Over Land and Sea: Memoir of an Austrian Rear Admiral's Life in Europe and Africa, 1857-1909

By Pascal James Imperato, Ludwig Ritter von Hohnel, Ronald E. Coons

Ludwig Ritter von H?hnel lived a fascinating life-he was an Austrian subject who achieved distinction as an African explorer, a naval officer, and a courtier. The turbulent years preceding the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918 are revived through H?hnel's vibrant memoir. An explorer of East Africa in the era of Livingstone and Stanley, H?hnel mapped vast areas of modern-day Kenya and Tanzania, and was among the first Europeans to see Lake Rudolf (today Lake Turkana). While in Africa, he was seriously injured by a charging rhinoceros and was transported back to Europe. There he re-joined the Austro-Hungarian Navy and rose steadily in rank until his retirement in 1909. During this time, H?hnel was given the prestigious appointment of aide-de-camp to the aged Emperor Franz Josef, whom he served (and critically observed) at court between 1899 and 1903. During the 1920s, under the encouragement of his friend and former travel companion William Astor Chanler, H?hnel wrote his English-language autobiography. This manuscript had been in the possession of the Chanler family for several decades, but was only recently rediscovered. H?hnel's memoirs appear in print for the first time in this volume. An astute observer of his own life and the world about him, H?hnel provides insight into the nature and perils of African exploration, the activities of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, and the limited intellectual horizons of the Hapsburg court.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0841913900
• ISBN13: 9780841913905
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Holmes & Meier Pub
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.5"