SKU: 98108587550

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

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River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile2022 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History and Biography For millennia the location of the Nile Rivers headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe and extend their colonial empires. Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim

2022 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History and Biography

For millennia the location of the Nile River’s headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe – and extend their colonial empires.

Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, and was a decorated soldier. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton’s opposite in temperament and beliefs.

From the start the two men clashed. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke’s great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate,Speke shot himself.

Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan’s army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without Bombay and men like him, who led, carried, and protected the expedition, neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived.

In River of the Gods Candice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers.

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SKU: 98108587550

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Martini81
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Easy and simple: Exact Step-by-Step Guide to Reloading Your Balance
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I found reloading my Amazon gift card balance much easier than expected. The process was simple and took about 5 minutes at most. Here are the exact steps to do it: ​Login: In the Amazon app or on Amazon.com, log in to your account. ​ Menu: Tap the 3 lines on the bottom right corner of your screen (next to Rufus, Amazon's AI). ​ Find Category: In the section highlighted "Shop by category," tap on Gifting & Registry (3rd option down in that section) and a drop-down menu will appear. ​ Select Gift Cards: On the drop-down menu, tap Gift Cards (first option). ​ Choose Your Action: "The Gift Card Shop" will appear. There you will have three options: "Redeem a gift card," "View your balance," and "Reload." ​ Start Reload: To add funds, tap Reload. ​ Select Type: Scroll down to "Add funds directly to your Amazon Gift Card balance" and tap which reload type you want (one-time, low balance auto-reload, or scheduled auto-reload). ​ Enter Amount: Choose your reload amount. The default is $25, but you can type in your own amount as well (the minimum amount is $5.00). ​ Finish: Tap the orange "Buy Now" tab. ***I used the Amazon app using the u i OneUI version 8.0 these Amazon app on Android version 16 (Baklava) on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Others may have a slight variation of the menu setup on the Amazon app.***
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2026
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Kenneth Lucas
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Easy way to add balance
Reload type: One Time Reload
Reloading my Amazon gift card balance has been easy and convenient. I like using it when I want to keep a little money set aside for Amazon orders or make checkout quicker without thinking about which card I want to use. The process is straightforward, the balance shows up fast, and it has been reliable every time I have used it. It is also helpful for budgeting because I can add a set amount and then use that balance for regular purchases. Nothing complicated about it, which is exactly why I like it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
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Laura Sinkler
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Monthly reload for Subscribe & Save Orders
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Not a glamorous review, but a genuinely useful tip for Subscribe & Save users. I reload about $100 to my gift card balance once a month, a week or two before my S&S order processes. Amazon pulls each Subscribe & Save item as a separate transaction, which means 10+ individual charges hitting your bank account on before or on ship day. A headache for budgeting and a minor anxiety trigger if you're watching your account for unauthorized activity. Loading the balance first consolidates everything into one clean transaction. Your S&S order then pulls from the gift card balance rather than your card directly, and your bank statement stays tidy. The side benefit is built-in budget discipline. I set about $100 as my monthly Amazon ceiling - if my cart runs over, something gets pushed to next month. It's a simple system that keeps spending intentional without any extra effort. If you're a regular S&S user who wants cleaner finances and less ""wait, who charged this and what was that charge?"" moments, this is worth making a habit.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
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The Bee’s Knees. 🌸🐝
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Great! 💳✨
Reload type: One Time Reload
I love using my Amazon balance! It’s always so quick and easy to use, it’s convenient and posts quickly without issues, I’ve always had good experiences with reloading my balance.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2026
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Kindle Customer
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
great product
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so easy, thanks amazon
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2026

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