A bold elephant hunter journeys to an unknown land in search of fabled lost treasure. But terrible dangers threaten anyone who approaches the wonderful diamond mines of King Solomon.
On board a ship bound for Natal, adventurer Allan Quatermain meets Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good. His new friends have set out to find Sir Henry’s younger brother, who vanished while seeking King Solomon’s legendary diamond mines in the African interior. By strange chance, Quatermain has a map to the mines, drawn in blood, and agrees to join the others on their perilous journey. The travelers face many dangers on their quest—the baking desert heat, freezing mountains, the hostile lost tribe they discover, and the evil “wise woman” who holds the secret of the diamond mines.
King Solomon’s Mines is a brilliant work of adventure romance that has gripped readers for generations. This novel is an enduring favorite that is filled with qualities close to the human heart: the spirit of adventure and discovery, the desire for immortality, primal terror, and the search for the primitive. Few knew the Dark Continent as Haggard did; his experience of savage life and wild lands lends a visceral credibility that makes us believe the impossible. Yet beyond all this lies a feeling for the supernatural. Adventure alone was not enough for Haggard: “The thing must have a heart.”
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"Haggard's writing is descriptive without being tedious. The characters are relatable and fun. The hero, Alan Quatermain, is not a young man. He's in his sixties, but he is rough and ready for a good elephant hunt, or to lead an expedition across the desert. This is an adventure worth a read."
— John (4 out of 5 stars)
“Enchantment is just what Rider Haggard exercised…his books live today with undiminished vitality.”
— Graham Greene, New York Times bestselling author“Since Treasure Island we have seen no such healthily exciting volume.”
— Saturday Review“A peculiarly thrilling and vigorous tale of adventure.”
— Andrew Lang“[King Solomon’s Mines] has an appeal and durability which leads one to wonder if it isn’t more than just a well-told tale.”
— Robert Sandels, Armchair Detective contributor" There no doubt why this book is a classic. It's filled with a lot of excitement, great characters, exploration and adventure. It's a timeless book that takes the best elements of the Hobbit and Robinson Caruso and combines them into an excellent novel, if still a bit predictable. "
— Walter, 2/4/2014" One of the best novels .. I wasn't sure at first and thought about not starting it but when I started I found that the adventures starts from the beginning till the end .. Loved it so much "
— Sarah, 1/21/2014" Not bad... One thing I enjoyed was that I didn't get too wrapped up in the older style of English. It was entertaining and quite an easy read. "
— Stephanie, 1/13/2014" A wonderful book. An adventure tale which was truly an adventure to read. "
— Kyle, 1/13/2014" What a fun read! I loved it! Packed full of intrigue, adventure, interest and intensity. I hope never to forget Allan Quartermain, Sir Henry, Godd adn Umbopa (Ingosi). Love hearing about lost civilazations and secret treasures. An excellent fun and humorous book! "
— Robin, 12/11/2013" I really liked this book. It surprised me by being much better than I thought it might when I started. "
— Greg, 12/7/2013" Read this book when I was 14 and it was a great reading. "
— Carla, 10/15/2013" So I was expecting a tale about gold mines and finding treasure...which happens but not until the very end of the book. The majority of it is about the tribe that kind of protects the mines. Though the characters involved from the tribe are somewhat interesting, I was not really liking the book much until they enter the mines and things started to get exciting. "
— Tasha, 10/12/2013" not as good as I had hoped it would be. Burroughs outwrites Haggard when it come to Pulp Adventure . . . "
— Dave, 9/8/2013" was an awsome book full of adventure "
— Michael, 7/29/2013" Though the colonial perspective may offend some readers, this 19th century adventure novel made my rainy day. "
— Felisa, 7/20/2013" A great classic adventure from Haggard. "
— Aurelio, 5/31/2013" I really enjoyed this book - old school treasure hunting in Africa. Doesn't hurt that I already had sean Connery in my head as quartermain. Hooray league of extraordinary gentlemen. The fight scene was a little too lord of the rings long. "
— Erin, 5/30/2013" If you like Indiana Jones, this is the book for you. After all, Haggard pretty much created the genre. "
— Todd, 4/10/2012" Always curious about this book. Finally read it. "
— Sarah, 1/10/2012" I really enjoyed this book, although it's not my usual type to read. Maybe that's why I didn't run across it earlier. It was mostly fast paced to read,which is sometimes rare for books from the 1800's. It seemed just like an Indiana Jones movie to me. Loved it! "
— Michelle, 8/6/2011" Light hearted old-timey adventure book. Nothing to be gained but a few hours of entertaiment. "
— Matt, 8/24/2010" Good adventure, but a little too white victorian imperialistic male for me. "
— Elissa, 2/15/2010" The story was captivating. I loved it. Besides 'To kill a mockingbird', this would be one of the best classics yet. "
— Elicia, 7/23/2009" Be careful, this book will take you away...adventure by adventure by adventure... "
— Marlene, 5/20/2009" Fascinating look at the origins of the adventure novel. Without Haggard there would be no Indiana Jones or other such adventure heroes. A fun, strange read. "
— Donna, 7/30/2008" such a nice book to read. "
— Plangji, 9/3/2007" Definitely books from a different generation. She was an interesting tale of mysterious jungle adventure... Quatermain's tales seemed from an error of bloody machoism that were tough to stomach. "
— Chris, 4/26/2007H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was born in Norfolk, England. After failing the Army entrance exam, he went to Natal in 1875 as secretary to Sir Henry Bulwer and the next year went to the Transvaal. He returned to England in 1881, married, and settled down to a literary life. His first novel, King Solomon’s Mines, was published in 1885. He published thirty-four adventure novels during his lifetime. He was knighted in 1912.
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.