A Training School for Elephants - Couverture rigide

Roberts, Sophy

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0802164862 ISBN 13 : 9780802164865

Editeur : Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press, 2025

Synopsis

Out of a sidelined, colonial-era expedition in Africa comes a new history of cruelty, deception and adventure from the acclaimed author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia

In 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa's resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants--if only he could train them. And so he commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to the East African coast, where they were marched inland towards Congo. The ultimate aim was to establish a training school for African elephants.

Following in the footsteps of the four elephants, Roberts pieces together the story of this long-forgotten expedition, in travels that take her to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania, and Congo. The storytelling brings to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, from ivory dealers to Catholic nuns, set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled. In an original weave of past and present, she digs deep into historic records revealing an extraordinary--and enduring--story of colonial greed, hypocrisy, and folly.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Sophy Roberts is a British writer whose work focuses on the wild places from Papua New Guinea to the Congo. Her first book was The Lost Pianos of Siberia. She began her career assisting the writer Jessica Mitford, and trained in journalism at Columbia University. She regularly contributes to the Financial Times and Conde Nast Traveler.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
• Date d'édition: 2025
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0802164862
• ISBN 13: 9780802164865
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 432
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible