The Blue Nile [Hardcover]

Alan Moorehead (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1972

An account of the course of the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian Highlands, through the Sudan and Egupt to the sea. The book contains an historical narrative which starts in the eighteenth century and ends in 1869. The period was dominated by four men: James Bruce, the Scot who journeyed to the supposed source of the Blue Nile, and stayed in warring Ethiopia; Napoleon who, needing military glory to further his political ambitions, led a brilliantly conceived expedition to Egypt; Mohammed Ali, the Turkish viceroy, who sent his son to conquer the Sudan in a ruthless quest for gold and slaves; and Emporer Theodore of Ethiopia, a tyrant who held British subjects captive.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A Masterpiece." -- --Newsweek

"An Exciting and Unusual Book." -- --New York Times --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Alan Moorehead (1910-1983) was a foreign correspondent for the London Daily Express, where he won an international reputation for his coverage of World War II campaigns, and also served as the chief public relations officer in the Ministry of Defense. He is also the author of many other notable books, including Gallipoli and Darwin and the Beagle. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; Revised edition (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060130113
• ISBN-13: 978-0060130114
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The astonishing story of one history's greatest mysteries., November 12, 1998

By 

David Seeley ([e-mail]) (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Nile (Hardcover)

"The Blue Nile" is the story of one of history'sgreatest mysteries: the search for the source of the Nile. Sincebefore recorded time, it has been the greatest river on Earth. It surges powerfully through thousands of miles of forbidding desert; never ceasing, a giver of life that for millennia held one enduring mystery: where did it come from?

As Moorehead tells us, it was the last great unknown. By the 1850s, maps of the world were accurate from corner to corner-- except for the "Dark Continent" of Africa. Its massive interior was blank; a question mark. No explorer had ever entered it and come out alive. One of the greatest ages of exploration was on: a time of Stanley and Livingston, of astonishing discoveries, of bravery and courage, slavery and horror. A handful of men risked everything to solve the Holy Grail that spurred them on: to find the source of the Nile.

Note: This book was originally published in the early 1960s, I believe, along with a companion book, "The White Nile," which traces the stories, history, and intriguing exploration of the other branch of the Nile within Africa's interior. If you read one, you won't be able to resist the other. END

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting background on 19th century Sudan and Ethiopia, October 9, 2006

By 

Steven M. Anthony (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Blue Nile (Paperback)

I have read a lot of history on ancient Egypt and was passingly familiar with Napoleon's conquest of Egypt, however, I had absolutely no background on other aspects of 19th century Egypt and neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia.

This book was extremely enlightening with respect to such subjects as Mamaluke rule of Egypt prior to Napoleon's arrival and the subsequent reign of Muhammad Ali. However, by far the most interesting and educational part of the book was the last half which dealt primarily with the reign of Theodore, Emperor of Ethiopia and the British invasion to secure the release of European hostages held by Theodore. Prior to reading this book, I'd never heard of Theodore nor the British invasion of Ethiopia.

Blue Nile is a companion piece to White Nile, the Blue Nile being the Nile tributary which feeds into the river at Khartoum, Sudan having flowed from its source in the Ethiopian highlands. Moorehead does a very good job in describing the various expeditions which sought the source of the Blue Nile as well as the political and social anarchy endemic to the region.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Companion to WHITE NILE is readable but limited, February 27, 2001

By 

Leona Malo (The Golden State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blue Nile (Paperback)

After reading THE WHITE NILE, this companion book seems a bit rushed and not as well researched. Admittedly, there was more to-do over the While Nile than the Blue Nile, but the focus seems to veer from Napoleon to the Mamelukes to the Turks to the Ethiopians to the the Brits. I would have loved more history on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Particularly the latter, whose people are both distinct and ancient, yet we hear more about the bloody Brits again. Basically, a good read, but just not enough.