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Summary: The humanitarian at heart
Review: Black Livingstone is a remarkable tale, illustrating hardships, history, and the dignity and determination associated with two courageous explorers. Pagan Kennedy accurately portrays 19th century Africa, and shows the light and beauty of the "dark continent". Readers are bombarded with delicate representations of barbaric and striking images. In turn, it enables the reader to experience a deeper feeling of empathy for the abused Africans. This novel raises questions as to whose way of thinking was most primitive. This ironic twist reveals that perhaps the most civilized are the most barbaric by nature. The character Sheppard shows the Pontius Pilate in all of us. That no matter how much we want to strive for goodness, our weaknesses and dark sides, can get the best of us. The novels descriptive nature allows readers to see the intimacy Sheppard shared with the Kuba people, as well as the lack of intimacy he did share with his wife. A notable highlight of this novel is demonstrated when a more tasteless and uncouth side of Sheppard is shown. It showcases the human nature of Sheppard, and most men in general. Although not a difficult read, this book is recommended to those who care for the well being for the human race.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many "probablys"
Review: I agree that Pagan Kennedy is an excellent storyteller, and her telling of William Sheppard's story is spellbinding. Contrary to what some reviewers think, however, there is much more primary material available to the researcher than Kennedy seems to have used. Unfortunately, Black Livingstone is marred by too many suppositions--maybe, probably, perhaps, could have, should have, etc.--and the author attributes attitudes both to Sheppard and his associates that cannot be substantiated from records. William Phipps's biography, William Sheppard: Congo's African American Livingstone, presents a much more balanced picture of this important man's life and service.
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Summary: Brilliant story-telling!
Review: I picked up this book with some trepidation. What did I know about the Congo at the turn of the century? Who was William Shepard? Still, a friend a recommended it, and boy was I glad I read it. Despite the fact that I had other work to do, I could not put the book down until I finished it. The story was incredibly compelling, and Pagan Kennedy's style thrusted me from page to page. As an academic, I am used to books that weigh you down with footnotes and hyper-analysis tha, in the end, forget to tell you a story! Pagan Kennedy is a story-teller, first and foremost, and with this book she shows what she can do, while still conveying the depths of the tragic history of the Congo. This is a book both for learning and, just as importantly, for fun. I am not a professional reviewer, but I could see this being one of those books they recommend as great summer reading, or one of those books your read on the beach during vacation.
Rating: 
Summary: The Unknown Black American Explorer
Review: I think that this book gives an excellent, detailed look back on a greatly unknown black American explorer, William Henry Sheppard. Pagan Kennedy opens our eyes to history that is left out of history books. The Presbyterian missionary attempts to convert African tribes into "civilized Christians", but in the end fails because of his mishaps and disliking by a white missionary. I recommend this book to anyone interested in studying black American explorers, or anyone looking for information on the Belgium Congo.
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Summary: AN OLD FASHIONED ADVENTURE STORY
Review: In my younger years I read many a book about exploring Africa and hunting the animals as well as safaris' as written by various authors. Great reading!This book is about a black man named William Henry Sheppard A/K/A
The Black Livingstone...for good reason. Others complain about using conjecture in writing this story, however, the author, Pagan Kennedy, admits there are huge holes missing in the life of William Sheppard and I believe she did a fine job in telling this story. To make it interesting she just had to use conjecture or there would have been no book. There are plenty of facts, however, to prove that a whole lot of life-threatening danger was involved and original exploration and pathfinding done by the Black Livingstone. This is the story of a black man's life that started as a nobody, then through hard work and some chicanery became a sought after celebrity and then in the waning years again became a nobody. The relationship between Sheppard and his wife is an interesting one. All of her life she dreamed of living a certain way and after MANY decades she finally realized her dreams as outlined in the epilogue. This was a fine book for me as the author did well in assembling the information at hand. I had never heard of Sheppard and the others in this story and am glad I read it!
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Summary: The Tale of the Congo
Review: Pagan Kennedy told the story of a African American missonary who wanted to convert the uncharted parts of the Congo to christianity. William Sheppard, the missionary, was very determined to complete his goal of converting the Congo even if it took his whole life. I Could not put the book down. The book was basically a detailed sum up of what really went on in the Congo. At some points in the book it almost seemed fictional because it was so hard to believe what was happening to him amd the people who were with him. The book was a very good read, but at some points hard to understand but that added to the suspense of the book. Overall the book was a very fun an interesting book to read. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the Congo or who wants to find a good book to read.
