Bücher der Reihe Cambridge Library Collection - African Studies

Sir Samuel Baker (1821-93) was one of the most famous Victorian explorers, and the memoir of his celebrated expedition, first published in 1866, remains amongst the most important accounts of African exploration of the age. Written with great colour, it is a compelling account of an historic adventure.

After serving in the Royal Navy in Canada, Hugh Clapperton (1788-1827) participated in two expeditions to the interior of Africa. He died on the second expedition, but his Cornish servant Richard Lander published this edition of Clapperton's informal, lively and vivid journal in 1829.

In this 1909 autobiography, we learn how the explorer Henry Morton Stanley was driven to succeed by his troubled childhood. After his death, his wife completed the book with letters he wrote while travelling, so that his avowed aim - to encourage impoverished people to realise their ambitions - was met.

Originally published in 1838, this text draws on both official and anecdotal sources to explore the treatment of local tribes in colonial South Africa during both the Dutch and British periods of supremacy. It contains parts 1, 3 and 5 of Moodie's investigation; parts 2 and 4 were never published.

Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) was a journalist and explorer renowned for his adventures in Africa. These volumes, first published in 1885, provide an account of Stanley's exploration of the Congo river in the service of Leopold II of Belgium between 1879 and 1884. Volume 1 covers 1879-83.

David Livingstone (1813-73) was a nineteenth-century British explorer and missionary. His 1866 search for the source of the Nile forms the core of this two-volume diary, published posthumously in 1874. Volume 1 describes Livingstone's journey from Zanzibar to Ujiji, and his famous meeting with the journalist Henry Morton Stanley.

This pioneering account, published in 1857-1858, was a foundational text in the study of African history and ethnography. Barth set out to 'represent the tribes and nations ... in their historical and ethnographical relation to the rest of mankind'. Cited by Darwin, it is still regarded as an important source.

In 1900, the British Governor of the Gold Coast demanded to sit on the symbolically important Golden Stool of the Ashanti people in Ghana, and thereby provoked them to besiege Kumasi. In this 1901 book, the authors, army officers who were part of the British retaliatory force, describe the episode.

This two-volume biography of John William Colenso (1814-83), the controversial first Bishop of Natal, written by his close friend and follower George Cox, was first published in 1888. Volume 1 describes Colenso's youth, his early work in South Africa and the rise of opposition to his theology and opinions.

William Bosman (b. 1672) spent fourteen years from 1688 on the Gold Coast in the service of the Dutch West India Company. This collection of letters written to his uncle from Africa provides a detailed account of the geographical, political and natural history of the coast of Guinea.

Royal Navy officer Edward Bold published this book in 1822 to provide safer, more efficient navigational instructions for ships wanting to go to the west coast of Africa. He also includes explanations of the types of commerce in the region and how to engage in trade.

This two-volume work, published in 1830, recounts the failed mission of Hugh Clapperton (1788-1827) and Richard Lander (1804-1834) to explore the River Niger in West Africa. Volume 2 discusses Clapperton's death and Lander's eventual return to England.

Sent on a diplomatic mission to convince the king of Dahomey (present-day Benin) to put a stop to the slave trade, British explorer Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) recounts his experience in this two-volume work, published in 1864. Volume 1 covers his journey and introduction to the king.

In this two-volume work, published in 1860, British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-90) recounts his journey around the lakes of present-day Tanzania. In Volume 1 Burton begins in Zanzibar before landing up in Unyamwezi, 'the far-famed land over the moon'.

In this important study, first published in 1821, the geographer James MacQueen documents his discoveries about the River Niger. Drawing on evidence from a range of authorities, he shows that the Niger terminates in the Atlantic Ocean, opening up trading opportunities between Africa and European countries.