The Blue Nile (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Blue Nile pours very quietly and uneventfully out of Lake Tana in the northern highlands of Ethiopia..." (more)
Key Phrases: Blue Nile, Muhammad Ali, Red Sea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From The Washington Post

"Utterly absorbing, sweeping as the mighty river itself...A magnificent, gripping story."

Review

"A Masterpiece." -- --Newsweek

"An Exciting and Unusual Book." -- --New York Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060956402
• ISBN-13: 978-0060956400
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > History > Africa > Ethiopia
  #3 in	Books > History > Africa > Sudan
  #4 in	Books > Travel > Africa > Ethiopia & Djibouti

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 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

15 of 17 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

Amazon Verified Purchase

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

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.