Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man's Quest to Preserve the World's Great Animals

by Jay Kirk

In this epic account of an extraordinary life lived during remarkable times, Jay Kirk follows the adventures of legendary explorer and taxidermist Carl Akeley, who revolutionized taxidermy and environmental conservation and created the famed African Hall at New York's Museum of Natural History. Akeley risked death time and again in the jungles of Africa as he stalked animals for his dioramas and hobnobbed with outsized personalities of the era, such as Theodore Roosevelt and P. T. Barnum. Kingdom Under Glass is "a rollicking biography…an epic adventure…[and] a beguiling novelistic portrait of a man and an era straining to hear the call of the wild" ( Publishers Weekly ).

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Science, Nature, Animals, Africa

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just posting a brief review here. I really wanted to like this book, I really did, because as a kid I used to enjoy going to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago to view the dinosaurs and the dioramas showing animals in their habitats. Akeley was a kind of genius of taxidermy and it was his idea to create such dioramas as a way to preserve nature. But it just didn't sit well with me, reading about all the killing of animals he did to get the specimens he wanted. I hate to write this but when he was attacked by an elephant in Kenya and left for dead, I was hoping that would be the end of the story. I have to say the story is very well-researched and brings a most fascinating individual to life. And, in the end, after killing gorillas, Akeley persuaded the Belgian government to create a mountain gorilla sanctuary in the Virunga mountains of the Congo.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A promising subject rendered curiously inert

I wish I had liked this book more. Really, I do. I was certainly prepared to like it. Golly - big game hunting in Africa, Teddy Roosevelt, lingering tropical illnesses, high caliber weapons, faithful retainers, murder, danger, and intrigue – it certainly sounded like my cup of tea. This is the tale of a man who kills a leopard with his bare hands, for crying out loud, not to mention this wonderful opening passage, which drops the reader right into one of the most thrilling narrow-escape moments of renowned taxidermist Carl Akeley’s life:

“He felt heartsick when he saw the gorilla start its death tumble. It was coming right for him. Three or four hundred pounds of silver-backed ape slumping down the bright green jumble of vegetation in joyless somersaults. Rolling like a rain barrel, long arms flopping, ass over applecart, a furry black hogshead headed straight for the chasm below.”

Alas, it’s all downhill from there. Carl Akeley was simply never real for me. I never understood what motivated him. This was despite – or perhaps because of? – the author’s painstaking attempts to recreate what Akeley thought and felt at any given moment.

Key to the author’s approach is the explanation (or disclaimer) that precedes the notes in the back of the book:

“While some of the techniques I used to construct my narrative may appear unconventional for a work of nonfiction, such as collage and a near-allergic avoidance of the subjunctive, I believe my commitment to narrative flow forced me to be rigorous when it came to the factual basis for my material. Even though I employed some techniques that are traditionally novelistic, such as describing an individual’s thoughts of feelings or re-creating a conversation as I think it may have occurred, in reading the notes below the reader will find that any such narrative liberties are based on actual documentation.”

Okay, I have no problem with this. I’m not fastidious or conventional about how an author employs his sources. In fact, I like a generous hand with the narrative seasoning. But there’s something forced about Kirk’s approach. Regardless of how vivid the details, there’s something lacking. It struck me that in a sense Kirk was attempting with words to do what Akeley did with cured hides and plaster-of-paris: trying to recreate something almost alive, which seemed to be leaping out at the viewer (or reader).

Here’s a representative passage:

“If elephants see their lives pass before their eyes at the moment of death, is it possible Jumbo might have wondered whether his own had been real or just some conjured dream of a merchandising wizard. Had he been flesh and blood or merely the brooches and ice cream cones and stickpins and extra-large hot dogs sold on the midway? The hats, cigars, pies, even walking canes – the inanity of it all – to which his name had been plastered? Or had he been even less than that? A hollow, elephant-shaped balloon batted back and forth across the ocean in an imperial game of badminton?”

Huh? Come again? It’s just too much, reflecting on what the elephant thought about at the time of his death, not to mention the clutter of verbiage that follows that conjecture. It’s pointless and smacks of a writer who needs to just step back … and edit.

