The classic first-person account of explorations in search of the Niger River, edited and with an introduction by Kate Ferguson Marsters. This edition includes the complete text, and all the original maps and illustrations. Park provides a chronicle of the culture, society and nature of West Africa before the colonial period. First published in 1799, it's also a terrific adventure, the story of a 24-year-old Scotsman exploring, often alone, in uncharted Africa.  (WAF40, $23.95)

The 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time