Publication
Waterville, Maine : Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning, [2014]
Collection
Call number
Large Print Nature C
Physical description
619 p.; 23 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
"J.H. "Billy" Williams always had an affinity for animals. So, when he responded to job offer with the East India Company to work with logging elephants his family wasn't surprised, though worried that he had already come back from World War I in one piece, would he be so lucky with India? Not only did he find his calling with the elephants in India, Billy and his elephants became war heroes. At the onset of World War II, Williams formed Elephant Company and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in Burma and saving refugees, including on his own "Hannibal Trek." Billy Williams became a media sensation during the war, telling reporters that the elephants did more for him than he was ever able to do for them, but his story has since been forgotten. Part biography, part war story, and part wildlife adventure, Croke delivers an utterly charming narrative and an important, little-known piece of the legacy of World War II"--… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member streamsong
Billy Williams, saw too many of the horrors of World War I. On returning to Britain he found he craved peace and solititude and so answered an ad to work for one of the giant British Teak companies in the jungles of colonial Burma.
There he was given a job as a supervisor. Without any knowledge of
But he’d always had a fondness for animals and so was especially intrigued by the elephants. He oversaw their routine health problems, instituting more humane ways of caring and training them and putting an end to the cruel practice of shikar where wild elephants were captured and their spirits broken with starvation and abuse.
When WWII erupted, Williams anticipated Burma would be a quiet backwater. Instead, it became a hotly contested battle zone as the Japanese used it as a stepping stone to China, their hated enemy.
Williams convinced the British army that the logging elephants would be of great use – not just as pack animals but in actually building bridges and roads. And as the Japanese realized the elephants’ usefulness, they determined to capture or kill them. The only way out for the elephants and the people under Williams’ command was through rugged unexplored country to India – including over a cliff in a feat never attempted before with elephants. The elephants trusted Williams and he knew them almost like he knew his family. But was such an escape even possible?
Another interesting facet of WWII that was unknown to me.
There he was given a job as a supervisor. Without any knowledge of
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the jungle, the Burmese people, logging teak or the elephants under his charge, he found it a steep learning curve.But he’d always had a fondness for animals and so was especially intrigued by the elephants. He oversaw their routine health problems, instituting more humane ways of caring and training them and putting an end to the cruel practice of shikar where wild elephants were captured and their spirits broken with starvation and abuse.
When WWII erupted, Williams anticipated Burma would be a quiet backwater. Instead, it became a hotly contested battle zone as the Japanese used it as a stepping stone to China, their hated enemy.
Williams convinced the British army that the logging elephants would be of great use – not just as pack animals but in actually building bridges and roads. And as the Japanese realized the elephants’ usefulness, they determined to capture or kill them. The only way out for the elephants and the people under Williams’ command was through rugged unexplored country to India – including over a cliff in a feat never attempted before with elephants. The elephants trusted Williams and he knew them almost like he knew his family. But was such an escape even possible?
Another interesting facet of WWII that was unknown to me.
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LibraryThing member Stbalbach
This is the third book about Burma in WWII I read recently, the second about a British elephant handler (different people). Curiously neither book mentions the other, even though they were both known in their day and operating just 100 miles apart doing much the same thing. In any case, this book
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has its strengths and weaknesses. There are some good stories here and Williams led a romantic life in the view of Croke. However it's not a harrowing story of incredible odds overcome. Rather endurance, loyalty and love are the themes. Both man for beast, and Williams' affair with his wife. I believe the other books gave me a better sense of the difficulty of life in the jungle with elephants, and the events of the war. Croke's book though is more gentle and humane and will be remembered filling in the picture of this fascinating place and time. Show Less
LibraryThing member froxgirl
Here is another "Unbroken", "Seabiscuit", and "Perfect Storm" for us all! Vicki Croke submerges us in the Burmese jungle along with her protagonist, "Elephant Bill", and his life with the remarkable Asian elephants and their trainers and keepers. The book opens with a lesson in colonial rule, as
The most magnificent of them all is Bandoola, and Billy's strongest tie is to their "uzi", or keeper, Po Toke.
In one of the most amazing scenes of this adventurous tale, Billy meets Susan, his wife-to-be and another Brit, at a clearing in the jungle. One would have to believe that a jungle spirit was responsible for this felicitous match.
