To the Elephant Graveyard

by Tarquin Hall

An account of life among the Khasi tribe in a remote region of India describes a people whose culture is intimately bound to the area's elephants, but this peaceful coexistence is endangered by a killer elephant on the rampage unless a hunt can find and destroy the animal.

Genres: Nonfiction, India, Animals, Nature, Travel, Wildlife, Adventure

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Tarquin Hall is a British author and journalist who has lived and worked throughout South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He is the author of The Case of the Missing Servant, dozens of articles, and three works of non-fiction, including the highly acclaimed Salaam Brick Lane, an account of a year spent above a Bangladeshi sweat shop in London’s notorious East End. He is married to Indian-born journalist, Anu Anand. They have a young son and divide their time between London and Delhi.

Reviews

[Ahtims · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never have come across this book weren't it for Sunetra, a Biblio friend who suggested it as a weekend read.
I have read a couple of mysteries by Tarquin Hall and relished them, but never knew that he is actually a journalist who has written non fiction too.

The book deals with the subject of Indian elephants who are on the brink of extinction, and how the author took part in the search and killing of a rogue elephant who was terrorising Assamese farmers.
While the author, the forest authorities and the various elephant catchers and trainers prepared for the hunt, Tarquin Hall educates the reader about Assam and it's culture and history, the lifestyle of elephants and the political unrest in the North East of India, with a tinge of humor.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this elusive North East border of my country, and was distressed at the way things are progressing geopolitically.

I felt for the elephants and humans alike, and even the rogue behaved thus, only due to his circumstances.
Totally enjoyed the book and will be on the lookout for similar enriching reads.

[Girish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind of man could invent

The book is nonfiction writing at it's best!

When the British journalist, Tarquin Hall, sees a news bite on the hunt of a killer Elephant, he joins in for the ringside view.

The account starts with suspicion of foul play given the gentle nature of the magnificent beasts. Joining the Elephant loving hunter Mr.Choudhary and the Elephant squad - Mahouts with their kunkis (domesticated elephants) , the team chases the trail of the rogue tusker across Assam.

The book delves deep into the understanding of the majestic animals - their unique bond with their Mahouts and their intelligence and their memory. It also touches the mysteries associated with elephants in India such as the Pool of Ganesha.

As an account, the book also covers various aspects of Assamese history and faiths. It touches upon the life in tea estates, the insurgency groups motives, the war against poachers in Kaziranga, accounts of bravery in Kohima war - fascinating!

Personally I was overwhelmed with the book with my north east connection and the love for animals. In Sri Lanka I had spent a day with the Mahouts bathing, feeding and playing with elephant and I so fell in love with these animals. The encroachment in the name of civilisation into their habitats cause the confused beasts to cross paths with humans - the most dangerous animal of them all!

It could be essential reading for Assam state except for its open claims on corruption and inaction.

Highly recommended!

[Gorab · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say an elephant never forgets. What they don't tell you is, you never forget an elephant.
- Bill Murray

This is an exceptional read - intimate and moving! The trail of hunting a rogue elephant captured beautifully by Tarquin Hall as a news reporter. Reads like a fiction, and feels like you are living among the elephant squad, absorbing the Assamese culture via related experience.
Highly recommended.

"Elephants are continually being compared to man in favourable terms. This is supposed to be some great compliment. Yet surely to these extraordinary creatures, there can be nothing more demeaning."

[Em*Greedy* (Iniya) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved reading this one... !!

[Ravinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the book from the library without knowing what it would be like to read. Boy, was I surprised.

Tarquin writes very well not only on the main topic of the book - the hunt for the rouge elephant, but shares some other insights into the history of North-East India - be it the bravery of the forest guards at Kaziranga, or what the Bodo movement was really about, the Central Government's continued and possibly deliberate lack of interest in developing the region, the history of Kohima and many more issues.

The story of the rouge elephant, the mahouts, the history of how elephant were domesticated, and for wild elephants the movement corridors are being taken over by the ever increasing human population of the country is all told very well.

A thoroughly enjoyable read

[P.]

