Allan Quatermain

By H. Rider Haggard

Allan Quatermain is a 1887 sequel to Sir Henry Rider Haggard's famous and sensational novel King Solomon's Mines. Quatermain, an English-born Africa explorer of the Victorian era, is the explicit template for the Indiana Jones character. Granted, Harrison Ford is much younger and snappier than Quatermain, who in the Haggard series is an old professional big game hunter and trader based out of South Africa. This series kicked off what's called the Lost World genre, a thread that Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Michael Crichton would later take up. 

In this adventure, our titular hero has lost his only son but is burning to get back into some action. He postpones his wedding and persuades some old mates to search for a lost (white) kingdom in East Africa. This action-packed story is well written and doesn't feel out of date at all. It contains daring fight scenes, terrible dangers, and spectacular escapes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheba Blake Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329371149

H. Rider Haggard

Sir Henry Rider Haggard, (1856-1925) commonly known as H. Rider Haggard was an English author active during the Victorian era. Considered a pioneer of the lost world genre, Haggard was known for his adventure fiction. His work often depicted African settings inspired by the seven years he lived in South Africa with his family. In 1880, Haggard married Marianna Louisa Margitson and together they had four children, one of which followed her father’s footsteps and became an author. Haggard is still widely read today, and is celebrated for his imaginative wit and impact on 19th century adventure literature.