Although Western explorers have been drawn to the beauty and mystery of the Blue Nile since Europeans first walked along the shores of Lake Tana centuries ago, the river was never fully mapped until thirty years ago. The river' s predatory wildlife and the force of its waters are so daunting and perilous that as recently as 1962, no one had succeeded in journeying its length by boat. But that is the goal of the expedition that renowned biographer and journalist Virginia Morell takes readers on in this extraordinary narrative: to travel the Blue Nile' s length by raft in a single, unbroken journey--from Ethiopia to the Sudan.

Imbuing "Blue Nile with fascinating depth and invaluable perspective, Morell underscores her own crew' s riveting, action-packed adventure with the stories of various Nile expeditions throughout history. She also delivers a vivid portrait of the history of the people who inhabit the gorge, affording readers an unprecedented understanding of the current political unrest and a bracing account of the fierce border war being waged between Ethiopian and Eritrean military forces.