Book Description:
First published in 1873, The African Sketch-Book is a sweeping, two-volume travel narrative chronicling British explorer W. Winwood Reade’s journeys through West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana), and beyond. Blending vivid personal observation with historical commentary, Reade paints a complex portrait of African societies in the 19th century—detailing village life, indigenous customs, colonial politics, and the lingering effects of the transatlantic slave trade.
More than a travelogue, the work serves as a philosophical and political reflection on empire, progress, and human destiny. Reade’s prose is bold, often controversial, reflecting both the biases of his era and a restless intellect grappling with moral questions about civilization and conquest. As a precursor to his later work The Martyrdom of Man, The African Sketch-Book remains a valuable—if provocative—window into the Victorian worldview and Europe’s evolving relationship with the African continent.
About W. Winwood Reade:
W. Winwood Reade (1838–1875) was a British historian, explorer, and writer best known for his travels in West Africa and his philosophical treatise The Martyrdom of Man. A nephew of novelist Charles Reade, Winwood Reade embarked on multiple expeditions across the African continent, driven by a fascination with geography, anthropology, and the politics of empire. His detailed observations from journeys through Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gold Coast culminated in The African Sketch-Book (1873), a two-volume travelogue that blends vivid description with imperial critique and philosophical reflection.
Reade was an unconventional thinker for his time, challenging religious orthodoxy and colonial assumptions in his work. Though controversial, his writings influenced figures such as H.G. Wells and remain important documents of 19th-century European perspectives on Africa. He died prematurely at the age of 37, leaving behind a legacy that straddles the lines between science, literature, and empire.
Product Details
Formats Available: Paperback, Hardcover
Trim Size: 6.000" x 9.000" (229mm x 152mm)
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