David Livingstone (Book)
For 32 years Scottish missionary and doctor David Livingstone carried
the message of the Christian gospel as he trekked more than 40,000 miles
from Cape Town through central Africa. This very detailed biography in
the Heroes of the Faith series gives a strong sense of his commitment to
his missionary work and his courage as an explorer. Unfortunately,
there is some of the usual dark-Africa nonsense about heathen, savage
native tribes who speak in dialects. However, Wellman makes clear that,
unlike many white colonials, Livingstone was driven not to grab people's
land but to save their souls. Many whites hated him because he was
outraged by slavery and treated black Africans as equals. He tried to
develop trade as the key to spreading the gospel and stopping war. There
is some fictionalization, especially about his childhood, but the
quotes from his extensive diaries will draw readers to both the humble
man of God and the public heroic adventurer.
