Burton and Speke

Richard Francis Burton was a legendary adventurer who also had a reputation for being a great lover. John Hanning Speke also had a reputation for being an adventurer and a lover, albeit of a different kind. When they first met, Speke needed Burton in order to get to Africa. Luckily, Burton was already going that way. Burton's mission in Somaliland was in four parts:

1. Discourage slavery


2. Establish a camp for later use


3. Search for gold


4. "Examine" the women to study their sexual practices

As with any expedition into the unknown, Burton and Speke encounter many trials and tribulations. More often than not, their equipment and supplies were either being broken or getting lost. Crews and guides were constantly deserting them. It didn't help that show more Burton and Speke couldn't be more different from one another when it came down to leading the expeditions. Burton prided himself on his intellect, especially when it came to native languages across the regions. (He would go on to translate Arabian Nights and The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana.) He had an understanding of the necessity of breaking down language barriers. Instead of brains, Speke valued his brawn, his hunting capabilities and his sheer physical strength. While Burton sought the company of many different beautiful women, Speke wouldn't turn away a pretty boy. Their differences soon drove them apart and made them fierce rivals. In the end, it was Speke who discovered the source of the Nile but because he lacked the scientific evidence to explain how this came to be he was ridiculed and almost discredited. Richard Burton became faithful to one woman and became an anthropologist. show less

I first read this book in the 90s, and it was definitely worth a second reading. Great novelization of the relationship between John Hanning Speke and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous 19th century African explorers. They are the British pair who are credited with finding Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile, and this book covers their harrowing journey and the strained, combative relationship afterwards. This book lead me to read other books about the fascinating Burton, but I know little about Speke, so I do not know if the author is correct in his portrayal of Speke as unbalanced and a closeted homosexual / pedophile. Frankly I don’t like what I’ve read of Speke, and am perfectly willing to believe the author’s show more interpretation of his death as a suicide on the eve of his public debate with Burton where his spurious claims were sure to lead to massive public humiliation in the scientific community.

There are loads of books out there about Burton, one I read and enjoyed was “Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton” by Edward Rice. For some Burton “light” you may enjoy Philip Jose Farmer’s “Riverworld” series, where Burton is the protagonist in a science fiction romp or the romance novel “The Duchess” by Jude Deveraux, where she uses Burton as the model for her protagonist Capt. Frank Baker.

Or you can watch the movie they made of this book starring Patrick Bergin as Burton and Iain Glen as Speke, I really enjoyed it too. show less