Africa in the mid-nineteenth century was still very much an unknown continent, its vast lands a source of unceasing interest and mystery La the white man. This was the age of discovery, the decades before the fascination wore off and the scramble for Africa began in earnest Explorers such as Burton, Speke and Livingstone were the names on everyone's lips, In this climate, Albrecht Roscher grew up La be an outstanding young scholar, whose interest in the works of classical writers such as Ptolemy and Herodotus inspired in him a love of geography, science and biology, which the achievements of Burton and others only served to inflame. Africa beckoned. However, little did he imagine as he left Germany for the shores of East Africa that he would never return. His murder before he managed to fulfill his ambitions has ensured that he has been largely consigned to a footnote in the history of African exploration. In The Killing of Dr Albredlt Roscher Heldring sets out to redress the balance in what is a fitting tribute to a man who, had he lived longer, might have gone on to rival the achievements of Burton, Livingstone and the other great explorers of that age.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time and its complicated legacy—from the New York Times bestselling author of The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST • GOODREADS "A lean, fast-paced account of the almost absurdly dangerous quest by [Richard Burton and John Speke] to solve the geographic riddle of their era." —The New York Times Book Review For millennia the location of the Nile River’s headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe – and extend their colonial empires. Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, and was a decorated soldier. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton’s opposite in temperament and beliefs. From the start the two men clashed. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke’s great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate,Speke shot himself. Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan’s army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without Bombay and men like him, who led, carried, and protected the expedition, neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived. In River of the Gods Candice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers.

This book is not out to condemn or blame any European person, but rather understand the world from its past misdeeds, lest we forget. After all, 'history is the backbone of society, and we cannot hide the past no matter how painful it is. Although there were 'bad intentions' to the mission drive of the 19th and 20th Centuries, we also experienced positive achievements. Sometimes, blessings can come out of the worst situations or encounters. Such missionary activities, coupled with imperialism, are the cause of the global union.' The world is a global family, even with all the differences and inequalities still so visible under globalization. Yet, racism, like white supremacy, was a theme surrounding the 19th and 20th-century European mission to Africa. Perhaps it is good to understand that no other continent has suffered due to racism, a result of Eurocentrism and imperialism as Africa did. Africa lost its culture, people, and resources. The continent and her people have stagnated for decades, even after years of assuming self-rule (own leadership) in most sectors of the society. The reason behind it is that its structures were eroded, and those introduced served one purpose; to satisfy and justify imperialism and its core to 'civilizing mission.' Cases of Rwanda and Burundi genocide are historical seeds of hatred planted by explorers such as Speke's Hamitic theory. The imperialism past of the Democratic Republic of Congo holds a symbol of rape and cruelty despite its vast resources. Nevertheless, we cannot blame everything that contemporary Africa is suffering from on Imperialism and Eurocentrism. The current crop of leaders must take the blame too. Most have seen debts accumulate. The mismanagement of the economies and embezzlement of the resources only replicates the colonial past. The fact is that most do not invest in people but themselves. The majority lack basics in the likes of education, health care, and improvement of knowledge, skills, and technology. They have left Africa to further exploit in the hands of neo-imperialism in terms of globalization, capitalism, cultural imperialism and conditional aid. These bring little to no gain in Africa, and instead, escalate the suffering. This book unearths the legacy of the 'racism mission' and colonialism, a terrible part of Africa history. It is a legacy of dehumanization, wars, and human sufferings. If we ignore such history, we might forget and likely, repeat it. Andrew Ratanya Mukaria (Dr).

This highly sympathetic and deeply personal account of Malawi's experience of colonialism has particular poignancy as it is written from the marginal perspective of a mixed-race child in a race-conscious society. The author also has a keen eye for the Scottish dimension in Malawi's story. Historically revealing, politically provocative, and humanly intriguing, this book will be a rewarding read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the people who made Malawi the country it is today.