What do you think?
Rate this book
How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa
Riveting firsthand account of the long and arduous search by journalist/adventurer for one of the great explorers of the 19th century. A real-life adventure story that tells of incredible hardships — disease, hostile natives, tribal warfare, impenetrable jungles, and other obstacles. Also includes a wealth of information on African peoples. 1 map.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1871
193 people are currently reading
1308 people want to read
About the author
Henry Morton Stanley
383 books32 followersHenry Morton Stanley was a Welsh journalist and explorer who made a significant impact on the exploration of Africa. Born John Rowlands in Denbigh, Wales in 1841, he had a difficult upbringing and immigrated to the United States at the age of 18. He worked as a journalist during the American Civil War before venturing to Africa on an expedition in search of David Livingstone for the New York Herald in 1869. After many months of arduous travel, Stanley finally found Livingstone in 1871 and famously greeted him with the words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" The two explorers spent several months together before Stanley returned to Europe to publish his account of the expedition. He continued his exploration of Africa, leading several expeditions. Stanley also was a key figure in the creation of the independent Congo state, serving as it's first governor. In this respect Stanley played a significant role at the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, at which during the conference, Stanley argued strongly in favor for the establishment of free trade zones in the region. Stanley died in 1904 at the age of 63, but his legacy in the field of exploration and mapping is enduring.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 10, 2018
This book was originally published in 1872, so, the language, and place/people names, have changed considerably since that time. If you can deal with that, you're in for a quite a ride with Stanley, as he searches for Livingstone. Much information is given regarding the various African tribes he deals with along the way, and the Arab travellers who are on journeys of their own. Historically speaking, it's an important book since it is written by Stanley himself. He was a rugged explorer, full of energy and enthusiasm. It was amazing to read all the things they went through. I enjoyed the book because I enjoy history, and getting Stanley's first-hand view was the icing on the cake.
4 Stars = Nice. It definitely held my interest.
4 Stars = Nice. It definitely held my interest.
October 1, 2019
How I found Livingstone:
By Henry M Stanley (1841-1904)
Who were Livingstone and Stanley?
David Livingstone (1813-1872) was a Scottsman, explorer, missionary, and anti-slavery campaigner.
He became a great hero of the Victorian era for his geographic discoveries in the heart of unexplored Africa.
Henry M Stanley was an English born journalist and explorer, well known for his adventurous and exotic reports from his Oriental and European travels.
Livingstone had been on his third expedition for many months when news reached the coast that he had died in the interior of Africa. But the man spreading the rumors was one of his former servants, and suspicion arose as for the truth of his reports.
The community of Livingstone’s friends, the scientific community and admirers was abuzz and worried.
One such admirer, Mr. James Gordon Bennet, son of the owner of the ‘New York Herald’ of New York, had the will and the means to do something about it.
He knew Henry Stanley as a journalist and commissioned him to stage an expedition for the search of Dr. Livingstone, dead or alive.
Today we can hardly imagine how slow and challenging communication and traveling was at the time.
Stanley, after receiving his instructions in Paris took off from there on 16th October 1869;
Arrived at Zanzibar, East Coast of Africa, and the starting point of his (several expeditions)
On the 6th of January 1871!
In his book “How I found Livingstone”, the author reports on his expedition endeavoring to find the lost explorer.
How to organize such an undertaking?
Stanley was a charming and convincing man and had considerable financial means;
Arab traders of ivory and slaves who had the experience came to his help.
The most surprising fact for the reader will be to find that money, even gold or silver was of no use as payment for food and tribute to pay to chiefs for allowing the caravan to pass his tribal territory.
The means of payment was textile, sheeting, and clothing in different colors as well as beads, coral or other and then also shining brass wire by the coil.
With long-distance travel in mind, instead of a slim money bag, the traveler had to provide
Horses, donkeys and the local population as carriers.
Fancy being in charge of a caravan composed as follows:
2 white men as overseers, Shaw, an English ex-sailor and Farquhar a Scottish adventurer
23 soldiers, plus four spare men
4 chiefs,
153 pagazies, head carriers
27 donkeys
1 cart loaded with cloth, beads, brass wire, boat fixings, tents, cooking utensils, medicine, powder, food,
all were adding up to 153 loads
48 excellent weapons of defense and for hunting, with powder and cartridges
Stanley presents his reports in the first person on a precise daily diary form.
At first, this can appear excessive and annoying for the reader, who cannot absorb so much new African names of locations and geographical details, but soon the traveling incidents and adventures take over and make up for it.
On the 18th of February 1871, the first caravan departed for the interior;
Another 4 expeditions returned without success;
Dr. Livingstone was not easy to find on such a vast continent.
He was a traveler himself, and therefore a moving target.
On the 20th of September Stanley launched a new expedition for Ujiji, a port on the lake of Tanganjika;
On the 4th of November, he hears of a white man in poor health being stranded there.
On the 10th of November, when Stanley met Dr. Livingstone at Ujiji, he greeted him with the famous:
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
This event happened at about two thirds through the book.