World War II encroaches upon this remote paradise and the Japanese rampage upon the land and the elephants. And therein lies what makes the reader hold his/her breath for the last forty pages of this riveting work of genius. Not to be missed, even if you were not a big fan of elephants, as I never was, until now. Thank you, Vicki Croke, for the drama and the education.
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Billy Williams hires on in 1920 to a British company that owns most of the logging rights to valuable teak from the Burmese jungle (the Brits allowed local Burma companies a tiny percentage of logging rights). He becomes a student of these incredible creatures and decides to train young elephants for the work instead of capturing them in the wild. The fierce jungle becomes home to him as he develops strongest ties with the hard working beasts and their trainers, who guide their charges by tradition and superstition.The most magnificent of them all is Bandoola, and Billy's strongest tie is to their "uzi", or keeper, Po Toke.
In one of the most amazing scenes of this adventurous tale, Billy meets Susan, his wife-to-be and another Brit, at a clearing in the jungle. One would have to believe that a jungle spirit was responsible for this felicitous match.
World War II encroaches upon this remote paradise and the Japanese rampage upon the land and the elephants. And therein lies what makes the reader hold his/her breath for the last forty pages of this riveting work of genius. Not to be missed, even if you were not a big fan of elephants, as I never was, until now. Thank you, Vicki Croke, for the drama and the education.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
What an excellent book !! I enjoy and appreciate discovering and devouring books that introduce me to elements of history that I was unaware of. The author tells this magnificent tale in a very easy to read manner. "Billy" Williams was an incredible man - a true hero - with a passion for his
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adopted home of southeast Asia and his adopted family of Asian elephants. Show Less
LibraryThing member akh3966
Inspiring non-fiction about Burmese logging elephants, WW2 in SE Asia and an amazing man, Billy Williams, and his relationship with the elephants.
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Absolutely fascinating piece of history! The book reads like fiction, but it is true. Anyone who likes history and/or animals will love this story of a man and elephants, and their shared values of loyalty and courage.
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This book tells well the story of Billy Williams, born in Cornwall on 15 Nov 1897 and of the elephant Bandoola, born 3 Nov 1897 in Burma. After his time in the English army in World War One Williams went to Burma, where he worked for a lumber company and came to be an expert in regard to
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elephants--n expertise put to good use during World War Two. The story told of Williams and the people and animals he came to know if often absorbing and the empathy existing between Williams and the elephants is good to read about. Show Less
LibraryThing member KamGeb
The story itself was interesting enough to keep my attention. Here was a man raised in England who spent his whole life in Burma with elephants. It wasn't extraordinarily well written. The relationships didn't keep me enthralled. But the story was about a time and a part of the world I had never
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really learned about, and that was why I was interested enough to keep reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
Croke writes an interesting and informative book about the elephant of Burma. The story follows James Howard Williams in his life following and caring for elephants while working in the teak business. The biography gave me an enormous vision of the elephants and their personalities and life. I had
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never thought of elephants as extraordinary mammals, but this biography enlightened my prospection. Croke relates the story in fascinating language and extreme detail of the everyday life in the teak business. The teak business involves huge separation from human contact as the work centers in the jungle. That young men would sacrifice all to do this job amazes me. Croke weaves an excellent tale, but falls into too technical language too often. Show Less
LibraryThing member bowedbookshelf
NPR environmental and animal journalist Vicki Croke’s new book about the British elephant mahout and teak man James “Billy” Williams in Burma in the interregnum between the 20th Century’s World Wars easily began as the best nonfiction I’d read all year. Elephants and Burma--what a
”Williams had witnessed a life among the elephants that would be hard for those outside to fathom—in fact, he reported behaviors that many would not believe until they were validated decades later by biologists in the field. He had seen these creatures thoughtfully solve problems, use tools, protect one another, express joy and humor, stand up for something more important than their own safety, and even, perhaps, comprehend the concept of death. There was a largeness to them that was about more than their physical size, a quality triggered especially when their sense of decency or outrage was provoked.
Could one really call it decency? Williams thought so. Courage defined them, He had witness their bravery—mothers defending babies, tuskers squaring off against each other, closely bonded females running toward danger, not away, to protect one another.
These were simple lessons from the animals, like how to be content with what he had. And there were more complex ones, too: the realization, for instance that trust requires much more than affection; it depends on mutual confidence—strength, not niceness. Or that sometimes it’s not necessary to know what elephants or people are thinking, as long as one honors what they are feeling.”
