Crossing the Heart of Africa

Banff Award Winner: “Like David Grann’s The Lost City of Z, this is two stories, of an explorer and of the author’s search for him, and both are compelling.” —Library Journal

In 1898 the dashing British adventurer Ewart “the Leopard” Grogan fell head-over-heels in love—but before he could marry, he needed the approval of his beloved’s skeptical aristocratic stepfather. Grogan, seeking to prove his worth and earn her hand, set out on an epic quest to become the first man to walk the entire length of Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, a feat, as the New York Times put it, “hitherto thought by many explorers to be impossible.”

A little more than a century later, American journalist Julian Smith also found himself madly in love with his girlfriend of seven years . . . but terrified by the prospect of marriage. Inspired by Grogan’s story, which he discovered by chance, Smith decided to face his fears of commitment by retracing the explorer’s amazing—but now forgotten—4,500-mile journey for love and glory through Africa. Crossing the Heart of Africa is the unforgettable account of these twin adventures, as Smith beautifully interweaves his own contemporary journey with Grogan’s larger-than-life tale of cannibal attacks, charging elephants, deadly jungles, and romantic triumph.

“Not only a modern-day travelogue, but also a great historical account of a charming trailblazer, and the story of a modern-day relationship.” —Miami Herald

“Smith, a talented travel writer . . . evokes Grogan, his adventures, and his world with both insight and panache . . . and matchless skill.” —The Washington Post

“A rapturous adventure narrative that shows love really does conquer all.” —Hampton Sides, New York Times–bestselling author of In the Kingdom of Ice

Gold Prize Winner, Society of American Travel Writers Western Writing Awards

Banff Mountain Book Competition Winner, Special Jury Mention

American Society of Journalists and Authors Award Winner: Best Book (Memoir)