Book excerpt: H. Rider Haggard practically invented the "journey-to-a-lost-civilization" adventure genre, which captured the public's imagination. He traveled the world, spending much time in southern Africa. These exotic experiences influenced all his works. He wrote best-selling adventure stories on a dare. All his writings reflect a deep appreciation of humanity in the midst of extraordinary fantasy and adventure. In all, he wrote over 40 novels. This heirloom edition is part of The Essential Adventure Library, an entertaining collection of hard-to-find adventure stories. Visit www.EssentialLibrary.com to see all the titles in this series.