Heroes of empire: five charismatic men and the conquest of Africa

During the period 1870 to 1914 legendary heroes and their astonishing deeds of conquest gave imperialism a recognizable human face.

Henry Morton Stanley, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Charles Gordon, Jean-Baptiste Marchand, and Hubert Lyautey all braved almost unimaginable dangers among 'savage' people for their nation's greater good.

This book, a history of colonial heroes in Britain and France, shows the shift from public veneration of the peaceful conqueror to unbridled passion for the vanquishing hero.