Croke explains the differences between African and Asian elephants, in size and temperament, and gets into details about living in the plains and mountains of Burma. Details of early teak harvesting are both sad and fascinating. It takes two or three years to harvest a tree, and “it could take anywhere from five to twenty years for a log to become a milled plank.” Demand for teak, a hard wood resistant to insects and weather damage increased exponentially in the first part of the 20th century, from “sixty-three thousand tons of teak a year in the late 1800s to more than five hundred thousand tons annually in Williams’s early years.” Additionally we learn that “a teak forest 10,000 square miles in extent may be capable of producing only seven or eight thousand trees a year.”
Living as a teak forester sounds formidable, and lonely. The hardship of the sheeting rain of the monsoon and the isolation of the jungle life would keep most folks away, but Billy Williams had the consolation of working with the world’s largest land animals. Williams suffered innumerable bouts of malaria and other illnesses that nearly took him out, but he soldiered on without complaint and once recovered, raced back to his post and his elephants.
The only thing that keeps this from being the best book I have ever read is the section on Williams’ involvement in WWII as it played out in Burma. Undoubtedly the Japanese had a strategy for domination that included rustling about in the jungles of Burma, but somehow that did not make any sense to me. No book can answer every question, but if the author makes the reader interested enough to seek out more information as a result of their reading, the book can be called a success. In this way, Croke's work makes one wish to know more. Many of us are more familiar than we’d like to be with the European theatre, but the war in Asia deserved a few sentences of intent and context.
Once Croke began to talk about the war, the map of Burma given after the Introduction seemed too thinly marked. I could not find the locations she spoke of in terms of troop movements and distances became unclear. Details about the elephants’ involvement in bridge building required more than Williams’ diary would have provided. I understand the difficulties she must have encountered, but I would have preferred, then, not to have the title so focused on the participation of elephants in WWII. It was neither the most interesting nor the most complete section of the narrative.
In any case, the elephants were involved in at least two long distance treks carrying refugees across vast distances and through difficult terrain, forgoing their usual regime of being river-washed and set free each night to forage and rest. Despite all the hardships of teak work and war, they made the best of their situation and came through when called upon for help. Williams himself earned commendation for his war effort which included mustering and handling the elephants behind enemy lines and we know from his own writings how much credit he gave the animals in his care, especially one exceptional bull called Bandoola, whom he loved.
The resurrection of this riveting account of elephant teak and war work in Burma is due entirely to the research and attention of Vicki Croke, whose fluency makes the narrative absorbing. She has a sensitivity regarding animal and human behaviors that seems exceptionally perceptive. Despite my quibbles about the final third of the book, the story is packed with detail and photos of early teak work in Burma and is definitely one of the best books of my year. This extraordinary nonfiction title is well worth the investment to locate and read a copy and would be a great book to gift someone for the upcoming holiday season.
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combination of mysteries. No matter how many non-specialist books about elephants that I read, I always learn something new. I love knowing of elephant skills, abilities, capabilities. In her introduction, Croke tells us: ”Williams had witnessed a life among the elephants that would be hard for those outside to fathom—in fact, he reported behaviors that many would not believe until they were validated decades later by biologists in the field. He had seen these creatures thoughtfully solve problems, use tools, protect one another, express joy and humor, stand up for something more important than their own safety, and even, perhaps, comprehend the concept of death. There was a largeness to them that was about more than their physical size, a quality triggered especially when their sense of decency or outrage was provoked.
Could one really call it decency? Williams thought so. Courage defined them, He had witness their bravery—mothers defending babies, tuskers squaring off against each other, closely bonded females running toward danger, not away, to protect one another.
These were simple lessons from the animals, like how to be content with what he had. And there were more complex ones, too: the realization, for instance that trust requires much more than affection; it depends on mutual confidence—strength, not niceness. Or that sometimes it’s not necessary to know what elephants or people are thinking, as long as one honors what they are feeling.”
Croke explains the differences between African and Asian elephants, in size and temperament, and gets into details about living in the plains and mountains of Burma. Details of early teak harvesting are both sad and fascinating. It takes two or three years to harvest a tree, and “it could take anywhere from five to twenty years for a log to become a milled plank.” Demand for teak, a hard wood resistant to insects and weather damage increased exponentially in the first part of the 20th century, from “sixty-three thousand tons of teak a year in the late 1800s to more than five hundred thousand tons annually in Williams’s early years.” Additionally we learn that “a teak forest 10,000 square miles in extent may be capable of producing only seven or eight thousand trees a year.”
