Stanley

The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer

by Tim Jeal

Perhaps no historical figure has come to embody 19th-century European colonialism better than explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who made a name for himself with his long, dangerous expeditions into the heart of Africa--his most famous being his search for the "lost" Scottish missionary Doctor David Livingstone. His exploits, including his brutal treatment of the natives, made him a grand figure in Victorian society, though in subsequent years he has been pilloried as a racist brute. Tim Jeal, in his fascinating biography of Stanley, shows that neither view is precisely true: Stanley frequently exaggerated his adventures, particularly his clashes with the native Africans, to appeal to his audiences at home. Indeed, Jeal paints a remarkable portrait of a man--the poor bastard child of a teenage Welsh woman--who was constantly changing his identity, his story, and even his name in order to rise above the shame of his childhood. Not only does STANLEY: THE IMPOSSIBLE LIFE OF AFRICA'S GREATEST EXPLORER set the historical record straight, it also delves deeply into the psychology of a wonderfully dramatic figure.

Editions of Stanley

ISBN

9780300126259

Binding/Format

Hardcover

Publisher

Yale Univ Pr

Date

2007

Price

$4.65

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Media Reviews

"Painstakingly researched and eminently readable...Jeal's biography is an unalloyed triumph."

Synopses

We think of Stanley as a cruel imperialist who connived with King Leopold II of Belgium in horrific crimes against the people of the Congo--and the journalist who conducted the most legendary celebrity interview in history, opening with, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" But these perceptions are not quite true, as biographer Jeal shows. With access to previously closed Stanley family archives, Jeal reveals the extent to which Stanley's career and life have been misunderstood and undervalued. Few have started life as disadvantaged as Stanley. Rejected by both parents and consigned to a Welsh workhouse, he emigrated to America as a penniless eighteen-year-old. Jeal re-creates Stanley's rise to success, his friendships and romantic relationships, and his life-changing decision to assume an American identity. Stanley's epic but unfairly forgotten African journeys are described, establishing the explorer as the greatest to set foot on the continent.--From publisher description.

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