DNF. An overpowering wave of laziness and indifference washed me away from this book.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual book. A British journalist joins an elephant team in northeast India (Assam) as they hunt down a rogue elephant who has killed almost 40 people. The killings seem premeditated, cruel, and grisly. Could an elephant really be responsible for this type of crime? The author initially believes that there is something corrupt about this, that perhaps this is an excuse for trigger happy hunters to indulge in a blood sport or some such reason. He does indeed find corruption, but it is not because the tale about the elephant is untrue. The elephant hunter actually grew up with elephants and loves them. He does not want to kill the elephant, but when they go bad someone must treat them with dignity even while tracking and killing them. Who better to do that than someone who loves and respects elephants?

The real story is what is happening to India as a country. The story about the elephants is a very convenient and fitting way to do this. Old India is the Asian elephant. Old India is disappearing and dying. Old India is clung to by those who live there, but who care so little about preserving it that they do nothing to help.

The most telling quotes come from the Indians themselves. "We Hindus are hypocrites. Every day, we pray to animals and Mother India, and even go to Ganesha [the elephant god]. Yet at the same time, we are destroying the very earth that we hold so sacred."

"Our priests say that this is Kalyung, the Age of Kali, a time of decline and degeneration. But that has become an excuse to do nothing. The fact is, people are selfish and lazy."

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have very little interest in India and even less in elephants; but this book got such rave reviews on Goodreads that I decided to give it a try. The official blurb is quite accurate, so I won't repeat it. What is surprising and refreshing here is the novelist's detail--the sights, sounds, smells, textures of India, along with wonderful characterizations done mostly through skillful dialogue. There is no doubt throughout what is ultimately going to happen, but Hall strings it out with side adventures and complications that are endlessly fascinating and feel completely authentic. It does what the best travel stories do--sets you down in a strange and incomprehensible culture and gradually helps you begin to understand. The chief mahout assures Hall that he is a "Presbyterian, all the way, no?"--but ten pages later he is praying to the elephant god Ganesha, pouring coconut milk over the statue. When Hall asks him about it, he replies, "Better to be safer than sorrier, no?" An easy read in one sense, but also unforgettable. I'm looking forward to Hall's first novel--a detective story also set in India.

[Vaidya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts off on the wrong foot, in fact on a lot of wrong feet. There are sentences which go:
Bihar is a state in eastern India notorious for its lawlessness, caste wars and dacoits, who regularly hold up trains at gunpoint.
Most of the descriptions are meant to shock and awe a Western audience, even to the point of describing auto-rickshaw rides and having natives do "jigs" whenever they are excited.

But where it scores is that it stays true to the actual quest - that of an elephant hunt, where a "rogue" elephant that has been killing people regularly has been sentenced to death, and a hunter goes along to kill it. The hunter is someone deeply versed in elephant lore and is doing it, in his words, because "if not me, someone else might do it. And they might do a worse job of it."

Like all books on nature and wildlife, it ends with a warning on dwindling wildlife and that elephants would be extinct at this rate within our lifetimes.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous story of a rogue elephant and the hunt to kill him. Told by a journalist. Exposes the heart of the hunter and how much he truly loves elephants. Culture is northeast India, the people, the land and how the elephant is revered by all. The relationships between mahouts and their elephants discussed. Also the struggle between farmers and wildlife is touched upon. Very well written.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd wanted to know who Tarquin Hall was, when I went looking for this book. He'd recently written A Case of the Missing Servant, which I thought was curious, since it appeared to have been written, not by a Asian native, but by a Britisher. Hall wrote ...Elephant when he was 23, and that is impressive enough, I guess. He did an okay job--though I am vastly interested in elephants, I put this down several times. Hall's habit of injecting himself into the narrative was less endearing than tiresome, in the end. He thought the story fascinating, and so it was. Only he isn't. There were some physical descriptions of elephants as a species which I'd never heard, nor considered before--sandpaper skin, coarse curly tail and head hair, etc. and the description of the awe inspired by the rogue elephant when he finally came from the forest was masterly. There was also a character, Vipal, introduced towards the end of the narractive that was painted with clever skill. One can just imagine how annoying and useful the man was--a combination that seems to be indipensable in Asia. I am so glad the man who killed the formerly housebred rogue elephant was worthy of his opponent and realized the magnitude of his action. It was a humane death, as they go.

