The last time I met one of my hero’s, American explorer and friend, Julian Monroe Fisher, was when I went to meet him at Brussels Airport in December 2013 (see picture above: early early morning!). He was ready to fly to South Sudan for The RailRider’s Great African Expedition and the civil war had just started the week before… Julian is an Anthropologist and explorer. He is also an International Fellow with The Explorer’s Club in New York City, a Fellow with The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) in London and a member of The American Anthropological Association in Washington.Between 2007 and 2016 Julian completed six Explorers Club Flag Expeditions to the African continent. Born in the town of Greenwood in the US state of South Carolina, Julian is a graduate of Appalachian State University.
Julian is currently living in the jungle near the village of Jacintoville in the Toledo District of Belize, Central America. Recently he published his latest book: MOUNTAINS OF KONG. The mountains of Kong were a mountain range that first appeared on Scottish explorer Mungo Park’s post expedition map in 1790’s, the range remained on maps for nearly a hundred years until they were removed from maps after a French explorer went to the village of Kong in West Africa and declared the ‘Mountains of Kong’ were not real. That said, in the summer of 2016 Julian Monroe Fisher went to West Africa and now believes that he has solved the riddle of ‘the Mountains of Kong’ recently declaring, “No mystery, they were right where they have always been, just not as long”.
MOUNTAINS OF KONG is a collection of short stories beginning with Julian’s 2013 TEDx TALK in Innsbruck, Austria, discussing ‘exploring beyond our culture of contest’ and an inspirational account of the realities of 21st Century African exploration for all ages, no, the book has nothing to do with the King Kong…
Here are 8 good reasons to read it:
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG goes onto recount the adventures behind Julian’s six Explorer’s Club scientific flag expeditions to Africa between 2007 and 2016.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG talks about the explorer’s journey to Katanga during his global search for the skull of Congolese King Msiri.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG takes you on an expedition ‘into the Mountains of the Moon’ deep in the region along the actual demarcated Uganda-Congo borderline.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG brings the reader along with Julian during his walk across Africa from Mozambique to Angola.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG talks about his overland journey from Cairo to Khartoum along the River Nile and across the deserts of Sudan.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG talks about Julian’s walk across South Sudan and Uganda during the civil war along the Baker Trail.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG talks about his climb up Mount Morungole and his times spent with the IK tribe in the lawless region of northern Karamoja.
- MOUNTAINS OF KONG brings to light Julian’s belief that he has solved the 200 year old riddle of Africa’s mythical ‘MOUNTAINS OF KONG’.
- And probably most importantly, MOUNTAINS OF KONG is written by an explorer pur sang which I admire enldessly
Still need more info? The Adventure Blog wrote a good article about the book. Read it!
The book can be bought at Amazon.
An excellent read–After I started reading this book, I was unable to put it down until the end. Even though it is autobiographical, it is also interspersed with fascinating points of African history as well as a glimpse into the lives of earlier explorers. I came away with a new understanding of Africa, but I also experienced a fresh perspective on what is really means to dedicate one’s life to exploration and adventure. Mr. Fisher was unafraid to roll the dice and follow his dreams. The book is honest, uncompromising, and inspiring!
Review at Amazon.com
Check out Julian’s website
Enjoy the reading you all and…hope to see you soon Fisher!