Structure

River of the Gods is divided into four parts, each subdivided further into a series of chapters of differing lengths. The chapters are named after a significant person or place, or bear a quote from the diaries of one of the main characters. The focus of the chapters shifts as the book progresses, placing emphasis on different character’s experiences of the same events. The author opens the book with a prologue that contains a detailed discussion of the events that led to an increased fascination with the African continent. This prologue adds context to the subsequent explorations and heightens the reader’s interest in the historical events chronicled in the book. Similarly, the epilogue at the end of the book serves to enumerate the legacy of each of the main characters and puts into perspective the real consequences of European exploration.

Part one explores the circumstances...