[Piyali · Rating 4 out of 5]

No less than a real life suspense thriller, this one. A psychological one at that. The serial killer is a rogue tusker, who primarily targets drunken men and kills them brutally. What are his reasons for this violence? Find out with elephant expert, elephant lover, and occasional hunter Dinesh Choudhury and author Tarquin Hall. Also meet adorable, endearing characters like Churchill, Chander and other mahouts, who have dedicated their lives to love and care for elephants. Learn about dedicated forest rangers like Mole and Amu, whose lives' mission is to protect and nurture endangered Asian elephants and rhinos from the poachers. A fantastic read, for sure.

[Kendra Schaefer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. If you don't frequently read travel books, or if you don't travel, this is probably more like a 3- or 4-star read, but this was such a typical Asia travelogue that I found myself incredibly bored. Amazement at quirky societal differences? Check. Intrepid spur-of-the-moment exploration in rural community? Check. Romanticized villagers? Check. Wondering about the "mysteries of the East"? Yup, that too. Nothing wrong with the writing, the writing's fine, I just personally didn't find anything arresting in the subject matter.

[Harshini · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well written and had a lot of interesting information which was great to learn. It made me feel nostalgic and homesick even though I belong to south India and not Assam. In light of the recent 2020 floods happening in Assam reading this book increased my feelings of empathy for the animals and people suffering right now. But this book also highlights and alludes to the reason why such floods are so commonplace these past few years.
The writer unabashedly speaks of the corruption and poor environmental policies in place and I agree. Things have not improved for the better. The recent EIA 2020 draft highlights just how little the Indian authorities value the environment and the local communities over deforestation causing profits.

My only problem with this book is the faint notes of disdain the writer uses when talking about the locals or their behavior. I was not comfortable with his tone at times. Some of it even sounded a bit racist to me which is definitely not okay in this day and age.

But apart from that, it is a good book to read for anyone interested in learning more about the status of elephants in India.

[Rohit Borah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The boots on the ground journalism work here is really good and the story is compellingly told. Hathis are perhaps the most astonishing creatures that we share the world with.

The author's general disdain for Indian and specifically Assamese people is impossible to get past. As a descendant of one of the "primitive hill tribes who have long inhabited the region," the author's sense of moral superiority towards the people he was embedded with was difficult to read. I typically do not enjoy Englishmen writing about India (and Assam) for these reasons, but this was a particularly egregious example.

[Luca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
anche se non scritto benissimo, mi ha fatto riflettere soprattutto nelle ultime pagine sulla situazione dell'Assam, regione dell'India che non conoscevo minimamente,ma da dove vengono elefanti,rinoceronti e altre specie ormai in via di estinzione.

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: To The Elephant Graveyard by Tarquin Hall.

The story is interesting, educating, and fascinating. The author gives a great deal of information on the elephants in India. He starts out relating how mankind misuses and overdevelops a great part of the land that once inhabited the great Asian elephant. As a British journalist he heard of a large angry elephant was being hunted down because the elephant was going into small villages and at that time he had already killed twenty-eight people. That’s when Tarquin Hall thought it would make a great story to follow up on especially hearing that the great Mr. P.C. Choudhury, an experience animal hunter that looks into the diagnosis scenario of the situation to determine if the animal has to be put down, killing it, only if needed. Hall went to the area in India to meet with Choudhury and was able to convince him to allow him to be among the group that was headed into the rain forest and jungle to follow the path and pace that the elephant was last seen. Hall was allowed to go with strict rules he had to follow.

Now Hall was headed out to the area of Assam, India. He manages to be accepted into the selected group of mahouts and travels on an elephant for the first time and never stops asking questions. There was some suspense to the story with Hall’s questions about the mythic elephant graveyard that is answered and seen near the end of the book. He also learns throughout his adventure about the local Indian culture. Hall warms up to Choudhury and he realizes the kind of person he really was, a kind loving, gentle animal person not the beast of a hunter as he thought. This whole situation was serious to the entire group, even Hall himself. The elephant was a huge symbol in India and they were being pushed off their land and the poaching of elephants was also threatening the elephant population. With people like Choudhury, opposed to poaching and the misused land gave the reader a sensitive issue to think about.

