Skip to content

The Black Nile
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile Hardback - 2010

by Morrison, Dan

A spectacular modern-day adventure along the Nile River from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea

With news of tenuous peace in Sudan, foreign correspondent Dan Morrison bought a plank-board boat, summoned a childhood friend who'd never been off American soil and set out from Uganda, paddling the White Nile on a quest to reach Cairo-a trip that tyranny and war had made impossible for decades.

Morrison's chronicle is a mashup of travel narrative and reportage, packed with flights into the frightful and the absurd. Through river mud that engulfs him and burning marshlands that darken the sky, he tracks the snarl of commonalities and conflicts that bleed across the Nile valley, bringing to life the waters that connect the hardscrabble fishing villages of Lake Victoria to the floating Cairo nightclubs where headscarved mothers are entertained by gyrating male dancers. In between are places and lives invisible to cable news and opinion blogs: a hidden oil war that has erased entire towns, secret dams that will flood still more and contested borderlands where acts of compassion and ingenuity defy appalling hardship and waste of life. As Morrison dodges every imaginable hazard, from militia gunfire to squalls of sand, his mishaps unfold in strange harmony with the breathtaking range of individuals he meets along the way. Relaying the voices of Sudanese freedom fighters and escaped Ugandan sex slaves, desert tribesmen and Egyptian tomb raiders, The Black Nile culminates in a visceral understanding of one of the world's most elusive hotspots, where millions strive to claw their way from war and poverty to something better-if only they could agree what that something is, whom to share it with, and how to get there.

With the propulsive force of a thriller, The Black Nile is rife with humor, humanity and fervid insight-an unparalleled portrait of a complex territory in profound transition.


Summary

A spectacular modern-day adventure along the Nile River from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea

With news of tenuous peace in Sudan, foreign correspondent Dan Morrison bought a plank-board boat, summoned a childhood friend who'd never been off American soil and set out from Uganda, paddling the White Nile on a quest to reach Cairo-a trip that tyranny and war had made impossible for decades.

Morrison's chronicle is a mashup of travel narrative and reportage, packed with flights into the frightful and the absurd. Through river mud that engulfs him and burning marshlands that darken the sky, he tracks the snarl of commonalities and conflicts that bleed across the Nile valley, bringing to life the waters that connect the hardscrabble fishing villages of Lake Victoria to the floating Cairo nightclubs where headscarved mothers are entertained by gyrating male dancers. In between are places and lives invisible to cable news and opinion blogs: a hidden oil war that has erased entire towns, secret dams that will flood still more and contested borderlands where acts of compassion and ingenuity defy appalling hardship and waste of life. As Morrison dodges every imaginable hazard, from militia gunfire to squalls of sand, his mishaps unfold in strange harmony with the breathtaking range of individuals he meets along the way. Relaying the voices of Sudanese freedom fighters and escaped Ugandan sex slaves, desert tribesmen and Egyptian tomb raiders, The Black Nile culminates in a visceral understanding of one of the world's most elusive hotspots, where millions strive to claw their way from war and poverty to something better-if only they could agree what that something is, whom to share it with, and how to get there.

With the propulsive force of a thriller, The Black Nile is rife with humor, humanity and fervid insight-an unparalleled portrait of a complex territory in profound transition.

From the publisher

" A spectacular modern-day adventure along the Nile River from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea "
With news of tenuous peace in Sudan, foreign correspondent Dan Morrison bought a plank-board boat, summoned a childhood friend who'd never been off American soil and set out from Uganda, paddling the White Nile on a quest to reach Cairo-a trip that tyranny and war had made impossible for decades. Morrison's chronicle is a mashup of travel narrative and reportage, packed with flights into the frightful and the absurd. Through river mud that engulfs him and burning marshlands that darken the sky, he tracks the snarl of commonalities and conflicts that bleed across the Nile valley, bringing to life the waters that connect the hardscrabble fishing villages of Lake Victoria to the floating Cairo nightclubs where headscarved mothers are entertained by gyrating male dancers. In between are places and lives invisible to cable news and opinion blogs: a hidden oil war that has erased entire towns, secret dams that will flood still more and contested borderlands where acts of compassion and ingenuity defy appalling hardship and waste of life. As Morrison dodges every imaginable hazard, from militia gunfire to squalls of sand, his mishaps unfold in strange harmony with the breathtaking range of individuals he meets along the way. Relaying the voices of Sudanese freedom fighters and escaped Ugandan sex slaves, desert tribesmen and Egyptian tomb raiders, "The Black Nile" culminates in a visceral understanding of one of the world's most elusive hotspots, where millions strive to claw their way from war and poverty to something better-if only they could agree what that something is, whom to share it with, and how to get there.
With the propulsive force of a thriller, "The Black Nile" is rife with humor, humanity and fervid insight-an unparalleled portrait of a complex territory in profound transition.

