With the utterance of a single line—“Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”—a remote meeting in the heart of Africa was transformed into one of the most famous encounters in exploration history. But the true story behind Dr. David Livingstone and journalist Henry Morton Stanley is one that has escaped telling. Into Africa is an extraordinarily researched account of a thrilling adventure—defined by alarming foolishness, intense courage, and raw human achievement.

In the mid-1860s, exploration had reached a plateau. The seas and continents had been mapped, the globe circumnavigated. Yet one vexing puzzle remained unsolved: what was the source of the mighty Nile river? Aiming to settle the mystery once and for all, Great Britain called upon its legendary explorer, Dr. David Livingstone, who had spent years in Africa as a missionary. In March 1866, Livingstone steered a massive expedition into the heart of Africa. In his path lay nearly impenetrable, uncharted terrain, hostile cannibals, and deadly predators. Within weeks, the explorer had vanished without a trace. Years passed with no word.

While debate raged in England over whether Livingstone could be found—or rescued—from a place as daunting as Africa, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the brash American newspaper tycoon, hatched a plan to capitalize on the world’s fascination with the missing legend. He would send a young journalist, Henry Morton Stanley, into Africa to search for Livingstone. A drifter with great ambition, but little success to show for it, Stanley undertook his assignment with gusto, filing reports that would one day captivate readers and dominate the front page of the New York Herald.

Tracing the amazing journeys of Livingstone and Stanley in alternating chapters, author Martin Dugard captures with breathtaking immediacy the perils and challenges these men faced. Woven into the narrative, Dugard tells an equally compelling story of the remarkable transformation that occurred over the course of nine years, as Stanley rose in power and prominence and Livingstone found himself alone and in mortal danger. The first book to draw on modern research and to explore the combination of adventure, politics, and larger-than-life personalities involved, Into Africa is a riveting read.

“An action-packed recounting of one of the most famous incidents in the history of exploration. Until well into the 19th century, European geography textbooks portrayed central Africa as a vast, uncharted wasteland, almost certainly a graveyard for any outsider unwise enough to enter it. . . . In the late 1860s, [David] Livingstone and a large entourage disappeared somewhere between Zanzibar and Lake Tanganyika while poking around for the source of the Nile. Enter New York Herald correspondent Henry Morton Stanley. . . . Braving disease, difficult terrain, and all manner of deprivation, Stanley for three years [followed] Livingstone’s trail, despairing of ever finding the senior explorer. . . . Fine entertainment for adventure buffs, solidly researched and fluently told.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Into Africa" traces the journeys of Dr. David Livingstone and journalist Morton Stanley in alternating chapters, capturing with immediacy the dangers, disease, and beauty they encountered in the heart of Africa. The first book to examine the interworkings of physical challenges, political intrigue, and larger-than life personalities, this is a fascinating work of narrative history.

In the mid-1860s, an age-old geographic riddle remained unanswered: What was the source of the mighty Nile River? Aiming to settle the dispute definitively, England turned to Dr. David Livingstone, the legendary explorer who had spent years in Africa as a missionary. Livingstone set out in early 1866 with a large expedition, on a course that would lead through nearly impenetrable unmapped terrain, and into areas populated by fearsome man-eating tribes. Within weeks, his intended journey unraveled — his entourage began to desert him, and Livingstone vanished without a trace in the African interior. Two years would pass with no word from the explorer.

While debate raged in England over whether Livingstone could be rescued from a place as daunting as Africa, James Gordon Bennet, a brash, young American newspaper tycoon, hatched a plan to capitalize on the world's fascination with the missing legend. He commissioned his star journalist, Henry Morton Stanley, to search for Livingstone. A drifter with great ambition but little success to show for it, Stanley undertook his assignment with gusto, filing reports that captivated readers and dominated the front page of the New York Herald for months.

"Into Africa" traces the journeys of Livingstone and Stanley in alternating chapters, capturing with breathtaking immediacy the dangers, disease, and beauty they encountered in the uncharted heart of Africa. Woven into the tales of their daring adventures is the equally compelling story of the remarkable transformation that occurred over the course of nine years, as Stanley rose in power and prominence and Livingstone found himself alone and depleted. Stanley, the upstart determined to make aname for himself, succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, clinching his place in history with the famous question "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" The first book to examine the interworkings of extraordinary physical challenges, political intrigue, and larger-than life personalities, "Into Africa" is a fascinating work of narrative history, told with all the power and drama of a novel."

MARTIN DUGARD is the author of Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook, Knockdown: The Harrowing True Account of a Yacht Race Turned Deadly, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller, Survivor: The Ultimate Game. His dispatches have appeared in GQ, Sports Illustrated, and Esquire. A lifelong adventurer, he completed the Raid Gauloise race and was coholder of the Around the World Speed Record. He lives in Orange County, California.