Kyle Harrison
to-read
In Darkest Africa
In Darkest Africa: or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria
- Author
- Henry M. Stanley
- Published
- 1890
- Pages
- 466
- Recommended
- Once
Why it’s on the list: Stanley’s own account of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition — the high-imperial adventure narrative, told by the man whose reputation it was written to serve.
Where I saw it: Shown as a nineteenth-century leather-bound spine in the shelf photo @romanhelmetguy posted on X, December 16, 2025, illustrating his rule that “half the books you read must be from before WW2.” https://x.com/romanhelmetguy/status/2000775031949824123
Note on the record: Volume II was the spine visible in the shelf photo; the work is in two volumes.
Connections
- Foreign Policy — the imperial project the book is a document of.