The Gates Of Africa: Death, Discovery & The Search For Timbuktu by Anthony Sattin (9780007122349)
The Gates Of Africa: Death, Discovery & The Search For Timbuktu by Anthony Sattin (9780007122349)
The Gates Of Africa: Death, Discovery & The Search For Timbuktu (Book)
Anthony Sattin Release Date: 15 Dec 2004 Format: Paperback Pages: 432 ISBN: 9780007122349 ISBN-10: 0007122349
There are two strands to the narrative. First there are the people who planned and paid for expeditions, the geographers, scholars, politicians, humantarian activists and sharp-eyed traders, the richest commoner in England and two former prime ministers among them. Theirs is a lively tale of tavern meetings, court lobbying and salon intrigue during one of the most dramatic periods of world history. Then there are the adventurers, a mixed group of ex-cons and social outcasts -- British, French, Germans and Americans among them -- who went to the magical continent in search of glory and the unknown. They included Mungo Park, whose account of his travels was a bestseller for more than a century, and Jean Louis Burckhardt, discoverer of Petra and Abu Simbel. Each of their journeys was extraordinary, packed with drama and excitement, made notable by geographical discoveries and, with very few exceptions, ending in death. An outstanding account of a unique period characterized by the passion, ambition, courage and sheer sense of adventure of its participants.
