Into Africa

In 1866 Britain's foremost explorer, Dr David Livingstone, went in search of the answer to an age-old geographical question: where was the source of the Nile? Livingstone set out with a large team on a course that would lead through unmapped, seemingly impenetrable terrain into areas populated by fearsome man-eating tribes. Within weeks his expedition began to fall apart — his entourage deserted him and Livingstone vanished without trace. He would not be heard from again for two years.

While debate raged in England over whether Livingstone could be found in the unmapped wilderness of the African interior, James Gordon Bennett, a brash young American newspaper tycoon, hatched a plan to capitalize on the world's fascination with the missing legend. He commissioned his star reporter, Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands in Wales), to search for Livingstone. Stanley undertook his quest with gusto, filing reports that captivated readers and dominated the front page of the New York Herald for months.

Into Africa traces the journeys of Livingstone and Stanley in alternating chapters. Livingstone's story is one of trials and setbacks, which finds him alone and miles from civilisation. Stanley's is an awakening to the beauty of Africa, the grandeur of the landscape and the vivid diversity of its wildlife. It is also a journey that succeeds beyond his wildest dreams, clinching his place in history with the famous "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"

In this first book to examine the extraordinary physical challenges, political intrigue and larger-than-life personalities of this legendary story, Martin Dugard opens a fascinating window on the golden age of exploration, appealing to readers' sense of adventure.