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David Livingstone
Born in an overcrowded slum in Scotland in 1813, David Livingstone worked twelve-hour days in a cotton factory from age ten to twenty-four. But a pamphlet by Karl Gutzlaff changed his life. Resolved to become a missionary, he applied himself to medicine, self-educating and eventually qualifying as a doctor. In 1841, Livingstone left for Africa as a medical missionary, where he would stay for thirty years. In that time, he became a missionary geographer, ethnologist, chemist, botanist, astronomer, anthropologist, discoverer of Victoria Falls and the source of the Congo, and the first to cross the continent. Africans revered him as a virtual saint, while his academic accomplishments became Western legend.
MP3 CD
First published July 1, 1997
About the author
Thomas Hughes
465 books16 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.
Thomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford (1861).
Thomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford (1861).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 28, 2021
This book may be easier to listen to than to read. Since the book was first published in 1889, a reader ought to be ready for language from that time, but it was not difficult to understand. Being genuinely curious about Dr. Livingstone's life, I found this biography informative, interesting, and refreshingly honest about his faith without being overly sugary in its discussion. I can also appreciate the fact that, in an era when people were often judged only by appearances and skin color, Dr. Livingstone saw past that and established a genuine relationship with the people he sought to bring to Christ. In addition, the author wrote about this aspect without seeing it through the views popular at the time. Also, I did not know that Dr. Livingstone's journals aided science because of his descriptions of plant and animal life in Africa, and his scientific readings with instruments as to where he was located. I recommend this book to any avid nonfiction reader.
March 5, 2021
Well written and quite interesting, as it was written not long after Livingstone's death.
November 14, 2016
I've read six or seven biographies of David Livingstone, and this is not one of the best. I enjoyed reading author Thomas Hughes' more well-known "Tom Brown's Schooldays," but this book appears to be a little more phoned in. Or telegraphed in, perhaps, given the date of writing. It is largely a compilation of material from other sources such as Livingstone's own books and journals. This book is also very dated, given that it appears to have been written as a plea to donate money to missions in Africa immediately following Livingstone's death.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.
June 11, 2015
It was well written for the most part dealing just with David Livingstone's life in Africa. It never got my full attention as although it is historically interesting I suppose, I was looking to know the inner man and his walk with God.
Not to be too harsh, it is a book I would not have missed if not read.
Not to be too harsh, it is a book I would not have missed if not read.
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July 4, 2016Quite interesting. Lots of historical information. Helped to understand Livingstone's many contributions to the knowledge and development of Africa in addition to his missionary work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews