standards of their time. Those who make such criticisms are conforming to our times; if born in Stanleys time they most likely would have written much as he did. I should point out that this Kindle edition is not illustrated, nor are there any maps. I happen to have books on African exploration (including accounts of Stanleys travels) that do have maps. The reader will find this edition confusing without acquiring maps before starting the book. I assume they can be Googled as well.