Details

  • Title The Black Nile
  • Author Morrison, Dan
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 307
  • Language EN
  • Publisher Viking Adult, New York
  • Date 2010-08-12
  • ISBN 9780670021987

Media reviews

"This is hard-core African travel...[With] Mr. Morrison's peppery anecdotes, his refreshing honesty and his ability to show how Africans view their difficulties ... the book gives us a compelling portrait of life along the Nile-from lonely fishing communities on Lake Victoria to the cacophonous collisions of Cairo."
-Hugh Pope, Wall Street Journal

"Dan Morrison takes the reader on an incredible journey in The Black Nile. Weaving together intense travel writing and history, he has produced a supremely entertaining work, and also an important one."
-David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes

"Morrison's determined travelogue-cum-political reportage...excels in bringing the place, politics and history of this fragile region alive."
-Ethan Gilsdorf, Boston Globe

"Marvelous...A beautifully written tale of an American on a journey to find out who else is out there, what they're thinking, why they do what they do...Every time you think a stretch of Africa is beyond redemption, Morrison strikes up a conversation with another thoughtful pilgrim with a funny, interesting, and often hopeful things to say."
-Tom Robbins, The Village Voice

"Beautifully written. A masterful narrative of investigative reportage, travel writing, and contemporary history...The Black Nile is all at once thrilling, sad, and-most of all-thoughtful."
-The Daily Beast

"Dan Morrison is too young to have been part of the Gonzo movement. But if Hunter Thompson decided to travel the Nile, from its Ugandan source to Alexandria, encountering gun-toting whackos, crazed religious zealots, scary profiteers and a rich cast of characters in one of the world's most contested regions-well, I think he would have loved to share his trek with Morrison. Fasten your seat belts, readers!"
-Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Coming Plague

"[The Black Nile] vacillates between racy travel tale and political commentary... [as] Morrison combines wit with deep reporting about the region."
- Laura Speyer, Bloomberg News

"Part travelogue, part crazy adventure tale, part political reportage . . . Morrison's African river journey is a paradoxical mixture of awe-inspiring discoveries, eye-opening human interactions and perilous escapes."
-Chuck Leddy, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"The Black Nile reveals a traveler of dark humor and insight, equal parts Paul Theroux and Bill Buford."
-Robert Twigger, author of Dr. Ragab's Universal Language and Angry White Pyjamas

"[Morrison] avoids the evangelical zeal and nanve prescriptions other Africa books fall victim to...[while] the more adventuresome portions of The Black Nile keep it from reading like a textbook...[He] teeters dangerously close to gunfights, disease, and run-ins with the authorities while relying on former rebels, proto-entrepreneurs, and crooked bureaucrats to get him through."
-Outside

"Morrison's account transcends the travel genre to provide authentic and timely information on a complicated part of the world. Highly recommended."
-Melissa Stearns, Library Journal

"An unorthodox travelogue... packed with illuminating, gritty detail."
-Kirkus

"Part On the Road, part Fear and Loathing in Africa, Dan Morrison takes us with him on his journey down the Nile-teaching us, by example, to be explorers of both the world and ourselves."
-Kevin Sites, author of In the Hot Zone

"The only thing more vivid would be traveling the river yourself. Then again, you may be a little more skittish about contested borders, rampaging militias and tiny plank-board boats than Dan Morrison is. The Black Nile is eye- opening, breath-taking, heart-pounding and, frankly, all the adventure I'm up for now."
-Ellis Henican, Fox News Channel

Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Morrison, Dan

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$7.73
A$6.18 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Viking. Used - Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
A$7.73
A$6.18 shipping to USA
The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest...
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Morrison, Dan

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
4
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$7.75
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
A$7.75
FREE shipping to USA
The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Dan Morrison

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Syracuse, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$7.75
A$9.30 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Viking, August 2010. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 9.1 X 6.0 X 1.3 inches; 320 pages
Item Price
A$7.75
A$9.30 shipping to USA
THE BLACK NILE: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

THE BLACK NILE: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Morrison, Dan

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Concord, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$8.91
A$7.75 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Viking Adult, 2010, 2010. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Octavo, hardcover, fine in near fine black and blue pictorial dj. First edition, first printing. 307pp frontis maps, plus some photos. 3600 miles of hair raising spectacle and adventure from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea.
Item Price
A$8.91
A$7.75 shipping to USA
The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Dan Morrison

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Like New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$9.73
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Hardcover. Like New. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
A$9.73
FREE shipping to USA
The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Dan Morrison

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$10.13
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Hardcover. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
A$10.13
FREE shipping to USA
The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

The Black Nile : One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Dan Morrison

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
3
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$10.13
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
A$10.13
FREE shipping to USA
The Black Nile
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile

by Morrison, Dan

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - VG
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$12.40
A$5.81 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Viking, 2010. 307pp. Extremities book & Dj lightly rubbed; ffep. has been removed. Photos.. Hb. VG/VG.
Item Price
A$12.40
A$5.81 shipping to USA
The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Dan Morrison

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$12.69
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Viking Adult, 2010-08-12. Hardcover. Good.
Item Price
A$12.69
FREE shipping to USA
The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Black Nile: One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War on the World's Longest River

by Morrison, Dan

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780670021987 / 0670021989
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Rockford, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$14.97
A$6.18 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New. The item is Brand New!
Item Price
A$14.97
A$6.18 shipping to USA