When he talked about the hunted elephant Choudhury explains throughout the story how he stalks the elephant to find out why it is killing. He feels his way on the path of the elephant and creates a believing story of why this elephant has turned mean. No one in the group wanted this elephant put down not even Hall. It was so fascinating how Choudhury explained the life of this elephant as if he watched and felt what this animal had gone through. It really is a fascinating true story, it had to be heartfelt by any reader and the adventure that Tarquin Hall describes is intriguing. The story was a little wordy but the adventure was amazing.

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

De schrijver, een journalist van beroep, neemt ons mee naar Assam, een gebied in India. Er loopt een gevaarlijke olifant rond, die al verscheidene mensen gedood heeft. Tarquin slaagt erin om toestemming te krijgen om zich aan te sluiten bij de aangestelde olifantenjager en zijn team. Hoewel de olifant moet gedood worden, blijkt toch dat deze mensen veel respect hebben voor het dier en tot op het laatste toe hopen dat het dier tot rede kan gebracht worden, of ten minste zich terugtrekt in het reservaat en de mensen met rust laat. Maar de haatgevoelens van de olifant tegenover de mensen zijn te ver heen, en worden nog versterkt doordat het dier gewond is aan een poot en dus vlug geprikkeld is. Na de olifant verschillende kansen te hebben gegeven om de strijd met de mensen op te geven, blijft er niets anders over dan hem neer te schieten. Het laatste wat men voor hem kan doen is hem een respectvolle begrafenis geven en er voor zorgen dat stropers zich geen meester kunnen maken van zijn lichaam.
Tijdens deze avontuurlijke speurtocht laat Tarquin Hall ons ook kennismaken met de verschillende mensen die hij ontmoet en met de mooie Indiase natuur.
Een boek dat je bijblijft.

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book ! When I initially started reading the book, I was afraid it would be another book with a condescending view of India (it did have hints of that in the initial chapters). However, as the book progressed it was was engrossing and dispelled me of my earlier notions . There is something new to be learnt every few chapters, about Assam, the people there and life there -so many things I wasn't aware of! The friendship and the bond between Hall and "the elephant squad" , the struggle Mr. Choudary had , the chances given to the rogue are amongst the many things that are worth mentioning. But reading this , I couldn't help but wonder if being a white man opened doors for Hall, that wouldn't have been more easily accessible to others.

Definitely worth reading. Highly recommend.

[Antechinus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was wrote in 2000 some of the language and references to Indian people at best is problematic at worse it is racist. I guess it is a travelogue but the language and disdain seems to come from a sense of British superiority. disappointed

[Shiny Ajit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart piercing story

This beautifully written story captures the essence of the north-eastern jungles and their diverse inhabitants, both human and animal. It goes beyond merely narrating the capture of a rogue elephant; it delves into the daily lives of everyone involved—the hunter, the locals, and the elephant itself. The author vividly portrays these experiences, allowing readers to feel as though they have personally visited these remarkable places.

Tarquin Hall skillfully describes Indian culture, traditions, poverty, corruption, wildlife, religion, and village life with such authenticity and beauty that even those who have never travelled there will find themselves enchanted by the land. This book comes highly recommended for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and wildlife enthusiasts, taking readers on an exhilarating journey through the enchanting forests and villages of Assam, while revealing the intimate lives and cherished bonds between mahouts and their kumkis.

What stands out is the author's meticulous attention to detail—the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of India, brought to life through skillful characterizations and engaging dialogue. Although the outcome may seem predictable, Hall skillfully extends the narrative with side adventures and captivating complications that resonate with the best travel stories, inviting you into a complex culture that gradually unfolds before you.

For example, the chief mahout proudly states he is a “Presbyterian, all the way,” yet later finds himself praying to the elephant god Ganesha, pouring coconut milk over its statue. When Hall questions him, he responds, “Better to be safer than sorrier, no?” While the story is an easy read, it leaves a profound impression.

On India’s North-East frontier, a rogue elephant terrorizes the paddy fields of Assam, claiming the lives of countless farmers and leaving devastation in its wake. Local forestry officials, unable to stop the elephant, call upon Dinesh Choudury, one of India’s last licensed elephant hunters, and issue a warrant for the animal’s destruction.