Granted, that’s one of the more egregious passages. Still, if any facet of an episode can be dramatized or elaborated on, trust me, he’ll go for it:

“It seemed only a matter of who would hold out longer, and since it as he, not the leopard, who was doing most of the bleeding, he resigned himself again to the likelihood of dying. It was growing dark. As he wrestled with the leopard, the stars above seemed to dart and squiggle dizzily. He listened to the crunching of his own flesh, of the fibers of his muscles being shredded, and he suddenly recalled the bronze sculpture at the Palace of Fine Arts he’d seen a few years before at the Chicago World’s Fair, of the bear with the Indian’s arm in its jaws. He almost laughed, thinking how he’d be able to tell Wheeler exactly what it felt like now. Unfortunately, he probably wouldn’t survive the experience, and therefore Wheeler would have to remain in the dark. Carl, are you thinking, or do you just think you’re thinking? There was not really any pain at all. Only the sound of the crunching of his flesh. And in the midst of the struggle he felt a strange sensation -- he thought the word was joy. At least the joy of a good fight. The fear and adrenaline had given way to an almost dreamy feeling. He looked deep into the cat’s face. Close enough to feel its rumbling purr in his sternum. The cat’s kohl-lined eyes held his gaze with an eerie patience. Though beneath its terrifying surface the leopard was clearly suffering too. They were suffering together."

Actually, the Akeley vs. the leopard death struggle was one of my favorite episodes in the book. But caught up in the narrative flow as I was, I couldn’t help but wish the author had taken out the bit about the World’s Fair and the sculpture. It didn’t add anything. It was a detail that detracted rather than added. And this superfluous detail is the sort of thing that exasperated me and made me believe less, not more.

At various points I wondered if I were the one at fault. Did I simply not get it? After setting the book aside a few times and coming back to it, each time I was driven more by a sort of morbid curiosity: would this book ever repay the effort of reading it? Naw. It ends with something of a whimper, I’m afraid.

Ultimately, I was disappointed. Carl Akeley was a fascinating man, no doubt, but he remained something of an enigma to me. I couldn’t help but think that a more conventional treatment of his very unconventional life would have made a more rewarding book.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa this is massive and highly detailed. I can’t imagine the years spent in research. The central subjects are one-of- a-kind people at a time in history when EVERYTHING was on the cusp of something (roughly 1880s to 1930s). The main focus is on Africa during this period. What a story - many stories.

I take my hat off to the author for finding this beyond-juicy subject and researching the bejesus out of it. THAT SAID - oh dear lord if it had only been pruned. Considerably. way less detailed, way less researched. I thought I’d go mad reading one section about a shopping trip to Marshall Field’s for safari needs. It went on longer than seemed possible. I felt like I was floating up the Nile, malaria-addled, never closer to my destination.

But — like many ambitious books — there is an abundance of wheat among the chaff and I feel richer for having read it.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carl Akeley is the man that created the African Hall for New York's Museum of Natural History. His obsession with taxidermy and recreating animals as they exist in nature caused him to put his own life in peril more than once.

This book has a good amount of research and is interesting in that it discusses an art that I have never given much thought to before. My own museum of natural science has scenes from Africa and I must say, I always hoped the animals were simply fake. I never fathomed someone skulking zebras and lions in Africa to then utilize their skins to recreate a "real" scene in nature. It seems senseless. But this is what Akeley did for years.

Towards the end of his career, he saw the brutality of big game hunters' reckless killing and advocated for what became the first animal reserve in the Congo (for mountain gorillas).

I think this time in America was a time for determining man's role with nature. Teddy Roosevelt (who Akeley went on expedition with in Africa) created the first national parks in America, but not necessarily for preservation's sake. His motives are aimed more at making sure there are still areas of nature so that man doesn't become too effete in his city dwelling.

The mindless killing is difficult to stomach sometimes because we know now the rarity of some of these creatures (African elephant, mountain gorillas, leopards), but this book is really examining the life of a man that works to bring the wild into the life of the average American. He accomplishes his mission, but at a huge price.

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was supposed to be great. With an element of a real-life King Kong meets Solomon's Mines, it shouldn't have been anywhere near as boring as it was.
Kirk seems reluctant to let his story tell itself, which is weird: what help does a taxidermist's safari in the African wilderness need? But he can't help interjecting awkward turns of phrase and inconsequential events into his unfocused narrative. Annoyingly pallish, swaggeringly flippant-- I just hated the tone of this book. If you really like the original "King Kong", subtle racism included, you'll like this book. I didn't.

