Overview

A breathtaking close-up look at Africa's animals and natural wonders from one of our great wildlife pioneers Alan Root is one of the great wildlife pioneers. His unmatched experience of East African wildlife and his appetite for risk have made him a world-class naturalist and film-maker. Ivory, Apes & Peacocks tells the story of his life's work, from his arrival in Kenya as a young boy to the making of his game-changing films. From a hot-air balloon Alan was the first to track the wildebeest migration; then he flew it over Kilimanjaro. He filmed inside a termite mound and dived with hippos and crocodiles. In this extraordinary memoir we look at Africa's wonders through the eyes of a visionary, live through hair-raising adventure and personal sorrow, and also bear witness to a natural world now largely lost from view.

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9780099555889

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Reviews

Alan, almost single-handedly in my opinion, made wildlife films grow up -- David Attenborough Enthralling, the best true-life adventure story to come out of Africa for years -- Brian Jackman Daily Telegraph A truly compelling book, savage and sparkling by turns -- Kathryn Hughes Mail on Sunday Alan Root's overflowing life as a dedicated, adventurous film-maker and naturalist is almost the story of wild East Africa itself in those glorious and tragic years surrounding the advent of political independence.a fresh, honest, often moving (and humorous) account, a terrific contribution to the literature Peter Matthiessen Required reading for anyone who wants to experience the joys and sorrows of conservation in today's Africa Wilbur Smith

Written by a consummate wordsmith, Alan Root's enthralling memoir is the best true-life adventure story to come out of Africa for years. The final chapter, which describes Root's last moments with Joan, I found almost too painful to read (5 star review) -- Brian Jackman Daily Telegraph This is an entrancing book. Root is a natural story-teller, roaming East Africa before poachers began to decimate the wildlife. Against the staggering backdrop of East Africa's landscape and wildlife, the darkness of its problems casts a growing shadow over this book... Luckily, Alan Root's wonderful films remain, a testimony to the man of whom David Attenborough once said: 'He made wild-life films grow up' Daily Mail In a riveting memoir, Root offers far more than a few well-work anecdotes of cute, hand-reared animals who like to sit down to breakfast with you and curl up on the sofa after dinner...a truly compelling book, savage and sparkling by turns -- Kathryn Hughes Mail on Sunday Root is aware that his magical life has 'run parallel with a heartbreaking holocaust, as wildlife conservation has proved to be a disastrous failure'. This wonderful book can't put it more honestly than that. Not only are the current generation of wildlife film-makers mere pygmies compared to Root, but soon they will not even be able to attempt matching his documentaries because the world he captured has ceased to exist. -- Aidan Hartley Spectator If Dame Daphne Sheldrick's touching and romantic Love, Life, and Elephants has been climbing the bestseller lists in Britain and America, Alan Root's Ivory, Apes and Peacocks is by far the deeper and more interesting read. The problems that beset Africa's wildlife - population pressures, poaching, drought and disease - are all part of this story, though balanced here by Mr Root's sense of fun and adventure The Economist

If Dame Daphne Sheldrick's touching and romantic Love, Life, and Elephants has been climbing the bestseller lists in Britain and America, Alan Root's Ivory, Apes and Peacocks is by far the deeper and more interesting read. The problems that beset Africa's wildlife - population pressures, poaching, drought and disease - are all part of this story, though balanced here by Mr Root's sense of fun and adventure * The Economist * Root is aware that his magical life has 'run parallel with a heartbreaking holocaust, as wildlife conservation has proved to be a disastrous failure'. This wonderful book can't put it more honestly than that. Not only are the current generation of wildlife film-makers mere pygmies compared to Root, but soon they will not even be able to attempt matching his documentaries because the world he captured has ceased to exist. -- Aidan Hartley * Spectator * In a riveting memoir, Root offers far more than a few well-work anecdotes of cute, hand-reared animals who like to sit down to breakfast with you and curl up on the sofa after dinner...a truly compelling book, savage and sparkling by turns -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday * This is an entrancing book. Root is a natural story-teller, roaming East Africa before poachers began to decimate the wildlife. Against the staggering backdrop of East Africa's landscape and wildlife, the darkness of its problems casts a growing shadow over this book... Luckily, Alan Root's wonderful films remain, a testimony to the man of whom David Attenborough once said: 'He made wild-life films grow up' * Daily Mail * Written by a consummate wordsmith, Alan Root's enthralling memoir is the best true-life adventure story to come out of Africa for years. The final chapter, which describes Root's last moments with Joan, I found almost too painful to read (5 star review) -- Brian Jackman * Daily Telegraph *

Author Information

Alan Root was born in London in 1937 but moved to Kenya as a young boy. He dropped out of school at sixteen but soon found himself behind the camera. He married Joan Thorpe in 1961 and together they produced an array of award-winning wildlife films including Baobab- Portrait of a Tree, commissioned by David Attenborough, Safari by Balloon, The Year of the Wildebeest and Castles of Clay, which was nominated for an Oscar. Alan won over sixty awards during his career, including an Emmy, three Lifetime Achievement Awards an OBE. Alan Root died in August 2017.

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