Africa’s rivers are the arteries of this incredible continent, its very lifeblood, and well worth an edition all of their own. From the moment I opened the first few pages to read Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child, which took me back to my childhood (could this have been where the first seeds of my love for Africa were sown), I knew this would be your best edition yet.

The pages that followed encapsulated everything I love about Africa. The article on the Nile was very apt, as we are about to go on a cruise from Luxor to Aswan. And the articles on the Rufiji and Okavango, the two rivers at the top of my to do list, have whetted my appetite to visit them. These were followed by the Mara, a river I’ve visited many times – last year it afforded me three of the most amazing wildebeest crossings I have ever seen.

One of the first books I read on African explorers was on Mungo Park’s expeditions up the Niger, so again, another excellent choice, reminding us that Africa is not all about Burton, Speke and Livingstone.

And finishing with the article on the Zambezi, one of Africa’s mightiest rivers, was perfect – it holds many happy memories for us, including the renewal of our wedding vows on Livingstone Island on our 25th anniversary.

Everything that speaks to me of Africa, from its mighty rivers to its flora and fauna, can be found within the pages of edition 55.

Alan Jeffrey, via email