Living as a teak forester sounds formidable, and lonely. The hardship of the sheeting rain of the monsoon and the isolation of the jungle life would keep most folks away, but Billy Williams had the consolation of working with the world’s largest land animals. Williams suffered innumerable bouts of malaria and other illnesses that nearly took him out, but he soldiered on without complaint and once recovered, raced back to his post and his elephants.
The only thing that keeps this from being the best book I have ever read is the section on Williams’ involvement in WWII as it played out in Burma. Undoubtedly the Japanese had a strategy for domination that included rustling about in the jungles of Burma, but somehow that did not make any sense to me. No book can answer every question, but if the author makes the reader interested enough to seek out more information as a result of their reading, the book can be called a success. In this way, Croke's work makes one wish to know more. Many of us are more familiar than we’d like to be with the European theatre, but the war in Asia deserved a few sentences of intent and context.
Once Croke began to talk about the war, the map of Burma given after the Introduction seemed too thinly marked. I could not find the locations she spoke of in terms of troop movements and distances became unclear. Details about the elephants’ involvement in bridge building required more than Williams’ diary would have provided. I understand the difficulties she must have encountered, but I would have preferred, then, not to have the title so focused on the participation of elephants in WWII. It was neither the most interesting nor the most complete section of the narrative.
In any case, the elephants were involved in at least two long distance treks carrying refugees across vast distances and through difficult terrain, forgoing their usual regime of being river-washed and set free each night to forage and rest. Despite all the hardships of teak work and war, they made the best of their situation and came through when called upon for help. Williams himself earned commendation for his war effort which included mustering and handling the elephants behind enemy lines and we know from his own writings how much credit he gave the animals in his care, especially one exceptional bull called Bandoola, whom he loved.
The resurrection of this riveting account of elephant teak and war work in Burma is due entirely to the research and attention of Vicki Croke, whose fluency makes the narrative absorbing. She has a sensitivity regarding animal and human behaviors that seems exceptionally perceptive. Despite my quibbles about the final third of the book, the story is packed with detail and photos of early teak work in Burma and is definitely one of the best books of my year. This extraordinary nonfiction title is well worth the investment to locate and read a copy and would be a great book to gift someone for the upcoming holiday season.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
A Brit goes to Thailand to work for a British teak company, with all the advantages of a colonial power, and ends up devoted to the elephants that do a lot of the heavy lifting, connecting with them more than with most people. In WWII, he first tries to keep elephants out of the hands of the
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Japanese, then leads teams of elephants to construct bridges for Imperial troops. Sold as a WWII story, though most of it isn’t set during WWII; one ends up with a sense that elephants are far more interesting than most of the people involved. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Subtitle: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
Jim “Elephant Bill” Williams was a veteran of World War I when he went to colonial Burma in 1920 to work as a “forest man” for a British teak company. He was immediately fascinated by
The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese. Admittedly all that background was interesting and helped to explain the extraordinary relationship Williams had with these animals and their riders. His respect for and loyalty to them was returned in kind, making him an exemplary leader.
Croke did extensive research. In addition to the memoirs written by Williams, she was able to access a treasure trove of personal papers kept by Williams’ children and other descendants of key people. I read all the notes following the main text, they were so interesting.
Jim “Elephant Bill” Williams was a veteran of World War I when he went to colonial Burma in 1920 to work as a “forest man” for a British teak company. He was immediately fascinated by
Show More
the large beasts who were the true workers in this industry. He appreciated their intelligence and social structure, and keenly observed the relationships between the elephants and the uzis/mahouts who were their constant companions. One Burmese man, Po Toke, helped Williams develop a different method of training and caring for the valuable animals, and introduced him to the young male calf who would become his favorite tusker – Bandoola. The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese. Admittedly all that background was interesting and helped to explain the extraordinary relationship Williams had with these animals and their riders. His respect for and loyalty to them was returned in kind, making him an exemplary leader.
Croke did extensive research. In addition to the memoirs written by Williams, she was able to access a treasure trove of personal papers kept by Williams’ children and other descendants of key people. I read all the notes following the main text, they were so interesting.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
James Howard "Billy" Williams, twenty-three years old and recently released from military service after World War I, traveled from England to Burma to take a job as a "forest man" for a British teak company. Besides the experience and discipline of his war service, that main thing he brought to the
He expected to enjoy working with the elephants; in fact, he fell in love with them. Over the next twenty years, Williams made himself a first class expert on elephants, their handling, their care, their medical treatment.
In the forests of Burma, there was no veterinary care except what he and the other elephant men could provide themselves. Williams became an advocate for their humane treatment, even establishing an "elephant school" and an "elephant hospital" to provide both more humane and effective training, and better care for elephants that were seriously injured. We also follow Williams' personal growth, his eventual marriage, and the births of three children.
And then World War II started.
Williams takes his teak industry elephants, including Bandoola, the big male whom he is closest to, and transforms them into Elephant Company 1, for the British Army in Burma.
Williams, his Burman and British colleagues, and the elephants themselves make fascinating characters. Much of what Williams learns about elephants by practical experience, observation, and sensitivity while living and working in close quarters with them for years, would only be confirmed and explained by science decades later.
Not all the drama is elephant-related. Over the decades of his career, Williams also encountered and coped with issues of British colonialism and how it affected the men he worked with and their families. The complex and sometimes strained relationship between Williams and Po Toke, the man who trained Bandoola and pioneered many of the ideas that Williams worked to advance regarding the training and handling of elephants, is compelling in itself.
This is a truly absorbing slice of history. Highly recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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job was his gift for understanding and handling animals--an important asset in an industry that depended on the labor of elephants to haul heavy logs, build bridges, and transport supplies and people.He expected to enjoy working with the elephants; in fact, he fell in love with them. Over the next twenty years, Williams made himself a first class expert on elephants, their handling, their care, their medical treatment.
In the forests of Burma, there was no veterinary care except what he and the other elephant men could provide themselves. Williams became an advocate for their humane treatment, even establishing an "elephant school" and an "elephant hospital" to provide both more humane and effective training, and better care for elephants that were seriously injured. We also follow Williams' personal growth, his eventual marriage, and the births of three children.
And then World War II started.
Williams takes his teak industry elephants, including Bandoola, the big male whom he is closest to, and transforms them into Elephant Company 1, for the British Army in Burma.
Williams, his Burman and British colleagues, and the elephants themselves make fascinating characters. Much of what Williams learns about elephants by practical experience, observation, and sensitivity while living and working in close quarters with them for years, would only be confirmed and explained by science decades later.
Not all the drama is elephant-related. Over the decades of his career, Williams also encountered and coped with issues of British colonialism and how it affected the men he worked with and their families. The complex and sometimes strained relationship between Williams and Po Toke, the man who trained Bandoola and pioneered many of the ideas that Williams worked to advance regarding the training and handling of elephants, is compelling in itself.
This is a truly absorbing slice of history. Highly recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
Jim (“Billy”) Williams went to live in the jungle in Burma in the 1920s and had such a connection with the elephants there, he stayed for decades. He was English and working for a teak logging company that used elephants as labour. Williams brought a kinder way of working with the animals, a
The subtitle of the book talks about WWII, but that was only about the last 1/3 of the book, and not my main interest in the book, though it was a pretty amazing story in itself! I loved learning about the elephants and reading about the incredible things they do. Billy, himself, I found interesting, as well, and loved that he was in favour of training the elephants with positive reinforcement. Hard enough to read of the working animals (not there by their own choice), but Billy’s way with them made it better. He also opened “hospitals” for the elephants. The book had photos interspersed, and the notes at the end were actually really interesting – there were quite a few good tidbits and stories added in there.
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way that seemed to work better for everyone – the company and the elephants alike. The subtitle of the book talks about WWII, but that was only about the last 1/3 of the book, and not my main interest in the book, though it was a pretty amazing story in itself! I loved learning about the elephants and reading about the incredible things they do. Billy, himself, I found interesting, as well, and loved that he was in favour of training the elephants with positive reinforcement. Hard enough to read of the working animals (not there by their own choice), but Billy’s way with them made it better. He also opened “hospitals” for the elephants. The book had photos interspersed, and the notes at the end were actually really interesting – there were quite a few good tidbits and stories added in there.