Stanley’s style of writing thereafter becomes less diary-like and more freestyle and a much pleasanter read.
A real-life, non-fictional adventure story. Colorful, lively and very human, giving details of sufferings, pains and aches, fever delirium, rotten shoes, and blistered feet, both about him and Dr. Livigstone.
After a few weeks when Dr. Livingstone’s health had improved, the two had decided to explore the northern end of the Lake Tanganyika, which they could do with success.
At this point, M Stanley's mission was completed; he had found Dr. Livingstone and had saved him.
So they needed to return and undertook this trip with low means and both with failing health conditions. Their adventures were all the more challenging to survive, and they barely made it.
The road from Ujiji to Zanzibar leads through Onjanjembe, a major town, and their inland base camp.
Stanley had rented a house and storerooms. Dr. Livingstone also had items in-store, and both were hoping to find mail from Europe.
On arrival, Stanley tried his best to convince Dr. Livingstone to return with him to Europe and to his family but with no success.
Dr. Livingstone wanted to organize one last expedition to complete the work of his life;
to find the source of the Nile.
He agreed with Stanley for him to go back to Zanzibar, organize and send back new supplies and men, to get this undertaking ready.
For Dr. Livingstone it was indeed to be his last expedition;
He died of malaria on the 1st of May 1873 in Chitambo, south of the lake Tanganjika.
M Stanley returned to Europe, where he was welcomed like a hero, covered with praise and finally knighted by the Queen.
This is a marvelous book for lovers of real-life adventure, as exotic and colorful as readers can wish.
By Henry M Stanley (1841-1904)
Who were Livingstone and Stanley?
David Livingstone (1813-1872) was a Scottsman, explorer, missionary, and anti-slavery campaigner.
He became a great hero of the Victorian era for his geographic discoveries in the heart of unexplored Africa.
Henry M Stanley was an English born journalist and explorer, well known for his adventurous and exotic reports from his Oriental and European travels.
Livingstone had been on his third expedition for many months when news reached the coast that he had died in the interior of Africa. But the man spreading the rumors was one of his former servants, and suspicion arose as for the truth of his reports.
The community of Livingstone’s friends, the scientific community and admirers was abuzz and worried.
One such admirer, Mr. James Gordon Bennet, son of the owner of the ‘New York Herald’ of New York, had the will and the means to do something about it.
He knew Henry Stanley as a journalist and commissioned him to stage an expedition for the search of Dr. Livingstone, dead or alive.
Today we can hardly imagine how slow and challenging communication and traveling was at the time.
Stanley, after receiving his instructions in Paris took off from there on 16th October 1869;
Arrived at Zanzibar, East Coast of Africa, and the starting point of his (several expeditions)
On the 6th of January 1871!
In his book “How I found Livingstone”, the author reports on his expedition endeavoring to find the lost explorer.
How to organize such an undertaking?
Stanley was a charming and convincing man and had considerable financial means;
Arab traders of ivory and slaves who had the experience came to his help.
The most surprising fact for the reader will be to find that money, even gold or silver was of no use as payment for food and tribute to pay to chiefs for allowing the caravan to pass his tribal territory.
The means of payment was textile, sheeting, and clothing in different colors as well as beads, coral or other and then also shining brass wire by the coil.
With long-distance travel in mind, instead of a slim money bag, the traveler had to provide
Horses, donkeys and the local population as carriers.
Fancy being in charge of a caravan composed as follows:
2 white men as overseers, Shaw, an English ex-sailor and Farquhar a Scottish adventurer
23 soldiers, plus four spare men
4 chiefs,
153 pagazies, head carriers
27 donkeys
1 cart loaded with cloth, beads, brass wire, boat fixings, tents, cooking utensils, medicine, powder, food,
all were adding up to 153 loads
48 excellent weapons of defense and for hunting, with powder and cartridges
Stanley presents his reports in the first person on a precise daily diary form.
At first, this can appear excessive and annoying for the reader, who cannot absorb so much new African names of locations and geographical details, but soon the traveling incidents and adventures take over and make up for it.
On the 18th of February 1871, the first caravan departed for the interior;
Another 4 expeditions returned without success;
Dr. Livingstone was not easy to find on such a vast continent.
He was a traveler himself, and therefore a moving target.
On the 20th of September Stanley launched a new expedition for Ujiji, a port on the lake of Tanganjika;
On the 4th of November, he hears of a white man in poor health being stranded there.
On the 10th of November, when Stanley met Dr. Livingstone at Ujiji, he greeted him with the famous:
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
This event happened at about two thirds through the book.
Stanley’s style of writing thereafter becomes less diary-like and more freestyle and a much pleasanter read.
A real-life, non-fictional adventure story. Colorful, lively and very human, giving details of sufferings, pains and aches, fever delirium, rotten shoes, and blistered feet, both about him and Dr. Livigstone.
After a few weeks when Dr. Livingstone’s health had improved, the two had decided to explore the northern end of the Lake Tanganyika, which they could do with success.
