Henry M. Stanley (1841–1904)

A long and detailed account (in very small print!) that is nevertheless a compelling tale for modern readers. Stanley's text is simultaneously an adventure story and at the same time a justification of Western exploration, exploitation and colonialism. It is also a depressingly inspirational account of enduring hardships (for the explorers and for the variety of native peoples they encountered or entrained), stoicism and a catalogue of unquestioned but unjustifiable decisions (e.g. show more collaboration with slave traders as guides having knowledge of, and connections in, central Africa). In retrospect, and in light of the subsequent horrors of the Belgian control of the Congo, this is a chilling account. show less

A painful, but worthy read. Stanley's attitudes are very colonial (prejudiced), but he describes the land, animals, diseases and experiences well. When he met Livingstone, it changed him and his attitudes. He marveled at the quiet reasonable way Dr. Livingstone spoke with the natives, and what a good effect it had. I am glad I read it, I will never read it again.

Maybe because I already knew what to expect or maybe because the expedition was in greater danger during this portion of its exploration, I found H.M. Stanley's second volume "Through the Dark Continent" to be a lot more entertaining than the first. The second volume details Stanley's efforts to canoe the Livingstone River across Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. His band was attacked by cannibals and faced with raging rapids and starvation and disease. Many died but Stanley managed to achieve show more his goals. This portion of the book was much easier to read and more adventuresome than the first volume. show less

I found the first volume of Stanley's "Through the Dark Continent" to be a difficult read. The adventurer's book is full of details about his travels exploring equatorial Africa, including carrying a boat to circumnavigate Lake Victoria. I read this book as an adventure novel, not as an ethnography, so I found myself bogged down in a lot of the detail, rather than on a adventure with early white explorers in Africa. Stanley also assumes that you've read his book about his search for show more Livingstone (which I haven't) and references it frequently. All that said, Stanley is a keen observer and apparently incredibly persistent. I liked the book enough to read the second volume, but I imagine it's going to take me a while to get through it. show less