[Maria Headley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books of 2010. I may be biased - I know the author - but the reason I know him is that I loved his work for Harper's, and tracked him down years ago to tell him so. If you haven't read any of Kirk's work, I suggest you remedy that immediately. His writing is extremely smart, strange, and well-researched. There's an article about the Florida panther in this archive that has haunted me for years. http://www.harpers.org/subjects/JayKirk

Onto Kingdom Under Glass. A little bit The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, mixed with Nobody Said Not to Go: The Life, Loves, and Adventures of Emily Hahn(a book I totally recommend, by the way, if you're into adventure and wild and crazy women), this is the story of Carl Akeley, the firebrand taxidermist who killed and stuffed much of the Natural History Museum's African wing. It's full of bizarre and wonderful sequences - for example, the one involving leopard wrestling - and the portrait of Akeley's marriage is unmissable. The tragic story of Jumbo the Elephant (stuffed by Akeley) had me in tears, but other sections had me snorting with laughter.

It's a story about the strange beginnings of conservationism in the US. Namely, go to Africa, kill 60 lions, stuff one, bring it home to America, and use it to educate people about how the wild needs to be preserved. That's a glib way of putting it, of course, but the tension between wanting to save the wilderness and wanting to capture it and keep it frozen and perfect forever informs this book. Akeley is an unforgettable character, and the writing is spectacular. Even the endnotes. Recommended for almost everyone, unless they're vegan, or inclined toward wooziness.

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish this would have been more reliably written, but the author set himself up as unreliable in the early chapters by waxing poetically and elaborating on too many hypotheticals. I don't usually mind when authors of nonfiction take some creative liberties--imagining what happened, what was said, what something looked like--when it's a vital "missing link" in the narrative. However, most hypotheticals used here were useless and took up much more page time than actual facts early on (e.g. The five pages spent on the imaginary shopping trip because, as the footnote mentions, "it was much more fun than trying to comprehend all the political tedium of the Scramble for Africa," (p. 353). You mean, stuff that actually would have been relevant to the history and narrative?). As the book progresses, the writing does become more based solely in fact and on the primary sources that the author used. But using all those creative writing techniques early on made me discredited even some of the obviously factual bits.

The subject matter and the overall story were intriguing and enjoyable, and I'm much more interested in Akeley and his life than I was before reading this. However, I wish I would have simply read one of the main primary sources that Kirk used to write this, rather than read this book (much of the info comes from Akeley's auto-bio, In Brightest Africa. Had this been historical fiction, I would have loved it; but passing this off as nonfiction seems too much--I would not feel at all comfortable citing any of this for a report.

Great idea, and honestly great execution in some parts, but the parts that fell flat--jumpy, confusing, or too made up--outnumbered the excellent parts too much.

[Tamsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of critical reviews here about the writing style, so I was prepared to be bored. Complete opposite. I thought the writing was thoroughly enjoyable. I moved through the story quickly and it wasn't until the last hunt that things dragged a bit. This book is hard to read in the sense it is about folks deeply entrenched in their colonialist mindset, but that's the history. Akeley, Roosevelt, Eastman...all men of their time, which was deeply racist and destructive (extracting wealth and resources from around the world out of a deep sense of superiority and entitlement). But again, this is the history of the age. And despite their immense animal cruelty, Akeley and Roosevelt were also men who sewed the seeds for the environmental protections we have enjoyed this past century. It's interesting how Akeley saw the contradiction of his own motivations. I really loved the footnotes, providing all the resources and research to the storytelling. His note about his Eureka moment finding the letter from Akeley to the psychiatrist was hilarious.

All in all, a solidly-interesting and well-researched story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a biography of Carl Akeley, a pioneering taxidermist whose work has been seen by millions in the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Interesting life, interesting story, but I don't like the way it was told. It's a blend between a historical novel and a non-fiction biography. Author Jay Kirk, in the end notes, acknowledges that he took an unorthodox approach. He's a professor of creative writing, but a lot of times his creative approach was overly self-indulgent. In chapter 11, there's a lengthy imaginary sales pitch from a store clerk in London. (In the notes, Kirk admits that he "got carried away" in this chapter.) It almost made me want to stop reading the book.

I don't mind that Kirk tried something different. I just don't like the way it turned out. I certainly hope this isn't the future of non-fiction writing. I don't imagine I'll be reading any more books by this author.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened across this book at a giant "flea market" mall and just couldn't resist it. I'm so glad I read it!! If it hadn't been for so much discussion about the killing of animals I would probably have given it 5 stars. It's not the fault of the author, it was just a sign of the times. This book tells the story of renowned taxidermist Carl Akeley and it would certainly have been difficult to write this biography without the discussion of the collecting of the animals that he prepared for display. Along the way, he also became friends with President Roosevelt (Teddy) who, although he talked about preserving wildlife certainly gunned down an incredible number of animals. But reading about this amazing man and what he learned and excelled at...the actual taxidermist skills...was nothing short of amazing and certainly nothing I knew about previously. My one big take away from the book was that Marshall Field (yes...the Chicago Marshall Field's department store owner) also heavily funded the Field Museum of Science and History in Chicago. I guess it should have been an obvious conclusion to me but it wasn't!!

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Carl Akeley (1864-1926) was a famous taxidermist, most notable for setting up dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History. He spent much time in Africa with this two successive wives, on hunting safaris, looking for the perfect specimens for scientific posterity.

I had a bit of a hard time with this. It’s an interesting story and he had an interesting life (he also invented a few things, one of them highlighted in the book being a video camera to take nature videos), but I had a really hard time with the hunting – in my mind, it was just glorified trophy hunting. So wasteful – he would kill animals, but not even use them because they were not exactly what he was looking for for his imagined displays for the museum. He later did help start a sanctuary for gorillas, but only after he’d killed the ones he wanted, and he continued to kill other animals after. It did read like fiction, but the author has notes at the end to explain where he got much of his information and where he “expanded” and how he came to decide on telling it that way.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely gut-wrenching and horrific book for any animal lover. It's a book about a famous taxidermist, so you go into it knowing animals will die, but the author seemed intent on making things as graphic as possible and depicting all the characters as being bloody minded eugenicists.
He mentions , sort of in passing, that Akeley believed what he was doing was necessary to preserve these animals that were inevitably going to disappear and does give him credit in the end for helping set up the first gorilla preserve.
The hunting isn't even the worst of it , though, the "kidnapped" monkey and the poor desperate and lonely woman who holds it captive while seemingly understanding it is wrong and suffering the horrible guilt in consequence, was the worst, almost unbearable. One senses the author's sympathies were with Mrs. Akeley and the monkey. An interesting if unsettling read

[Henry Compton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by Carl Akeley's life. I've read his "Brightest Africa" book, and I was hoping that "Kingdom Under Glass" would provide the same kinds of stories, but in an easier-to-read narrative structure. I was a little bit disappointed with it, because even though this author had the freedom to enhance the stories and make them more exciting, they are somehow less compelling than the first-hand accounts that I have read.

One part of this novel that I unexpectedly loved was the detours that the author took to describe the details of the culture and society at that time. This really appealed to me and deepened my understanding of the setting and the context in which the story takes place.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my course of reading multiple Teddy Roosevelt biographies, I have been intrigued by the men he surrounded himself with. One such person was Carl Ackley, famed taxidermist and inventor. Even since learning of Carl's one-on-one duel with a leopard, I was itching to know more. This book was a surprise from the very beginning because it is unlike any other biography I've ever read. It reads more like a novel than a piece of nonfiction. The style lends itself to a much easier read and the sense of adventure and misfortune kept me turning pages. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys exploration, museums, taxidermy, history, or wildlife.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taxidermy? Mmmmmm? The cliffhanging, enthralling tale of the man (and team of men and women) who turned “stuffing” animals into a fine art. Think the Hall of Africa, American Museum of Natural History, NYC. Chicago Museum....

[Lauren Carter]

This should be right up my wheelhouse... Its natural history combined with regular history and somehow the story is bland. I'm actually disappointed in how much this book bores me and lacks story telling.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I got this book for free.

Kingdom Under Glass" by Jay Kirk is a historical fiction - biography tale, set in the late late nineteenth - early twentieth century, about the great taxidermist & conservationist, inventor and sculptor Carl Akeley, his wives Delia "Mickie" Akeley and second wife Mary Jobe Akeley.

Akeley is a legend, I'm surprised I haven't heard of him before this book. On a jungle expedition he killed a leopard with his bare hands, somehow survived an elephant attach, stuffed Jumbo the elephant for P.T. Barnum, was an acquittance of Teddy Roosevelt, invented a movie camera, used his fame to prompted King Albert of Belgium to create the world's first wildlife sanctuary in the Belgium Congo (Virunga National Park) and I'm not even going to detail his scientific and artistic achievements.