At this point, M Stanley's mission was completed; he had found Dr. Livingstone and had saved him.
So they needed to return and undertook this trip with low means and both with failing health conditions. Their adventures were all the more challenging to survive, and they barely made it.
The road from Ujiji to Zanzibar leads through Onjanjembe, a major town, and their inland base camp.
Stanley had rented a house and storerooms. Dr. Livingstone also had items in-store, and both were hoping to find mail from Europe.
On arrival, Stanley tried his best to convince Dr. Livingstone to return with him to Europe and to his family but with no success.
Dr. Livingstone wanted to organize one last expedition to complete the work of his life;
to find the source of the Nile.
He agreed with Stanley for him to go back to Zanzibar, organize and send back new supplies and men, to get this undertaking ready.
For Dr. Livingstone it was indeed to be his last expedition;
He died of malaria on the 1st of May 1873 in Chitambo, south of the lake Tanganjika.
M Stanley returned to Europe, where he was welcomed like a hero, covered with praise and finally knighted by the Queen.
This is a marvelous book for lovers of real-life adventure, as exotic and colorful as readers can wish.
January 12, 2014
This book is so passionate, and so well written. To be frank, Stanley was a man who was emblematic of his time: he discusses what kind of rifles would bring down the biggest game with just one bullet, how cheerful the "dark" people are, etc. He himself possessed vast reserves of courage, tenacity, imagination. So, if you want to know what a 19th century explorer thought and felt, this book is PERFECT. It shows you the thinking of that day about race (He thankfully doesn't seem to think Britannia should rule the waves; at least, he never says so explicitly. I'm thinking, though, that of course he must have FELT this. Any man who goes to Africa without speaking ANY African language and dares to traverse 700 miles into the center of the continent must at some level feel that his race will not be a handicap.) Stanley doesn't spare us any of the details. Apparently he wrote in his journal EVERY night, even when he was suffering from fever, and there were several times when he was abandoned by all his porters (All except for one young "Arab" boy who said that he didn't run away because he thought Stanley would whip him -- !!!)
And it is so clear, the more you read, that the man had simply fallen in love with the landscape. Every tree, every bush, every village, every person he met, whether kings or porters -- he recorded it all. He experienced each day so intensely.
And it is so clear, the more you read, that the man had simply fallen in love with the landscape. Every tree, every bush, every village, every person he met, whether kings or porters -- he recorded it all. He experienced each day so intensely.
June 2, 2020
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Finished after 8 years!
How does one spend 8 years reading a book, I hear you think. Well, of course I was not actively reading it for the last 8 years. I am however, very bad in DNFing a book, so some will stay inactive on my shelves for years, something I want to improve.
I got How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa ages ago for 2 or 3 euros in the very ugly Wordworth edition because at that time I believed that if I could more book (as in more pages) it would always be a good thing. And the name of Livingstone probably sounded somewhat familiar, but his circumstances or his exploring were completely unknown to me.
In the end I just said to myself, you're finally going to finish it, and than I read the final 450 or so pages in two weeks...
However, I would never recommend anyone to follow in my steps and try to read this. It was awfully longwinded with a four page description of types of cloth and ropes that they are taking just to name something. Besides, since it was written in the nineteenth century and deals with Central Africa, you can imaging what an awful and awkward read this is today.
I was surprised to see that Dr Livingstone was actually found somewhere halfway through the book, which left enough space to cover the journey back as well.
Glad I finished it so now it is finally gone from my currently reading shelves.
Finished after 8 years!
How does one spend 8 years reading a book, I hear you think. Well, of course I was not actively reading it for the last 8 years. I am however, very bad in DNFing a book, so some will stay inactive on my shelves for years, something I want to improve.
I got How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa ages ago for 2 or 3 euros in the very ugly Wordworth edition because at that time I believed that if I could more book (as in more pages) it would always be a good thing. And the name of Livingstone probably sounded somewhat familiar, but his circumstances or his exploring were completely unknown to me.
In the end I just said to myself, you're finally going to finish it, and than I read the final 450 or so pages in two weeks...
However, I would never recommend anyone to follow in my steps and try to read this. It was awfully longwinded with a four page description of types of cloth and ropes that they are taking just to name something. Besides, since it was written in the nineteenth century and deals with Central Africa, you can imaging what an awful and awkward read this is today.
I was surprised to see that Dr Livingstone was actually found somewhere halfway through the book, which left enough space to cover the journey back as well.
Glad I finished it so now it is finally gone from my currently reading shelves.
May 13, 2018
Fascinant! Outre le récit particulièrement haut en couleurs, c'est l'occasion de découvrir le destin de cet auteur, dont Jules Verne s'est inspiré pour les héros de ses romans. Cette édition aurait gagné à avoir quelques cartes, photos ou illustration, histoire de ne pas perdre le lecteur au milieu de l'Afrique, mais c'est déjà bien pour une première approche.
Read
May 26, 2023Didn't finish this book. Rather long winded and dull, too much uninteresting descriptions of local geography and minor incidents.
