In Search of Remarkable Trees On Safari in Southern Africa

by Pakenham, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780802716927
• ISBN10: 080271692X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-30
• Publisher: Walker Books

Summary

The famed author ofThe Boer WarandRemarkable Trees of the Worldpresents some of the oldest, most unusual, and most impressive trees on the planet as he travels across Southern Africa and Madagascar.Thomas Pakenham, no stranger to Africa with his award-winning booksThe Boer WarandThe Scramble for Africa, nor to remarkable trees with his bestsellingRemarkable Trees of the World, combines his two interests on safari in Southern Africa. His particular quarry is the rare, the giant, the very old, the extraordinary, or the simply beautiful--from a giant baobab and a prickly quiver tree in Namibia to a glorious jacaranda in South Africa and sesame bushes attacked by elephants in Botswana. He uncovers trees written about by the great explorers of the past, or associated with magic, folklore, or ritual. The narrative accompanying each image interweaves the stories of Pakenham's own journey--at some moments scaling trees to escape from enraged wildlife, while at others standing in awe before a particular tree, connected by some primitive, atavistic bond--with those of the trees themselves, imbuing each with personality and presence. The result is a beautifully crafted blend of botany and social history, the product of a brilliant photographer, an original mind, and a superlative writer.

Author Biography

Thomas Pakenham is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Boer War and The Scramble for Africa, which won the prestigious Alan Paton Award. He is the author and photographer of the bestselling titles Remarkable Trees of the World and Meetings With Remarkable Trees. He lives in London and in Ireland, and is chairman of the Irish Tree Society.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 6
Big Beasts	p. 14
A World Turned Upside Down	p. 16
Among Serpents	p. 38
Last of the Yellowwoods	p. 52
More Beasts	p. 56
Where Elephants Rule	p. 58
Nomads	p. 80
Mountaineers	p. 92
Rock Stars	p. 102
City and Suburban	p. 112
Stranglers and Suicides	p. 122
The Sport of Lemurs	p. 128
Guests	p. 134
In Sanctuary	p. 136
Under a Cloud	p. 156
On Death Row	p. 160
The Endangered	p. 168
Bottle Trees, Halfmens	p. 170
Cycads up for Grabs	p. 188
Time Lords	p. 196
Mirabilis!	p. 198
Map	p. 202
Bibliography	p. 204
Index	p. 205
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