Upon reading about the ensuing hunt in a Delhi newspaper, journalist Tarquin Hall travels to Assam to investigate, convinced that no elephant could be guilty of the brutal crimes attributed to it.

Hall discovers that the Khasi people live in harmony with the elephants. They ride on their backs, care for them, converse with them, and pray to them. In this rich tapestry of life, elephants wrap their trunks lovingly around their masters’ shoulders, and village signposts guide where domesticated elephants should be tethered.

While this seems like a peaceful coexistence, Hall uncovers the suffering of the elephants. Having lost their natural habitat, they are hungry and confused, with little forest left to retreat into. Although some herds are adapting to domestication, many remain fierce and angry.

Gripping accounts of the rogue elephant and long journeys on the backs of village elephants reveal a fascinating world, showcasing magnificent emerald-green hills, glistening rainforests, and the vibrant people of North-East India. Yet, beneath this beauty lies unimaginable violence wrought by a crazed, drunk rogue elephant.

*To the Elephant Graveyard* is a compelling testament to the search for understanding in a region of India rich in folklore, steeped in tradition, and facing rapid changes as its ancient ways and once-abundant forests vanish.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hall is an excellent writer when he chooses to be, but this book had its pros and cons. For the major part of the text, his voice is like that of a BBC travelogue presenter--Michael Palin springs to mind, and that is not a compliment. He constantly focusses on how dirty the people are, apparently unaware that they have no access to modern toilets and running water, let alone bathtubs, and winks over their heads at the reader while describing their ignorance and oh so amusing habits, such as the "little jigs" they supposedly dance when pleased. He admits he knows nothing about elephants, and yet questions the years of experience and expert knowledge of the hunter, saying at one point he is "sure (the hunter) is wrong." Which of course he is not. And of course there's Hall's "native fool" Vipal Ganguly, supposedly a renowned AP photographer, though Google has no record at all of someone by that name, except in reviews for this book. The way this man appears just in time to be the butt of Hall's "humour" only to vanish forthwith made me doubt if he exists at all. We won't even discuss the two mahouts Hall claims call themselves Badger and Mole!

At the start he complains for pages about how uncomfortable riding on an elephant is in extreme detail and rhapsodises about the comforts of the hotel he stays in, only to do a complete about-face later on: "There is nothing to compare with travelling on an elephant's back." Suddenly the movement he complained about as being so abrupt and uncomfortable is "timeless and relaxing", and "makes travelling worthwhile."
All of the chapter epigraphs are drawn from British (white) authors. Not one from an Indian writer. Are there no indigenous authors he could quote, or did he just not bother?
I also had to wonder if the ending really happened or if it was a bit of artistic licence. An elephant catcher who has an elephant named Toomai, of all things? and he basically spouts Kipling's description of catching calves in a keddah? I had to wonder.
There are all of two reviews of this book by Indian journalists available online both of whom call it a blend of fiction and travelogue; they seem less than impressed, especially with Hall's brand of humour vis a vis the natives. Is it nonfiction or did he embroider and change things for effect? The jury's still out on that one.
The description of the rogue elephant's last stand was gripping. Why can't Hall write with this immediacy in his novels? Then he rounded out the book by discussing the plight of the Indian elephant in an afterword that is totally different in tone to the text, being dry and academic.
Four stars because it did hold my attention.

[Ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a soft corner for books related to elephants, probably because of my name.
Long back, I had done a search on books related to wildlife and elephants.
That's how I found this book. I finished it today.

In a few words, this was an engrossing 5⭐ read — a book that has left a mark on my reading journey. A book that tells a story that I partially knew, but without the finer details.

While I enjoy seeing elephants up close, soaking in their regal beauty and amusing myself with their mischievous movements, I totally understand how much these gentle giants are tortured for human wants. Their habitats are wiped clean for farming and for laying highways. In some parts of Assam, large sprawling golf courses have been built, blocking their natural walking paths. Their feeding grounds are taken over.

Hungry, confused, and left with no other way, they slowly adapt to the domesticated way of living. Even then, they are not spared. Some of their owners mistreat them; their mahouts scar them with their ankush, starve them, and bind them with tight chains around their legs that often lead to gangrene.

It is when the torture breaches their threshold that these pachyderms go rogue and unleash their fury on humans.