The book is divided into four parts:

Prologue: where we meet Carl Akeley in the African jungle hunting a silverback gorilla to add to the museum's collection. At this time, the gorillas are considered almost a legend.

Part One: The Resurrectionists - we are introduced to a cast of characters, including Carl's friends and wife. The narrative flows as we follow Carl from his childhood interest in this seeming morbid preoccupation, to dead end jobs. His big break came when P.T. Barnum's elephant Jumbo died and he was chosen to stuff the big fellow. Following more years of hard work, Carl finally emerges as the premier taxidermist of his time.

Part Two: Ahab the Veldt - Convinced that most animals will soon be extinct, Carl & Mickie go to Africa to collect animals for the museum. By "collecting" they mean killing the animals for the museum's exhibits; if the animal they killed is not to their satisfaction, they will lay it aside and go after the perfect specimen. Along the way they meet many of the world's rich and famous who are also clamoring to bag an exotic animal before they can no longer do so. Fighting sickness, disease, hostile natives, stubborn tour guides and herds of elephants, as well as the childless Mickie adopting a monkey puts a strain on their relationship.

Part Three: Life in the City - After several years living in tents in Africa, adjusting to the luxurious life in New York City is not as easy as it sounds. The fact that Mickie brought her adopted monkey back from Africa, who wrecks havoc on the house and the marriage doesn't help. Carl, not wanting to be home, is busy at his job as well as inventing a better movie camera. After the marriage dissolves Carl goes once more to Africa, this time to find the elusive mountain gorilla. However, after witnessing the horrible death of a baby gorilla, he comes to the epiphany that maybe, just maybe, killing them is not the best way to preserver their legacy.
But Carl is still obsessed with finishing his elephant wing at the Museum.

Part Four: Under the Volcano - Carl goes back to the Congo to find his gorillas, this time taking his new wife Mary. Not getting George Eastman to commit anymore money to the life work at the museum puts Akeley in a foul mood.
I won't spoil the ending, but it is ironic as can be.

To this day, the Akeley Hall of African Mammals is a testament to Carl Akeley's contributions to the world of science.

Jay Kirk has done the impossible, he made a book about a taxidermist not only interesting, but entertaining as well. Jay Kirk's prose is beautifully written, brilliant, smooth and striking, however it is not for the faint of heart as there are intimate descriptions of the process of taxidermy - starting with the tracking of a perfect specimen.

The research that went into this book is amazing. At the end notes Mr. Kirk reveals his sources, from personal journals to published books and his thought process about making such assumptions as "Akeley thought...".

A refreshing change from many other books is that Mr. Kirk is unapologetic about the attitude of the time - deep racism, impenitent colonialism and cataclysmic conservationism are par of the course. This type of narrative is very effective and sometimes even shocking.

However, the author never make such assumptions, criticizes or strays from the narrative - but let the deeds and words of these men speak for themselves. Both Akeley and Roosevelt believe that extinction is inevitable. Akeley, however, believed that he is using his skills as a hunter and taxidermist to further the cause of conservationist by preserving specimen (it seems he did not see the irony of killing several animals until getting the perfect one to preserve).

The author breathes life into the characters in a masterful way, with superb writing, an eye for detail and nuances which make us all individuals.

I feel it's important to mention that I have read this book during the mid-term elections bonanza, when I couldn't turn on the TV set, or visit an ad sponsored website without being bombarded with political ads. The book's theme of trying to slowdown the world's appetite of destroying our natural resources and not-so-natural resources in order to make a buck certainly hit home.

For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Vanessa Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an animal lover some parts were really difficult to read. But as someone also really into taxidermy, I found this book wildly fascinating.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book that was a lucky draw from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program, this was quite a fortuitous catch for me. Natural history has always been one of my interests, and to get the opportunity to read a biography about the man responsible for the African Hall of Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History was incredible.

