Richard Francis Burton: Explorer, Scholar, Spy

Children's Literature - Kris Sauer

Indiana Jones indeed. Harrison Ford may well have been channeling Richard Francis Burton, one of England's finest nineteenth-century adventurers. Raised primarily overseas and enrolled at Oxford for a time, Burton's rebellious streak soon got him expelled. Working at times for the East India Company, at others for the British government, Burton used his uncanny ability to absorb languages and cultures to infiltrate dozens of Arab countries, then (as now) one of the world's most dangerous, most fascinating, and most challenging cultures. At times soldier, writer, scholar, diplomat, and spy, Burton mastered almost thirty languages over the course of his career. His ability to absorb the nuances of every culture he encountered enabled him to visit Mecca—a place forbidden to non-Mulsims, to translate and bring the wonders of The Arabian Nights to the western world, and led to the discovery of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Thoroughly researched and well-written, this is a very accessible biography of an unequalled adventurer. Students will find the time line, list of books and Web sites, bibliography, source notes, and index invaluable in delving further into this unique life.

School Library Journal

Gr 5–9
These appealing titles feature readable texts, solid research, and a variety of color illustrations. Elish rightfully gives equal credit to Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay for reaching the summit of Mount Everest together in 1953. Their daring ascent is covered in great detail, but less information is included about the rest of their lives. Otfinoski describes Livingstone's three decades of African exploration and provides numerous sidebars with information on the African slave trade, the missionary movement, malaria, and other topics. He carefully places Livingstone in the context of the Victorian era, when British explorers set out to "discover" new places in Africa and the world. Young does the same for Burton, who may be the most amazing of the three men. He mastered nearly 30 languages and, unlike other British explorers of the time, had an insatiable interest in understanding the cultures and religions he encountered in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Young demonstrates how his subject's curiosity led him into dangerous adventures, including a journey to Mecca disguised as a Muslim pilgrim. Solid additions.
—Marcia KochelCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.