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The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868
Dr. David Livingstone's final years are told in his own words, as he traverses the deepest wildernesses of Africa to make several valuable discoveries with the help of his assistants.
A medical missionary, scientist and explorer, David Livingstone's multi-faceted personality appealed to a wide strata of England's 19th century society. Although he came from a poor background, his talents and distinctions were clear by the time he came of age, and his name was synonymous with exploration and adventure.
Livingstone felt the appeal of Africa at a young age whilst still a medical student. He was inspired by ambitious plans to end the slave trade between Africans, which his contemporaries considered possible through expedient missionary work and the introduction of conventional trades as an alternative to the immorality of dealing in human beings.
By the mid-1860s Dr. Livingstone had over two decades experience of Africa, and commanded much respect among the peoples for his education and compassion. He was a personable man, noted for his diplomatic abilities which served to calm tensions and suspicions among local chieftains and warlords. His mission was to end slavery, to introduce Christianity, to encourage commerce, and to study the geography and layout of inland Africa.
These preoccupations are evident in his diaries, which evidence a man who had engendered good relations with the local peoples. Living among Africans for years, his traveling companions respected him for courage; many of his explorations were in dangerous swamps. When he contracted malaria and later dysentery, the atmosphere became sombre as the great explorer expired. Livingstone's remains were carried over 1,000 miles to the coast, where they were taken to England for burial.
A medical missionary, scientist and explorer, David Livingstone's multi-faceted personality appealed to a wide strata of England's 19th century society. Although he came from a poor background, his talents and distinctions were clear by the time he came of age, and his name was synonymous with exploration and adventure.
Livingstone felt the appeal of Africa at a young age whilst still a medical student. He was inspired by ambitious plans to end the slave trade between Africans, which his contemporaries considered possible through expedient missionary work and the introduction of conventional trades as an alternative to the immorality of dealing in human beings.
By the mid-1860s Dr. Livingstone had over two decades experience of Africa, and commanded much respect among the peoples for his education and compassion. He was a personable man, noted for his diplomatic abilities which served to calm tensions and suspicions among local chieftains and warlords. His mission was to end slavery, to introduce Christianity, to encourage commerce, and to study the geography and layout of inland Africa.
These preoccupations are evident in his diaries, which evidence a man who had engendered good relations with the local peoples. Living among Africans for years, his traveling companions respected him for courage; many of his explorations were in dangerous swamps. When he contracted malaria and later dysentery, the atmosphere became sombre as the great explorer expired. Livingstone's remains were carried over 1,000 miles to the coast, where they were taken to England for burial.
222 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2010
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About the author
David Livingstone
426 books53 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
David Livingstone was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era. He had a mythical status that operated on a number of interconnected levels: Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags-to-riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of commercial and colonial expansion.
His fame as an explorer and his obsession with learning the sources of the Nile River was founded on the belief that if he could solve that age-old mystery, his fame would give him the influence to end the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade. "The Nile sources," he told a friend, "are valuable only as a means of opening my mouth with power among men. It is this power which I hope to remedy an immense evil." His subsequent exploration of the central African watershed was the culmination of the classic period of European geographical discovery and colonial penetration of Africa. At the same time, his missionary travels, "disappearance", and eventual death in Africa—and subsequent glorification as a posthumous national hero in 1874—led to the founding of several major central African Christian missionary initiatives carried forward in the era of the European "Scramble for Africa".
His meeting with Henry Morton Stanley on 10 November 1871 gave rise to the popular quotation "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
David Livingstone was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era. He had a mythical status that operated on a number of interconnected levels: Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags-to-riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of commercial and colonial expansion.
His fame as an explorer and his obsession with learning the sources of the Nile River was founded on the belief that if he could solve that age-old mystery, his fame would give him the influence to end the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade. "The Nile sources," he told a friend, "are valuable only as a means of opening my mouth with power among men. It is this power which I hope to remedy an immense evil." His subsequent exploration of the central African watershed was the culmination of the classic period of European geographical discovery and colonial penetration of Africa. At the same time, his missionary travels, "disappearance", and eventual death in Africa—and subsequent glorification as a posthumous national hero in 1874—led to the founding of several major central African Christian missionary initiatives carried forward in the era of the European "Scramble for Africa".
His meeting with Henry Morton Stanley on 10 November 1871 gave rise to the popular quotation "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 13, 2022
Oh where to start, I began this book about a month ago and have finished it yesterday. It took some reading, the heavy leaden style of victorian writing was beginning to defeat me half way through, but I persisted til the end!
It is a fascinating book, it's the first part of two volumes and covers the period 1866 well it says 66 in the title but I thought it was 1865 in the first part of the book? No matter, it ends in 1868. Livingstone was an interesting man who was very thorough in his descriptions of life, the country, the way of life for the African people, the food, and the travelling, all in central Africa. He was a christian and intended to convert the Africans along the way! He was researching the source of the Nile which was probably what he is most famous for, rather than Speke the first man to have claimed to have found it.
I liked the man for not seeing colour, he thought that God valued all peoples regardless of colour, and he thought it was wrong to sell slaves. A little bit ahead of his time there.
As I was reading this on my ancient black and white kindle there were no maps coming up in the text, so presumably if I could run to buying a new kindle I would be able to see the maps! Actually I used google maps instead!
It is a fascinating book, it's the first part of two volumes and covers the period 1866 well it says 66 in the title but I thought it was 1865 in the first part of the book? No matter, it ends in 1868. Livingstone was an interesting man who was very thorough in his descriptions of life, the country, the way of life for the African people, the food, and the travelling, all in central Africa. He was a christian and intended to convert the Africans along the way! He was researching the source of the Nile which was probably what he is most famous for, rather than Speke the first man to have claimed to have found it.
I liked the man for not seeing colour, he thought that God valued all peoples regardless of colour, and he thought it was wrong to sell slaves. A little bit ahead of his time there.
As I was reading this on my ancient black and white kindle there were no maps coming up in the text, so presumably if I could run to buying a new kindle I would be able to see the maps! Actually I used google maps instead!
October 3, 2025
Heavy on description. Interesting as Dr. Livingstone wore many hats all while facing many dangers and unknowns. His reputation far exceeds his journaling, which perhaps points to humility and the extreme difficulties he faced. I will probably read Volume 2 next year.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews