Walking the Nile

Review Praise for Levison Wood and Walking the Nile : An Amazon Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction) “Wood’s interest, as well as his talents as a writer, lie . . . in finding out ‘what life was like in corners of the world that do not always make it into our headlines’ and in capturing the character and foibles of the people who inhabit them . . . Mr. Wood has a good eye for detail and a better ear for dialogue . . . What’s more, unlike many explorers who went before him, Mr. Wood seems to have remained composed and charming throughout.” — Wall Street Journal “Gripping . . . Collecting these stories—let alone doing so beautifully—requires a variety of lucky skills. Wood emerges as a dutiful and brave guide.” — Los Angeles Times “A brilliant book.” ― Financial Times “ Walking the Nile continues the illustrious tradition of travel adventures stretching from Marco Polo to Henry W. Longfellow to Bear Grylls . . . Wood’s remarkable achievement is one each reader can savor vicariously . . . This worthy effort . . . should satisfy even the most jaded armchair adventurers.” — Lincoln Journal Star “A travelogue vivid enough to feel the burning sands in our soles.” —John Sandford, Minneapolis Star Tribune “Moments of sheer beauty and splendor are expertly juxtaposed with descriptions of the harshness of life for millions living in Africa, giving this account a depth and humbleness not often found in memoir/adventure writing. Wood has set a standard that will be hard to surpass.” —Shelf Awareness “Walking the Nile has enticed many explorers, but Wood provides an up-to-the-minute portrait of the nations and people that claim the world’s longest river . . . Wood is a sharp observer and authoritative writer. He takes pains to describe the Rwandan conflict, the Egyptian revolution, the Sudanese civil war, and all the culture clashes in between . . . A bold travelogue, illuminating great swathes of modern Africa.” — Kirkus Reviews “[An] ambitious attempt . . . the opinions of the people [Wood] encounters . . . are dynamic and at times surprising . . . These voices, seen through the lens of Wood’s words, make this memoir a success.” — Publishers Weekly “[Wood], in addition to being adventurous, determined, and rugged, is also very reflective . . . A collection of anecdotes that seem to be plucked from a Kipling adventure novel . . . From the terrifying to the exotic, Levison Wood has encountered just about everything imaginable, and then some . . . What comes through just as clearly as botany, geology, hydrology and zoology is the remarkable variety of cultures and people he meets along this unique expedition, presenting for us their lives, their work, their societies, and their history.” ―CentralJersey.com “An immense feat of endurance, a magnificent journey and a great adventure.” —Ranulph Fiennes “Many have attempted this holy grail of an expedition—so I admire Lev’s determination and courage to pull this off” —Bear Grylls “Obsession, sacrifice, bravery, death—the themes of great expedition tales haven’t changed since Odysseus set sail. The adventurer Levison Wood has accomplished a doubly impressive feat, not only walking the Nile but capturing that experience in this lovely, evocative book.” —Mark Adams, New York Times bestselling author of Turn Right at Machu Pichu “In the macho, adrenaline-fuelled arena of TV adventurers, Levison Wood is that rare beast: the real deal.” — Radio Times (UK) “Unlike a great many pretenders, [Wood] is the real deal: a former paratrooper, a major in the Army Reserve and as hard as nails.” — Sunday Telegraph (UK) “Wood is not most men . . . He has earned a reputation as a real-life action man.” — Mirror (UK) “Britain’s best-loved adventurer.” — Times (UK) About the Author Levison Wood is a writer, photographer, and explorer. He served in the British Army Parachute Regiment and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. His work has been featured in publications around the world, including the BBC, National Geographic , and Discovery Channel . When not abroad, he lives in London.