Kingdom Under Glass examines the life and career of celebrated taxidermist Carl Akeley. The book traced his training at a school for taxidermy, where Akeley began to develop his new methods for improving the lifelike quality of his stuffed subjects. Among his many accomplishments were the first museum diorama of a natural habitat at the Milwaukee Public Museum, an exhibit at the Chicago Columbian Exposition, aiding in the preservation of P.T. Barnum’s famous elephant Jumbo, and the aforementioned Hall of Mammals (which bears his name to this day). Even more amazing was that he was an inventor, responsible for a fast acting concrete that can be delivered through a “concrete gun” and a new revolutionary film camera and he was a writer of children’s stories as well. Also, ironically for a man that led several major hunting expeditions into Africa, he was the main proponent behind the chartering of the Virunga National Park (formally the Albert National Park) in Africa.

Jay Kirk does a wonderful job telling this remarkable man’s story: the experimentation he went through as he refined his trade, his turbulent relationship with his feisty wife, and the troubles he went through to build his dream exhibit in the New York Museum. Kirk uses a narrative style, often extrapolating private thoughts and conversations from available documentation. In this way, this book reminded me a good deal of David Grann’s Lost City of Z, which reads less like a historical biography and more like a novel. While this may affect some of the historical accuracy of the book, it certainly spices up the reading experience and allows the reader to dive deeper into the life of the taxidermist explorer.

Overall, if you have an interest in natural history or even just the events around the turn of the 20th century, this is an excellent book. I guarantee that after reading it, your next visit to the American Museum of Natural History will carry a different meaning.

[J.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lifelong interest in natural history, fascination with Africa and admiration for Carl Akeley all combined to draw me to this book. I wasn’t disappointed. I consider it the most absorbing book I’ve read so far this year.

Kirk’s novelistic approach, coupled with a thorough collection of notes supporting the narrative, makes it an engrossing biography and tale of adventure and obsession.

Anyone who has seen Akeley’s work has to admire the skill which made him not simply a craftsman, but truly an artist. His innovations gained him the respect of his fellow taxidermists and the admiration of everyone from country bumpkins to scientists to kings and presidents.

Some might find it creepy that in his early teens Carl spent hours alone in his bedroom skinning chipmunks and wrens. On the other hand, it might be seen as early evidence of his dedication. A budding pianist runs scales. An apprentice taxidermist practices on what’s available.

That his talent was evident early is shown by his rapid advancement from the shop of an interior decorator to Ward’s Natural Science Establishment to the Milwaukee Public Museum and on to the Field Museum in Chicago, each entrusting him with more complex assignments.

Early on, Akeley was little different from those who killed animals for sport (though his primary aim was in preserving specimens for future generations who might never see a living example). Later in life, he became a devoted conservationist, preserving them on film in addition to being responsible for establishment of the first gorilla sanctuary in Africa.

Aside from the interesting documentation on Akeley’s life, there’s a wealth of material on such intriguing associates as Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Fairfield Osborn, Martin and Osa Johnson, George Eastman and others. My one fault with this book is the lack of follow up on the career of Carl’s first wife, Delia (aka Mickie), after her apparent mental breakdown and their divorce. His taxidermy assistant for years, Mickie became the first woman to lead a museum expedition to Africa, was the first non-African woman to cross that continent from east to west and did pioneering work in primate studies before Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the turn of the 20th century, Carl Akeley revolutionized the art of taxidermy. Prior to his work, preserving an animal involved stuffing the skin with paper and sawdust, resulting in a comically ill-defined monstrosity that only vaguely resembled the original animal. Akeley was unsatisfied, and spent many years perfecting his craft, trying different methods (such as using wire mesh and clay sculptures under the hide) to truly bring the animals to life.

I suppose whenever discussing the book the format must be addressed. The book is infamous for treading the line between fiction and nonfiction. Jay Kirk meticulously researched Carl Akeley's life, that is indisputable. However, when he wrote his book, even though it is labeled as nonfiction, he wrote it in narrative form, so that it reads like a fictional story. The criticism comes with the "facts" that the author invented. In order to stitch together full scenes, he had to fudge the details a bit. He admits this in his notes, where he points out where he had to create a line or two of conversation to make it complete. This is, naturally, unacceptable to purists.

I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, yes, some of the minor details are potentially inaccurate. On the other hand, is that any less true for traditional nonfiction? If only I knew how many times I've read science nonfiction in which the facts are mixed with theory or the authors own hypotheses, or history books in which the author says something "probably" happened or that "most people believe" one thing or another.

Don't get me wrong, I don't really like the narrative nonfiction format and I would have preferred just the facts, please. I do think the format hurts the book, but I don't think it breaks it entirely. At worse, you can consider this one of the most accurate and well-researched pieces of historical fiction you will probably ever read. With that kind of outlook, Kingdom Under Glass is brilliant. As a work of nonfiction, however, I'm considering it nothing better than average.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost feel bad for being the first reviewer to give this book less than 5 stars on Amazon, but I must admit, by the end, I was ready to be done with it. It was a great depiction of life in the midst of the Industrial Revolution and a fascinating portrayal of Carl Akeley. Describing his passion for revolutionizing taxidermy and also his contributions to filmmaking, Akeley’s life was written with great enthusiasm on these pages. He was a (somewhat obscure) legend whose works can still be marveled at to this day. The narrative was also full of larger-than-life historical figures such as P.T. Barnum, Teddy Roosevelt, and George Eastman. After reading about Akeley’s many expeditions to Africa, I find it a wonder that the African Elephant DIDN’T go extinct due to big game hunting and ivory poaching. It really made me aware of the sever depletion of wildlife during European colonization on the Dark Continent and how shamelessly species were nearly wiped out. Part of the problem is that by the end, Akeley was on his Nth trip to collect specimens and it was getting redundant. His desperation to collect funds for his exhibits became tedious. The author’s style became a bit inconsistent, but he acknowledges his unconventional methods in his notes. Despite the few flaws, it was a highly entertaining biography of a man who led an exceptional life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should've been great, after all the life of Carl Akeley was movie-worthy, filled with high adventure on the dark continent of Africa at the height of its imperial conquest. It turned out to be disappointingly flat, as the author tried too hard to be sensational, while in reality, a large part of Akeley's time in Africa was actually filled with tedium and monotony - trudging through miles of inhospitable terrain with nary an encounter with the native wildlife. By the time the truly hair-raising events happen - the leopard duel, being steamrolled by an elephant, shooting charging gorillas, the reader is already exhausted and indifferent. Rather, the interesting bits are the parts on his many safari companions, most notably Theodore Roosevelt, whose personalities are well captured and lives worth elaborating on, and the insight into Western society during the 1920s, with their antiquated (by 21st C standards) attitudes toward wildlife (mass killing of individuals to obtain 'perfect' specimens for preserving) and human societies (non-whites considered savages).

I guess writing about taxidermists, and Akeley must be THE most famous of all, isn't as exciting or enjoyable as viewing their creations. And when it comes to explorers of the 19th Century, the competition is just too tough - Burton, Speke, Stanley, Baker, the list goes on. Next to these greats, the feats of Carl Akeley become plain ordinary!

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most biographies that I read are dry books that read like poorly written college history books. You can usually expect it to be third person recounting of facts and dates, often, they aren't even strictly narrative. Not so with Kingdom Under Glass. Jay Kirk wrote this in a narrative style that assumes to know the details of events and the thoughts of characters that he can't possibly know. While some people might argue whether that adheres to some kind of morale code for non-fiction books, it definitely makes it much more readable. More like a good fiction book of adventure. Not only that, but it is actually very well crafted writing, impressively so. In fact, I'd venture to say that I don't see a lot of writing that is quite as good nowadays.[return][return]As far as the subject goes, Carl Akeley did lead a fascinating life, full of drama and adventure. I loved reading about his adventures, his struggles, and his marital dramas involving a crazy monkey. It is also fascinating because of how Akeley's story intersects with some of the more well known historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt and George Eastman.[return][return]I'd highly suggest this for all biography readers, and I think that many other readers would like it as well. It would especially appeal to travel and adventure readers.

[Ryan Holiday · Rating 4 out of 5]