One has to read a lot of words before stumbling upon an interesting piece, such as the racial attitude of Victorian Brits and in particular the changing attitude of Stanley himself after his own experiences in Africa.
Perhaps I will pick it up in the far future, but for now I can't bother with it.
One has to read a lot of words before stumbling upon an interesting piece, such as the racial attitude of Victorian Brits and in particular the changing attitude of Stanley himself after his own experiences in Africa.
Perhaps I will pick it up in the far future, but for now I can't bother with it.
February 6, 2017
Historically interesting, as it's a primary source. Though, having read "King Leopold's Ghost," the part this book and its author played in inciting a tragedy can't be overlooked. Nor can Stanley's obvious tendency to exaggerate and lie, which comes through pretty clearly on the page.
The book can basically be divided into four parts:
1 - Preparation for the trip. This is okay. If you're up for it, it's actually kind of interesting to hear Stanley go into which gun he thinks is the top of the line for big game hunting and how to get a good boat and that sort of thing. It's long, but since this is a historical book, that makes it kind of weirdly compelling. One historical note that's kind of odd -- the book makes no attempt to actually explain who Livingstone was and why Stanley is looking for him! I guess at the time it wouldn't have been necessary to explain. How very zeitgeist.
2 - The trip through Africa. This part is the toughest, since it's the most racist and includes lots of instances of Stanley treating the native people in a way that's... not very okay. Also his theories about which races are better than others (you can guess how that goes). It's also rough going because it's basically a list of places that don't really exist any more, with no clear sense of story momentum. And there's a lot of whining about how tough the terrain was. I'm sure it was tough! But it still comes across whiny.
3 - Meeting Livingstone. After a long time lost in the wilderness, the introduction of a character and even a minute amount of dialogue-driven drama is a breath of fresh air. Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. This is where he says "Doctor Livingstone, I presume."
4 - Afterward. This part details in some length the theories Stanley and Livingstone put forth about some of the local rivers, and where they might flow to, and what direction they might go. All totally moot due to modern technology of course, but I've noticed this is a feature of many books of this type. I like to imagine people of the 1800s staying up late on Saturday nights, well into the wee hours, thinking about where all the rivers might be. I guess there's worse hobbies.
Anyway, I knew what I was getting into.
The book can basically be divided into four parts:
1 - Preparation for the trip. This is okay. If you're up for it, it's actually kind of interesting to hear Stanley go into which gun he thinks is the top of the line for big game hunting and how to get a good boat and that sort of thing. It's long, but since this is a historical book, that makes it kind of weirdly compelling. One historical note that's kind of odd -- the book makes no attempt to actually explain who Livingstone was and why Stanley is looking for him! I guess at the time it wouldn't have been necessary to explain. How very zeitgeist.
2 - The trip through Africa. This part is the toughest, since it's the most racist and includes lots of instances of Stanley treating the native people in a way that's... not very okay. Also his theories about which races are better than others (you can guess how that goes). It's also rough going because it's basically a list of places that don't really exist any more, with no clear sense of story momentum. And there's a lot of whining about how tough the terrain was. I'm sure it was tough! But it still comes across whiny.
3 - Meeting Livingstone. After a long time lost in the wilderness, the introduction of a character and even a minute amount of dialogue-driven drama is a breath of fresh air. Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. This is where he says "Doctor Livingstone, I presume."
4 - Afterward. This part details in some length the theories Stanley and Livingstone put forth about some of the local rivers, and where they might flow to, and what direction they might go. All totally moot due to modern technology of course, but I've noticed this is a feature of many books of this type. I like to imagine people of the 1800s staying up late on Saturday nights, well into the wee hours, thinking about where all the rivers might be. I guess there's worse hobbies.
Anyway, I knew what I was getting into.
September 30, 2020
I went in thinking this was going to be more about Livingstone, because I had a recommendation that Stanley wrote an excellent 2 volume biography of him. I selected the wrong book! This is alllllll about Stanley’s travels through Africa. The last 1/3 is about his time with Livingston. I’ll admit I had to make myself finish. There is a lot of detail that was tedious for me, though I certainly better understand just how remote, dangerous, and difficult African exploration was for the early travelers. It certainly offers a glimpse into a past era that is outdated now in how we perceive and treat others. Stanley is often threatening to shoot and beat the people in his employment( note: Livingstone is never like that, and the book describes his nature as being grieved rather than angry). So, kudos to the explorers. This wasn’t the story I was looking for but it’s my own fault.
January 29, 2015
Well recorded, but the original author is simply a horrible human being
There's something about the period British desire to tell you how immoral and weak the natives are, while complaining that there's no sport in killing wildlife if its not going to either attack you or run away, that made me progressively loathe Stanley, until I was very glad to part company with him when the book was over.
This is, of course, a great compliment to the reader, who really made me feel like I was in the presence of someone I actively disliked. So, bravo on the read!
