'One of the most famous books in the broad spectrum of African exploration, this title acquainted many a nineteenth-century reader with the wonders of the Dark Continent' (Czech).

'Stanley landed in Zanzibar on 6 January 1871 to begin the search for Dr. David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer whose whereabouts in central Africa had become a question of international concern since his last letter of 30 May 1869.

The journey lasted 236 days. On the morning of 3 November, with an American flag flying on a pole, Stanley led his remaining fifty-four men down a mountain toward a lake and his historic meeting with Dr. Livingstone.

Stanley returned to Europe to a hero's welcome, though he had to contend with accusations that the Livingstone letters and journals he brought back were forgeries; members of the Royal Geographical Society wanted to ignore the American who had found "their man" in Africa. But he received the gratitude of Livingstone's family and official thanks from Queen Victoria. The public's appetite for his published story was voracious' (Delaney, Mountains of the Moon).

First edition; 8vo, xxiii, 736 pp., 6 maps (1 large folding, slightly foxed, 3 other folding, 1 full-page, 1 in text), mounted photograph frontispiece of Stanley, numerous full-page and other illustrations, original brown pictorial cloth gilt, short tears to maps repaired, a fine copy.