My chase for interesting animal anecdotes has taken me to some weird books from Pliny to Borges, but Kingdom Under Glass is one that I think most people would enjoy. It's about Carl Akeley, an early 20th century adventurer, inventor, friend of Teddy Roosevelt and, strangely, the world's greatest taxidermist (he actually taxidermied Jumbo the Elephant.) The book is so well-written and meticulously researched that it almost feels patronizing to talk about it like that -- like I'm trying to compensate for it being borinng by talking about the writing. But it really is just THAT GOOD. Somehow the author managed to track down some incredibly obscure side stories that turned out to be fascinating. My favorite: Teddy Roosevelt shooting and gutting an elephant to prepare it for skinning. After they went to sleep, Roosevelt sensed something and returned to the carcass to find a hyena, which had crawled inside and been trapped by the rigor mortis. He later shot the hyena through the dead elephant. Back to the weird books I mentioned earlier. Through this book, I found that Ackley's wife wrote a 250-page biography about her pet monkey in 1928. They think it may be one of the first books written from the perspective of an animal. Of course, I immediately bought it and loved it. You might too, if you can find it. It's called "J. T., Jr.": The Biography of an African Monkey.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of Carl Akeley, a taxidermist who was primarily responsible for the African Hall at the American Museum of Natural History, tells a tale of his obsession with displaying the fauna of Africa behind glass before it becomes extinct. This, of course, necessitates the killing of the animals he claims to glorify. He leads several expeditions to Africa, where he kills many more animals than he needs, searching for the perfect specimens for his dioramas. He ruins his health in the process and has two marriages to fascinating women. The style of this book is very novelistic. The author acknowledges that this method of telling his story leads to doubt about the accuracy of his work. He includes extensive notes on the provenance of each chapter to allay those doubts. This is a compelling tale of a particular man, but also of the time when rich men and a few women went to Africa and wantonly devastated the animals there. (After his presidency, Teddy Roosevelt went on a safari to Africa where he killed more than 11,000 animals.) At least Akeley had a goal beyond the simple joy of killing. I must admit that I never stopped to think about the animals that were killed to provide the museum displays that I have always enjoyed.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good book. It's one of those that, after failing to hear your name called three times at the pool because you were reading this book, people finally ask "What are you reading?" To which I got to reply, "It's this really captivating biography. Of a taxidermist."

Which is what it is. Carl Akeley was a taxidermist, and an extremely gifted artist, who revolutionized the field of museum display and interpretation. But he was also a tireless inventor, who drastically improved the motion picture camera. He was an aggressive big-game hunter, a charismatic leader, and a dramatic lover. He lad a wild, riotous, fascinating life. Near the end of which he had an emotional epiphany and became an ardent conservationist. He helped create Virunga National Park and championed gorilla conservation.

If this bare list of facts doesn't make you immediately want to pick up the book, you'll likely feel that way when I tell you how very rigorously it was researched and footnoted (even my snobby scholar's sensibilities were satisfied) and as smoothly written and paced as a novel.

A superb example of what a historical biography can and should be.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Carl Akeley as he improves the world of taxidermy and goes to Africa to preserve the big game animals that are being hunted out of existence. He also developed a camera to take live action film of the animals as they move. His was an interesting world. The details are fascinating as Mr. Kirk tells Carl's story. I even read the notes. His documentation of his sources is good. I want to read some of them, if they are still available. I loved Micki, stubborn as she could be, but that is what gave her the strength and courage to do what she did for Carl. I did not like his second wife as well. Carl had a lot of stamina and perseverance as he went for the animals he wanted in his dioramas surviving a leopard and elephant attack. He should die much earlier than he did. He was involved with famous people from that era--Theodore Roosevelt and George Eastman of Kodak. Interesting story. Reads like a novel.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written book about taxidermist and adventurer Carl Akeley. I had difficulty engaging in this book's subject. I especially had difficulty with the characters who bemoaned the possible extinction of large-game species while shooting them (ostensibly for science, but given the number of bodies that were abandoned, this is hard to fathom). A rather bleak portrait of turn-of-the-century ecology, racial prejudice, and eugenics.

Merged review:

A well-written book about taxidermist and adventurer Carl Akeley. I had difficulty engaging in this book's subject. I especially had difficulty with the characters who bemoaned the possible extinction of large-game species while shooting them (ostensibly for science, but given the number of bodies that were abandoned, this is hard to fathom). A rather bleak portrait of turn-of-the-century ecology, racial prejudice, and eugenics.

[Erika Harada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the most entertaining biography I've ever read. Some of it, of course, has to do with my interest in the subject matter -- I'm enamored by the dioramas at the AMNH -- but most was due to the fact that Kirk has an extraordinary writing style. It's perpetually gripping and engaging, and brought the characters of Carl Akeley, his wife Mickey, and their friends and colleagues to life.
I also enjoyed how it could never in a million years could be considered a hagiography. Racist attitudes are presented very matter-of-factly, and the contempt Akeley and his comrades felt for the native porters they brought along on their journey is sickening. I couldn't feel too much emotional attachment to them for that reason alone, but even so, the adventures and historical anecdotes kept me entertained.