There's something about the period British desire to tell you how immoral and weak the natives are, while complaining that there's no sport in killing wildlife if its not going to either attack you or run away, that made me progressively loathe Stanley, until I was very glad to part company with him when the book was over.
This is, of course, a great compliment to the reader, who really made me feel like I was in the presence of someone I actively disliked. So, bravo on the read!
June 1, 2014
I find it strange when people ask me, was Livingstone a Christian? It was his tomb at westminster abbey, with the words engraved 'other sheep I have, and they must come also' that gave the mission we belong to founder the vision to place mission stations from the coast to lake chad, just after recovering from malaria and burring his brother in the Congo.
In striking contrast to Stanley, and many other explores of the time, Livingstone stands out as a man who fell in love not only with the geography but the people of Africa. Others led hundreds to their death, bringing massive troops of people to carry their endless supplies, attracting disease in large camps and working them like livestock rather than humans. Livinstone traveled light, and often alone. He may not of been the most effective evangelist personally but he inspired generations of missionaries and a movement to end the slave trade.
From his correspondence its clear he loved his family, did he at times leave them in a bad way? Yes, but its hard to forget his own background, and the poverty he grew up in Scotland. Was he the model family man? No, but to me its more revealing of us than of him, that we would never slight a man or woman in the military who leaves their family for a higher service, but only look back to a man like Livingstone and assume he was mad and selfish to abandon his family for years at a time.
If you love nature, cultures, adventure, and people. You got to read this story.
In striking contrast to Stanley, and many other explores of the time, Livingstone stands out as a man who fell in love not only with the geography but the people of Africa. Others led hundreds to their death, bringing massive troops of people to carry their endless supplies, attracting disease in large camps and working them like livestock rather than humans. Livinstone traveled light, and often alone. He may not of been the most effective evangelist personally but he inspired generations of missionaries and a movement to end the slave trade.
From his correspondence its clear he loved his family, did he at times leave them in a bad way? Yes, but its hard to forget his own background, and the poverty he grew up in Scotland. Was he the model family man? No, but to me its more revealing of us than of him, that we would never slight a man or woman in the military who leaves their family for a higher service, but only look back to a man like Livingstone and assume he was mad and selfish to abandon his family for years at a time.
If you love nature, cultures, adventure, and people. You got to read this story.
July 31, 2017
This is a very hard book for me to review. The story/history of the subject is very interesting, but I did not take to the writing style of the book at all. It was very hard to get through, and actually, I did not get through the whole thing. The book is 690 pages. I managed to trudge through 420 pages, to the point where Stanley found Livingstone. It was not an easy read with all the detail of the various African villages, tribes, and people. I decided that I did not want to trudge through another 270 pages to follow Stanley out of Africa :-). So while the subject matter was interesting, I found the book a bit laborious to read, but that could just be me.
July 12, 2023
I will preface this review by acknowledging that Stanley’s account of his travels is very much a product of its time, and so has many problematic parts (I frequently winced at his brutality towards his expedition subordinates.) But it is interesting to learn about his search for Livingstone firsthand, and through it, about the numerous tribes in Africa and the attitude of Westerners towards them.
I like the fact that after my recent Burton Bender (the biographies The Devil Drives and River of the Gods) this almost feels like a sequel, as Stanley frequently references Burton and Speke, who travelled in the same region. What’s more, Bombay, a main character in the Burton & Speke expedition, appears in the flesh in Stanley’s book.
Apart from being a diary of sorts, Stanley also seems to have intended for it to be almost like a travel guide for his readers. He critiques Burton and Speke for failing to provide enough practical information about the expedition. He then remedies this at length by describing what types of guns, gifts, medicine, alcohol, food, etc. to take (if I should ever find myself planning a trip to 19th century Central Africa, I’ll know to take a trusty Winchester rifle and plenty of quinine.)
It is very long though, clocking in at 16 hours in audiobook format, and there were dull stretches where my mind wandered. It gets repetitive at times, following the formula of: description of the people encountered + what type of “tax” he has to pay to pass + frequent bouts of fever + desertions and logistical headaches. But then it’ll be broken by something entertaining, like Stanley finding himself involved in a war, as one does (the subtitle of one chapter “my life and troubles during my residence in Unyanyembe, I become engaged in a war”)
I enjoyed his more emotional reflections. His most famous phrase, “Dr Livingstone, I presume?” gives most people the idea of him as stoic and unemotional, but his writing reveals his inner thoughts (gushing in admiration at Livingstone, excitement and joy at fulfilling his objective, the strong urge he restrains to rush up and hug him) I just wish there had been more of those moments instead of some of the dryer cataloguing of caravan supplies, river tributaries, etc.
I like the fact that after my recent Burton Bender (the biographies The Devil Drives and River of the Gods) this almost feels like a sequel, as Stanley frequently references Burton and Speke, who travelled in the same region. What’s more, Bombay, a main character in the Burton & Speke expedition, appears in the flesh in Stanley’s book.