Rating:
Summary: The Tale of the Congo
Review: Pagan Kennedy told the story of a African American missonary who wanted to convert the uncharted parts of the Congo to christianity. William Sheppard, the missionary, was very determined to complete his goal of converting the Congo even if it took his whole life. I Could not put the book down. The book was basically a detailed sum up of what really went on in the Congo. At some points in the book it almost seemed fictional because it was so hard to believe what was happening to him amd the people who were with him. The book was a very good read, but at some points hard to understand but that added to the suspense of the book. Overall the book was a very fun an interesting book to read. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the Congo or who wants to find a good book to read.
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Summary: With Pagan Kennedy in Darkest Africa
Review: Stanley's presumption that the white man he stumbled upon in the wilds of the Congo must be the lost Dr Livingstone was at least based on some knowledge. The same however, can not be said about some of the assumptions that Pagan Kennedy makes regarding the thoughts and motives of Presbyterian missionary William Sheppard in BLACK LIVINGSTONE. As another reviewer has already pointed out there are too many instances of "he must have thought" "he would have believed" "perhaps he felt" and so on. Suppositions that because they are repeated so often only draw your attention to the reality that there seems to be an awful lot that the author doesn't know about her subject. It's also very distracting. More research may have only helped a little as there does not seem to be a whole lot of information available about William Sheppard. Born in 1865 in Virginia he attended Hampton Institute and then entered the ministry in Alabama. After pastorships in Georgia, this young black man in the predominantly white Southern Presbyterian Church was offered a position as missionary to the Belgian Congo in 1890. He and a fellow missionary - 23 year old white Alabaman Samuel Lapsley set off for what would be a 20 year adventure for Sheppard. Lapsley on the otherhand lasted no time at all. He died from fever in 1892, eventually being replaced by William Morrison who came out in 1897. Writing style and paucity of research material on the main subject notwithstanding, the book does a good enough job with the descrition of some of the adventures that Sheppard embarked on. Such as his journey to the land of the Kuba peoples "who lived at the end of a labyrinth of secret paths; anyone who told the way into the city would be beheaded." This was also Congo under the rule of the rapacious Belgian King Leopold II and one of the duties assigned to Sheppard following Morrison's arrival was to document the cruel exploitation of the locals by the Europeans. Sheppards' uncovering of a massacre of locals by a cannibalistic king working at the behest of the Belgians showed both his bravery and his ability to handle tricky situations. In the end the man was undone not by tribal feuding, politics or Belgian revenge, but by subtle human failings. He was found guilty of adultery having taken a few African mistresses while on service and was called home to answer charges by the church. It is strange that in discussing this episode the author is not as forthcoming with proposing what Sheppard might have been thinking or feeling. Perhaps it is finally a recognition that we simply can't know. William Sheppard comes through as a brave, enterprising, and intrepid person. More akin to adventurer than missionary. He certainly rises above his fellow church workers. If BLACK LIVINGSTONE had been simply a telling of his story rather than guessing his thoughts, then the book would have been as enjoyable as the man was interesting.
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Summary: William Sheppard should be better known
Review: The life and work of William Sheppard should be better known. He was an African-American who escaped Jim Crow in the U.S. to become a missionary in Africa. He co-founded a Christian mission in Africa where they had been none before and for a time ran it single-handedly. He was also an amateur anthropologist/ethnologist and became the first foreigner to establish contact with the Kuba people of central Africa and to describe their culture to the outside world. On top of all that, he documented the cruelty of the King Leopold's Congo rule. Unfortunately, it is not clear that "Black Livingstone: A True Tale of Adventure in the Nineteenth-Century Congo" by Pagan Kennedy is up to the job of elevating William Sheppard to his rightful place in history. The book is well written, worth reading, and might be valuable to anyone interested in Africa, the Congo, or Christian missionaries, but a lot of the story is missing and is filled in with generalities from Sheppard's time. It may be the case that original documents concerning Sheppard's life are lost, and this is the best that can be done, or perhaps another book can do better. Four stars, but barely.
Rating:
Summary: William Sheppard should be better known
Review: The life and work of William Sheppard should be better known. He was an African-American who escaped Jim Crow in the U.S. to become a missionary in Africa. He co-founded a Christian mission in Africa where they had been none before and for a time ran it single-handedly. He was also an amateur anthropologist/ethnologist and became the first foreigner to establish contact with the Kuba people of central Africa and to describe their culture to the outside world. On top of all that, he documented the cruelty of the King Leopold's Congo rule. Unfortunately, it is not clear that "Black Livingstone: A True Tale of Adventure in the Nineteenth-Century Congo" by Pagan Kennedy is up to the job of elevating William Sheppard to his rightful place in history. The book is well written, worth reading, and might be valuable to anyone interested in Africa, the Congo, or Christian missionaries, but a lot of the story is missing and is filled in with generalities from Sheppard's time. It may be the case that original documents concerning Sheppard's life are lost, and this is the best that can be done, or perhaps another book can do better. Four stars, but barely.
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