King Solomons Mines

When Allan Quatermain is approached by Sir Henry Curtis and his friend Captain Good to search for Sir Henrys missing brother, deep in the African interior, he agrees to lead their expedition. Quatermain has a map to the fabled King Solomons Mines, whose treasure the missing man sought to attain. Their journey takes them to Kukuanaland, where they find a warrior tribe in thrall to King Twala. Soon the white men are embroiled in a desperate tribal battle, and Quatermains expedition can only reach its goal with the aid of Gagool, the ancient mother no one trusts.

Haggards exciting adventure story captivated readers when it was first published in 1885. It helped inaugurate a wave of lost world romances inspired by the exploits of British explorers in colonial Africa. This new edition looks at Haggards own African experiences and unlikely literary success, and his ambivalent attitude to the native tribes and the ravages of the British Empire.