Apart from being a diary of sorts, Stanley also seems to have intended for it to be almost like a travel guide for his readers. He critiques Burton and Speke for failing to provide enough practical information about the expedition. He then remedies this at length by describing what types of guns, gifts, medicine, alcohol, food, etc. to take (if I should ever find myself planning a trip to 19th century Central Africa, I’ll know to take a trusty Winchester rifle and plenty of quinine.)
It is very long though, clocking in at 16 hours in audiobook format, and there were dull stretches where my mind wandered. It gets repetitive at times, following the formula of: description of the people encountered + what type of “tax” he has to pay to pass + frequent bouts of fever + desertions and logistical headaches. But then it’ll be broken by something entertaining, like Stanley finding himself involved in a war, as one does (the subtitle of one chapter “my life and troubles during my residence in Unyanyembe, I become engaged in a war”)
I enjoyed his more emotional reflections. His most famous phrase, “Dr Livingstone, I presume?” gives most people the idea of him as stoic and unemotional, but his writing reveals his inner thoughts (gushing in admiration at Livingstone, excitement and joy at fulfilling his objective, the strong urge he restrains to rush up and hug him) I just wish there had been more of those moments instead of some of the dryer cataloguing of caravan supplies, river tributaries, etc.
January 19, 2021
The journey that is described in this novel is interesting and thrilling. However, the way that Stanley describes his journeys are extremely long winded! The marches that take place for 5, 8, or 10 hours or more covering miles of un-described land are exaggerated as the reader is taken through every step of the arduous journey. I have read this for a travel writing module on my university course, and it is interesting to note how little descriptions there are of the land and cultures which Stanley comes into contact with. There are a few things here and there in terms of culture and formal greetings, presents etc, but there is nothing in terms of the actual culture of central Africa as we find Stanley telling the native people the importance of Christmas day to the white man. Furthermore, I did find it quite funny how Stanley appears to be very naive throughout his travels as he is frequently abandoned by his men who leave him in the middle of a war, allow his possessions to be robbed, and continuously create further hinderances to his journey, not to mention the continuous sickness and illness which befall himself and his men upon such harsh travel. With this, it appears as though Stanley is a bit of a unreliable narrator, as he deliberately leaves things out of the narrative which he does not want the reader to know, and only tries to present himself in the most-favourable light, which I take as a red flag as a means to prove his authenticity as a narrator.
Despite the difficult reading of this book, I think it will be worth discussing, but it could also have been summarised quite neatly into half the amount of pages, but then again isn't part of the point of these novels is that they are supposed to bore the reader? And we are not to find them as thrilling? Maybe that is the point here with certain parts of the narrative as we then come to appreciate more the easier journeys later on.
Despite the difficult reading of this book, I think it will be worth discussing, but it could also have been summarised quite neatly into half the amount of pages, but then again isn't part of the point of these novels is that they are supposed to bore the reader? And we are not to find them as thrilling? Maybe that is the point here with certain parts of the narrative as we then come to appreciate more the easier journeys later on.
June 26, 2020
'Mr Livingstone, I presume' are the famous, though probably subsequently invented, words associated with the encounter of Henry Stanley and David Livingstone. Quite remarkable men and intrepid explorers who in hindsight are problematic - especially Stanley - for alleged poor treatment of natives. This is deepest, darkest Africa and the age of colonial empires and while Stanley's expedition to find Livingstone through disease and wild animal infested jungles, stark deserts and domains of hostile tribes is quite an adventure the story has all the attitudes and prejudices of its time - white savior, savage native, messiah complex, entitlement as a ruler, evangelical zeal etc. Things are not helped by the fact that Stanley strongly instrumental in exploring Congo and paving the way for the murderous King Leopold of Belgium and his Heart of Darkness. The story as told here is somewhat high school adventure style and the illustrations are decent. But the aforementioned problems - in terms of valorization of these characters for whose adventure all of Africa and all Africans seem to exist-make it a less than pleasant read.
September 30, 2021
I had known the story of David Livingstone from childhood and never knew about Stanley's side of the story till I heard about this book and immediately bought it. It fully satisfied every expectation and I am the richer for sharing the experience. His relation of the moment he actually meets Livingstone is priceless after chapters full of waist-high mud, malaria, defecting men, bandits and dying pack animals. Their sudden friendship was a beautiful thing.
.
.
Yes, totally unPC things abounded, like racism, hunting and eating giraffes, and other aspects of Victorian era exploration, but good history is a bundle of the virtue and vice. This story could not happen today. The internet and cellphones negate a year-long walking trip, accompanied by a caravan of luggage, through malaria infested central Africa, in order to find one man. Today we'd just text and say, "Hey, you there? Want us to send a helicopter?" We are more open-minded and ecological today. But we lack such astonishing and dauntless courage. Sometimes another era's bundle of virtue and vice is a nice change of view from our own. Loved this story.
.
.
