Adventure, betrayal & beetles: the quest for the source of the Nile

In the mid 19th century, a team of explorers set off in search of an elusive goal – the source of the River Nile. Set against a backdrop of imperial expansion into Africa, the expedition was led by Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke – two men who should have been great partners, but became bitter rivals. Candice Millard tells Ellie Cawthorne about Burton and Speke’s gruelling, dangerous journey, and the guide who made it possible – Sidi Mubarak Bombay.

Candice Millard is the author of River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile (Swift Press, 2022)