learned a few things about African history and politics, but did not warm to the narrator and his friend/travel companion. Almost no humor , and few interesting incidents ( though I admit, I'm surprised he survived such a poorly planned trip) Just not my cup of tea ( )

If you love going to your brother-in-laws house to see his home movies from his last family vacation, you may be a candidate to enjoy this book. If you're among the people who would rather clean your sock drawer than endure the family travelogue, then this book may not be for you.
Part of the problem I had was the publishers "hook" in the subtitle, e.g., "One Man's Amazing Journey Through Peace and War...". I'm sure that was intended to move the book off the bookshelves in the stores, but the book didn't deliver in that regard. I found the sub-title false advertising. The book really was much more of the day-to-day problems of making a several months journey through Sudan to Egypt. But it wasn't much of a river journey as much as a bus, rental car, and truck ride from one little village to another in the general vicinity of the Nile. And the adventure promised isn't about wildlife, historical points of interest, or warring tribes, but more about how the author can find a ride, find a hotel or other place to sleep, or a decent meal.
The only salvation, for me, was the reminder of how fortunate we are as Americans. The Africans the author met were a mix of very poor or often corrupt political figures, and the lives they lead are very difficult indeed. Remembering that, and remembering to appreciate what we have, was the best thing I took from this book.
( )

I got this book as an advanced reader copy from Firstreads. I was disappointed with this book. I felt like the first half was spent telling us what he spent on his trip. The second half was better because he actually started talking to some of the local people after his friend left the expedition. I liked the map at the front, because I could look at it to see where he was and how he was progressing. After 2/3 of the book, he was about halfway through his trip, so the end was wrapped up in a very rushed fashion. I wish I new the characters better at the end of the book. At first, I was enjoying the conversational style of the writing, but by the end I was frustrated by how superficially everything was handled.

Not a very well written account of the Author's journey of the length and breadth of the Nile from Uganda to Egypt.