Yes, totally unPC things abounded, like racism, hunting and eating giraffes, and other aspects of Victorian era exploration, but good history is a bundle of the virtue and vice. This story could not happen today. The internet and cellphones negate a year-long walking trip, accompanied by a caravan of luggage, through malaria infested central Africa, in order to find one man. Today we'd just text and say, "Hey, you there? Want us to send a helicopter?" We are more open-minded and ecological today. But we lack such astonishing and dauntless courage. Sometimes another era's bundle of virtue and vice is a nice change of view from our own. Loved this story.
October 15, 2021
Audiobook version
1) I am really glad to have finally read/listen to the book. It was very well written, kept my interest, and much different than most autobiographic books written in the last half of the 1800s. If one has an interest in exploration, this is pretty much a needed read. Stanley was a writer for the New York Herald and it shows in his writing abilities. To address the elephant in the room for modern readers, in this book, Stanley was actually fairly positive in his views towards the Africans, except a few select individuals and not the group as a whole. Matter of fact, I found that for a 1860's viewpoint, he was rather positive towards them, so don't avoid reading this if you are concern about being offended. I actually look forward to reading more books by Stanley.
2) I listened to book read by Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot. I really enjoy this narrator and have already listen to other books by him. I would encourage anyone to listen to one of his books if you like audiobook versions.
1) I am really glad to have finally read/listen to the book. It was very well written, kept my interest, and much different than most autobiographic books written in the last half of the 1800s. If one has an interest in exploration, this is pretty much a needed read. Stanley was a writer for the New York Herald and it shows in his writing abilities. To address the elephant in the room for modern readers, in this book, Stanley was actually fairly positive in his views towards the Africans, except a few select individuals and not the group as a whole. Matter of fact, I found that for a 1860's viewpoint, he was rather positive towards them, so don't avoid reading this if you are concern about being offended. I actually look forward to reading more books by Stanley.
2) I listened to book read by Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot. I really enjoy this narrator and have already listen to other books by him. I would encourage anyone to listen to one of his books if you like audiobook versions.
May 26, 2018
It’s really more of a 3.5, but I decided to round up after enjoying the end. A dated (it’s only a few years after the civil war) but interesting journey across what is now Tanzania through the eyes of an American explorer. It’s difficult to keep the names straight, and I mean ALL the names - Africans, Arabs, places, landmarks, etc., but if you accept that you’re only going to master a few and just tag along for the ride you’ll still have a good experience. It’s fascinating how diverse the people and geography are in such a small part of the continent, and how hard the journey could be. Stanley does a great job expressing his joy upon reaching the subject of his search, and how much his time with Livingstone affected him. The book is also meant to be a reference for future explorers, so expect some technical details on inventory and the like. I wanted to read something historical about Africa, and despite some views on race at the time, I am happy with my choice.
October 11, 2018
Reading this book, my mind wandered. I have read a handful of novels by Henry Rider Haggard. His novel King Solomon's Mines (1885) featured the journey from Zanzibar and into the unknown interior of the continent. Stanley found Livingston in 1871. He like other explorers and adventurers inspired the imagination and the "Lost World Literary Genre." It was a pleasure to read because I recognize themes from fictional novels I have read and the multimedia those novels inspired.
I chose this book because I had already begun to read a work by the author Tim Butcher "Blood River." Realizing that Butcher's inspiration had stemmed in part from Stanley's writings of his Congo expedition, I found several Public Domain works by Stanley online. I began this book because I wanted to familiarize myself with Stanley. I was intrigued by Stanley and how he inspired Butcher. All in all, after finishing this book, I feel that reading it was an extremely worthy investment of my time.
I chose this book because I had already begun to read a work by the author Tim Butcher "Blood River." Realizing that Butcher's inspiration had stemmed in part from Stanley's writings of his Congo expedition, I found several Public Domain works by Stanley online. I began this book because I wanted to familiarize myself with Stanley. I was intrigued by Stanley and how he inspired Butcher. All in all, after finishing this book, I feel that reading it was an extremely worthy investment of my time.
March 12, 2024
Remarkable
Stumbled across this and decided to have a listen. It wasn’t as dry as I thought it would be! I knew a bit about Livingston, but nothing about him being ‘missing’. This quest to locate him was really quite remarkable. The entourage involved was immense and the conditions terrible. Be prepared for tougher stuff: grisly attacks, slavery and the taking of beautiful animals, but it is what happened at the time, with no sugarcoating. Only thing missing was context on who Livingston was, what he was doing, and how he fell out of contact for so many years.
The David Livingston Wikipedia page has an excellent depiction of the two meeting, which was a cool moment.
I listened to the Audible audiobook.
Stumbled across this and decided to have a listen. It wasn’t as dry as I thought it would be! I knew a bit about Livingston, but nothing about him being ‘missing’. This quest to locate him was really quite remarkable. The entourage involved was immense and the conditions terrible. Be prepared for tougher stuff: grisly attacks, slavery and the taking of beautiful animals, but it is what happened at the time, with no sugarcoating. Only thing missing was context on who Livingston was, what he was doing, and how he fell out of contact for so many years.
The David Livingston Wikipedia page has an excellent depiction of the two meeting, which was a cool moment.
I listened to the Audible audiobook.
