The Personal Life of David Livingstone, ... Chiefly from His Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family, by William Garden Blaikie, ...

Published in 1880, this biography was written by William Garden Blaikie shortly after the death of the famous explorer David Livingstone. Blaikie was a Scottish theologian and writer who gained unique access to Livingstone's private diaries and personal correspondence through the explorer’s family. The work was intended to provide a more intimate and human portrait of the missionary, moving beyond his public persona as a heroic Victorian traveler to reveal his internal struggles, religious convictions, and personal habits.

The book serves as a significant primary source in the study of 19th-century exploration and the missionary movement in Africa. Blaikie’s approach was highly regarded at the time for its scholarly rigor and access to primary documents, effectively shaping the Victorian public's understanding of Livingstone's legacy. Its publication helped cement Livingstone’s status as a national icon, framing his life through a lens of piety and colonial duty that defined much of the biographical literature produced in the late British Empire.