When Allan Quatermain is approached by Sir Henry Curtis and his friend Captain Good to search for Sir Henry`s missing brother, deep in the African interior, he agrees to lead their expedition. Quatermain has a map to the fabled King Solomon`s Mines, whose treasure the missing man sought to attain. Their journey takes them to Kukuanaland, where they find a warrior tribe in thrall to King Twala. Soon the white men are embroiled in a desperate tribal battle, and Quatermain`s expedition can only reach its goal with the aid of Gagool, the ancient `mother` no one trusts.

Haggard`s exciting adventure story captivated readers when it was first published in 1885. It helped inaugurate a wave of `lost world` romances inspired by the exploits of British explorers in colonial Africa. This new edition looks at Haggard`s own African experiences and unlikely literary success, and his ambivalent attitude to the native tribes and the ravages of the British Empire.