March 24, 2020
An ancient (1870's) tale of a reconnaissance in force led by a journalist (journalists used to write in journals which is why it's so tedious in its minutiae). The force was necessary if bribery didn't work. Today, of course, things are different as there are no corrupt officials or regimes anywhere in the world. We live in the millennium. But a very important book nevertheless, as it's an invaluable record of pre-neo-missionary Africa with its concomitant cultural genocide, and the inspirational prototype for hundreds of authors and their thousands of books of which there are too many to name.
May 10, 2020
This was an interesting read. Henry Stanley wasn't a nice person, but I think he knew that very well. Whenever someone didn't follow his orders, he would hit them or threaten them with his gun. He wrote often that Livingstone was a much better man than he was, because Livingstone always tried to avoid violence.
On the other hand: many of the people Stanley encountered during his search for Livingstone weren't particularly nice, either.
Although Stanley's journey to find Livingstone was tough, it wasn't as shocking and dark as his search for Emin Pasha, a couple of years later. I guess, if that had been the case, he wouldn't have returned to Africa anyway.
On the other hand: many of the people Stanley encountered during his search for Livingstone weren't particularly nice, either.
Although Stanley's journey to find Livingstone was tough, it wasn't as shocking and dark as his search for Emin Pasha, a couple of years later. I guess, if that had been the case, he wouldn't have returned to Africa anyway.
March 28, 2018
Listened to the audiobook. What a fantastic story! People in Henry Stanley’s time were clearly made of fine stock - world travelers, journalists, explorers of Central Africa. Not only is the book valuable for the first-hand account of finding Dr. Livingston, but the writing is actually very enjoyable! The author is well-read, well-traveled, has a great eye for natural beauty, and a likeable sense of humor about the natives, fellow Arab travelers, types of guns to hunt big game, and African explorer diet. I learned a lot from this book - and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
April 16, 2019
Ett viktigt tidsdokument som tydligt visar Stanleys syn på befolkningen i Afrika - det är endast när han umgås med Livingstone som han verkar visa någon medkänsla med icke-vita. Efter allt Stanleys snack om slavhandelns grymhet är det beklämmande att han sedan blev den som stod för otroligt mycket grymheter i Kongo under Leopold II. Om han bara hade tagit åt sig mer av Livingstones jämförelsevis humana syn på afrikanerna...
Om man läser om Livingstone bör man också läsa om Stanley - och vice versa.
Om man läser om Livingstone bör man också läsa om Stanley - och vice versa.
March 20, 2020
Stanley's writing style, being highly descriptive and at times poetic makes for an enjoyable and adventurous reading experience. As some other readers have pointed out, Stanley's character is difficult to relate to, and, at times difficult to like. For example, he is self-assured and haughty; he believes that his race is superior and that he has the inherent right to travel through any part of Africa that he chooses, regardless of the claims of the people who inhabit those areas. However, there are other aspects of his personality which the reader may admire. He is tenacious and inexhaustibly dedicated to his mission of finding Dr. Livingstone deep within the African wilderness. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I am deleting one star because it is simply too long. I believe that exhaustive lists of provisions and other minutiae needlessly overloaded the reading style.
July 1, 2022
This book was not good. As others have noted, the author is truly an unpleasant man, who gives in to fits of rage easily and thinks little of the humanity of others. Having read many first hand exploration accounts, this is one of the least worthwhile I've encountered. (An additional irritation--the audiobook narrator makes a lot of "mouth sounds" like swallows, clicking, that are extremely distracting to the narration.)
April 29, 2023
This is Stanley's original account - but bear in mind that he was a professional journalist as well as an explorer. How generously and honestly can we treat his tale? Did he really utter those most famous words - 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?'
Well, the story of how he crossed Africa in search of the Scot is an interesting one, but not that interesting. His writing is simple and informative, but the events are repetitive. This is one for the scholars, I think.
Well, the story of how he crossed Africa in search of the Scot is an interesting one, but not that interesting. His writing is simple and informative, but the events are repetitive. This is one for the scholars, I think.
July 1, 2025
very interesting read! get ready for a lot of descriptive passages about 1870s Africa and what it was like as an American journalist/adventurer then. His total journey took 13 months+ in which he lost so much weight and physique and his hair went gray that friends did not recognize him on his return. many interesting details that are lost in the story that has been reduced to the long-pursued introduction "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Read
July 2, 2024“If there is love between us, inconceivably delicious, and profitable will our intercourse be; if not, your time is lost, and you will only annoy me. I shall seem to you stupid, and the reputation I have false. All my good is magnetic, and I educate not by lessons, but by going about my business."—Emerson's 'Representative Men'.”
November 15, 2019
Good History
Doctor Livingston, I presume? The account of Stanley's 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.
Doctor Livingston, I presume? The account of Stanley's 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.
September 11, 2020
Long book (600~pages). I got about 100 pages into it before setting it down. It has some good travel/expedition narrative, but it seemed to slow down after a while and couldn't hold my interest compared to other books on by side table.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews