The expedition undertaken in 1857 by Richard Burton and John Speke in search of the sources of the Nile is one of the greatest adventures in the history of nineteenth-century European exploration. An epic journey, marked by illnesses, incidents with the porters and the rivalry between the two British explorers, which has caused rivers of ink to flow as mighty as the Nile itself.
Starting from Burton’s writings –The mountains of the moon: In search of the sources of the Nile (Valdemar, 2011)–, the expedition has been described in all kinds of essays, novels, documentaries and cinematographic fictions.
The journalist Candice Millard, therefore, steps on familiar ground in The River of the Gods. The trail is very well marked. What does this new literary trekking contribute to the famous expedition?
First of all, narrative wisdom. Formed in the pages of National Geographic, Millard exhibits elegant and enormously fluid prose. She knows how to navigate the history of this epic like a felucca crossing the Nile. The almost five hundred pages of her work read like the most hectic and evocative of adventure novels.
Second, investigative diligence. The narrative is supported by a solid documentary framework. Thanks to the extensive existing bibliography, Millard builds his story with the help of the testimonies of the protagonists, the majority (particularly Burton) notable writers, as well as explorers. This resource allows the author to give agility to the story and add different points of view.
Finally, what is perhaps the most striking and valuable aspect of the book: the attention that Millard pays to the supporting actors in those exploits. In particular, to the native guides, until now anonymous heroes like Sidi Mubarak Bombay (he not only helped Burton and Speke, but also Stanley to find Livingstone), silenced by the racism of the time (many were or had been slaves), but without whose participation these expeditions would not have come to fruition.