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LibraryThing member terran
This was a well-written book about Billy Williams, who trained and worked with elephants in Burma during the days of the British Empire and WWII. Fascinating history of the area and the contribution of elephants to the timber industry and bridge-building during these years.
LibraryThing member niquetteb
The story of James H. Williams, a man who worked for years in Burma for a logging company that employed elephants. Williams' love of animals and especially the elephants with which he works is a focal point for this work. This is well researched and presented in a story format that flows keeping
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the reader's interest. Show Less
LibraryThing member LGCullens
I seldom read stories of wartime events, but I sensed this book was much more than the title might suggest. Thankfully it was, being more of a biography of James Howard Williams, and of elephants his life intersected with.
Though Elephant Bill (as he was dubbed) was nurtured in a time of British
James Howard Williams was a man whose thoughts included:
“. . . big game hunting was a product of fear, not courage”
“The more I saw of men … the better I liked my elephants.”
“When someone else in the village tried to extort money from Williams over damaged banana trees, he felt it was a sure sign they were reentering civilization.”
“. . . correspondents of the time touted what Williams did to help elephants. But Williams thought they’d gotten it backward. It was the elephants who had helped him.”
It is an amazing story of courage and caring by both man and elephant, that eclipses the trivialness of many other books. Needless to say, it also exemplifies humankind's nature which has led us to the environmental crisis we are compounding.
Though Elephant Bill (as he was dubbed) was nurtured in a time of British
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colonialism, his was a spirit of affinity with animals. There were many animals he cared for in his lifetime, the most striking of which were elephants, especially one elephant named Bandoola. The stories of various elephants (some heartbreaking, some joyful, usually both) interested me the most.James Howard Williams was a man whose thoughts included:
“. . . big game hunting was a product of fear, not courage”
“The more I saw of men … the better I liked my elephants.”
“When someone else in the village tried to extort money from Williams over damaged banana trees, he felt it was a sure sign they were reentering civilization.”
“. . . correspondents of the time touted what Williams did to help elephants. But Williams thought they’d gotten it backward. It was the elephants who had helped him.”
It is an amazing story of courage and caring by both man and elephant, that eclipses the trivialness of many other books. Needless to say, it also exemplifies humankind's nature which has led us to the environmental crisis we are compounding.
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LibraryThing member jetangen4571
Burma, nonfiction, biography, action-adventure, historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-figures, audiobook
A very moving and yet educational biography of one man, one elephant, and a kind of life obliterated by war and the passage of time referred to as progress. Learn about Burma
Simon Pebble is perfect as narrator.
A very moving and yet educational biography of one man, one elephant, and a kind of life obliterated by war and the passage of time referred to as progress. Learn about Burma
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and her elephants in the time from The Great War to the end of World War 2 as the elephant wallah enters the scene as a new recruit in the teak trade, learns how to care for them and love them, and lastly must return to a place that is no longer home. You won't want to miss a word of this well crafted and well researched biography studded with excerpts from his own journal. Simon Pebble is perfect as narrator.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
This book was just incredible, I learned so much and in such a wonde3ful way. The author has such a natural way of telling the story of this amazing man. So many fascinating facts pertaining to elephants, had not a clue how complex and intelligent they are in actuality.
The book also highlights the
I could say so much more about this book, Williams time in the war, and he and his animals part in the new wars. The Uzi's and how they kept track of their animals, the daily inspections, Williams learning curve in the Burmese language and in all things elephant. An amazing book, which I whole heartedly recommend.
The book also highlights the
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many extremes of life in a British Colony. The bug, the snakes. Williams bouts with malaria, the heat and yet they dined on white tablecloths and on real china. Life in Burma, at the logging camps and the huge undertaking it was to cut as much teak as they could. Williams favorite elephant and faithful friend, Bandoola, an elephant thaw was trained in a new merciful way as opposed to the scarring, cruel ways of the past. I could say so much more about this book, Williams time in the war, and he and his animals part in the new wars. The Uzi's and how they kept track of their animals, the daily inspections, Williams learning curve in the Burmese language and in all things elephant. An amazing book, which I whole heartedly recommend.
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LibraryThing member 2wonderY
Not finished because Williams reminded me so much of my deceased husband that I became emotional. I then bought the book and it sat on my bedside table for a while. I should find it and resume reading. It’s a wonderful story.
Language
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
9781410476005
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