This brilliant book by Tarquin Hall tells the story of the author's adventure in the dense forests of Assam, alongside an authorized elephant shooter and mahouts for assistance.

They go in search of an elephant that has gone rogue and is wreaking havoc — destroying huts, pillaging crops, and killing villagers.

The writing is engaging and descriptive at its best. Tarquin is an excellent storyteller. He tells this real-life story with a flair that makes one feel like they are part of the adventure.

When the story ended, I felt a pang of despair — an inexplicable sadness for how the story ended and for the fact that the book had come to an end.

If you are someone like me, who worships nature and the wildlife it houses, this is a must-read book.

[Angad Mahal · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the first book I’ve read by tarquin hall. And let me tell ya, this guy. This guys something. the yarn he weaves, the tales he tells, the sagas he sells. He’s basically the perfect fusion of a David Attenborough and an Anthony Bourdain. So basically all of Anthony bourdain and some of that curmudgeonly old fart.

Ok some of that might have been hyperbole. Let me start again. the books pretty good. I would highly recommend reading this long form essay before starting the book.

https://www.thenewatlantis.com/public...

if elephants have ever tugged at your heartstrings, if you’ve ever felt that primal connection to them, this essay will make you feel feelings and think things. And hopefully, raise the stakes of what ends up happening in this book.
the book also does the thinky things and feely feels thing pretty well. eventually. it’s a fairly straightforward travelogue style recounting of events for the first bit, but the ‘adventure’ bit is quite well written. Atleast for me, it’s in the vein of Jim Corbett’s ‘man-eating tigers of Kumaon’, a book I loved growing up. I can’t seem to decide if it’s a good thing that tarquin’s doesn’t have those excruciatingly tedious Victorian-era descriptions Corbett included, of literally everything around him. it did add to the tension, but then again, ain’t nobody got time for that.
Anyways, it touches on all the usual ‘mans greed vs nature’ type stuff. hits you harder because, elephants dude.
So, taste of quaint old India. check. Majestic mammals. Check. Adventure story . Check. disgusting humans treating nature like an infinite resource. Check.
The only drawback I can think of is that the author could have spent a minute expounding on elephants. On why they’re so awesome. Or how they break down our cherished ideas about human exceptionalism. Just like the essay does.

it’s a breezy read and a good way to spend a few hours.

[Father Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, overall, but it was not the daring detective story I'd been told it was. The fact is, Hall's writing belongs in a newspaper more than a book. His descriptions are clumsy, full of distracting metaphors: "Greedily they ate the contents, coating the tips of their trunks in powdered sugar, so that they looked like junkies snorting cocaine" was one of the more grave offenses, of which there are innumerable others. The other characters and their dialogue seemed like a belabored addition to a story that probably could have been told forward in straightforward, journalistic style and been just as moving and informative as the novelistic style Hall attempts. Nonetheless, I really did take an interest in the story and its setting in a little known region of India, about which I knew absolutely nothing, and now can at least place on the map--the easternmost part of India separated from the main body of the country by Bangladesh, and connected to it by a narrow strip of territory that gave the British access to the tea plantations.
I'm not sorry I read this book, but I have come to expect more from the books I invest time in. There is so much good literature that awaits--as Schopenauer once put it, "A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is short." Not a bad book, nor one I regret reading--for the fascination with the Abu has laid hold of its author, and it does no harm to think on.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since I found that area of India dangling between Myanmar and Bangladesh I’ve been interested in the rogue Indian state of Assam. My intregue piqued when I learned of the WWII battles in Assam with Allied missions fighting over control of “the hump” of Himalayas between China and Darjeerling. Travel by Westerners as long been banned until the separatist insurgents are controlled.

Of equal importance is the story of the elephant culture in Assam and this book does a terrific job of describing relationships between Assam’s people, elephants, and jungle landscapes. There are a few wild elephants in Assam, most have been domesticated to farm what was once their jungle. One elephant had been mistreated and become a frequent man killer. The government hires a hunter to kill this renegade and our author is allowed to join the hunt.

This is a far better hunting story than anything written by Hemingway, in my opinion, and the book reports on a real event. The author is sympathetic to the prey and describes the respect and natural history knowledge of the hunter. The narrative is well written and exciting to read.

[Anita Devi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very refreshing and engaging read. I enjoyed this book. This book not only centered around elephant, it also gives you the idea about the culture of Assam. The book is basically about the Asian elephant who has been declared rogue. Tarquin got to know that Forest department need a hunter to come forward and kill the rogue elephant. Here comes Mr. Dinesh Choudhary, the best elephant hunter with great knowledge and psyche connection to the elephnants. Tarquin manages to tail Mr. Choudhary on this expedition. From here they starts their adventure of finding and killing the rogue elephant. The best part of the story was the investigation of the Mr. Choudhary for the history and reason of being a rogue. Mr. Choudhary is a hunter but he showed mercy and respect to the rogue elephant. The back story of the rogue elephant was touching, its an example of how mental and physical torture can turn even a kindest animal against the humanity. I would really love to watch this story in the form of a movie.

[Ed Dodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book while browsing Barnes & Noble'sbargin bin and bought it because I had read some of Tarquin Hall's detective stories. This book was of an entirely different genre - a travelogue about his journey into Assam, a province on the Northeastern frontier of India to cover an expedition to kill a rogue elephant. Mr. Hall is also a journalist and is able to bring real people, places, and events to life for the reader. His descriptions of life in this remote part of India and the plight of the Indian elephant are compelling, and entwined as they are with the exciting and suspeneeseful story of the elephant hunt make for an enjoyable read. I really could not put it down.

[Brendan Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at a book sale and went in knowing nothing except that I like elephants. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun, drama, and tension that Hall recounted from his time in India. When a rogue 'tusker' is found roaming between villages killing innocent people, the government orders its immediate destruction. As the bumbling Englishman, Hall tags along with the crew tasked with destroying the magnificent beast. Hall slowly finds himself in more and more danger and chaos all the while questioning the morality of their adventure.

With a band of memorable characters, interesting settings, and some surprising twists, this book was quite the wild ride.

4.5/5

[Senthil Ganesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”
 ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Man-Eating Elephant!
Elephant Alcoholism!
The legend of human sacrifice volunteers- Bhogis!
Elephant's death precognition!

Well! Iam always drawn to those wierd books that provide an escape from the boring daily chores and this book has enough bizarre myths to keep you fully engaged for a day or two.

In this true crime thriller, Tarquin Hall pursues a serial-killer elephant and he shows us how elephants are way more intelligent and emotional than most other mammals. In the journey he reveals upclose , the nature of the most dangerous job of the world - Elephant Mahout.We also get a whiff of the exotic culture of Assam in the chase for the elephant. I just could not believe there was a bizzare religious human cannibalism practice that was prevalent in the Kamakhya temple.

The gut wrenching back-story of the rogue elephant will bring tears to our eyes. After knowing the back story , I felt anyone in the elephant's place would have done the same thing.The ending was tragic too.

Overall - a satisfying read.

Some of the interesting lines from the book are ..

“If you roamed every continent for thousands of years, coming to consider the globe your own private football, and you were then confined to an open prison…you too might become unbalanced.”-Heathcote Williams, Sacred Elephant

" In those days, elephants were the ultimate status symbol, as prestigious as the BMWs and Mercedes of today. No special occasion was complete without them."

"Elephants love alcohol, particularly the rice wine these people make. They can smell it from miles away and they often break down houses to steal it.”

"it wasn’t difficult to picture the horrific practices for which Kamakhya was infamous in the past. Thousands of men were decapitated here amidst terrible rites designed to honour the goddess who, it was believed, relished human blood. Occasionally, there were even mass sacrifices – in 1565, 140 men died on one day alone.Of those killed, many were volunteers known as bhogis. In return for their supreme sacrifice, these men were allowed to live in luxury for a year. During those twelve months, they could have as many women as they liked. They were pampered by servants around the clock, laden with presents and promised a place in paradise by Kamakhya’s powerful priesthood. At the annual festival of Ambuvachi, the men would be taken to a sacrificial altar where their heads were cut off and placed on a golden platter before an image of Shakti. Later, their lungs were cooked and eaten, and their blood was drained and used to boil rice, which was consumed by those who had gathered to watch them die."

"The road to truth begins in the imagination of men.”