The remarkable expedition: The story of Stanley's rescue of Emin Pasha from Equatorial Africa

by Olivia Manning

Book by Manning, Olivia

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction, History

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Olivia Manning CBE was a British novelist, poet, writer and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in England, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. She often wrote from her personal experience, though her books also demonstrate strengths in imaginative writing. Her books are widely admired for her artistic eye and vivid descriptions of place.
In August 1939 she married R.D. Smith ("Reggie"), a British Council lecturer posted in Bucharest, Romania, and subsequently in Greece, Egypt and Palestine as the Nazis over-ran Eastern Europe. Her experiences formed the basis for her best known work, the six novels making up "The Balkan Trilogy" and "The Levant Trilogy," known collectively as Fortunes of War. As she had feared, real fame only came after her death in 1980, when an adaptation of "Fortunes of War" was televised in 1987.

Reviews

[William Schmitt-Matzen]

A very interesting account of Stanley's "rescue" of Emin Pasha from the Mahdi's forces. It is more a tale of hardship, sickness and massacre through Africa. It clearly is not the Stanley as portrayed by Spencer Tracy. Although it is from 1947, I recommend it as a more reasonable and accurate portrayal of what took place than accounts from the 1890's. If you like the period in history, you will find it worth your reading time. If you are a wargamer with an interest in the African Colonial Period, it will supply you with good information and material for creating scenarios to game.

[Sridevi Bp]

A dark comedy of errors. To the wag goes the final word: why didn't Stanley find Emin Pasha? Because there is no M in Pasha. It is the story of an arrogant rescuer bent on rescuing an unwilling Pasha who has no country, in a land where all is treachery. No hero, no cause.