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Zara's Tales: Perilous Escapades in Equatorial Africa
From adventurer, explorer, photographer, writer, pied piper Peter Beard—eleven irresistible tales, told to his daughter in his tented encampment at Hog Ranch, Kenya, about life, about living, about Africa.
He writes of the East African hills he came to know so well over four decades, where time slows to infinity in a great bottomless, bottle green underwater world . . . about Nairobi in the 1950s, still a quaint, eccentric pioneer town, full of characters of all stripes and tribes, where rhinoceros roamed the streets and local residents went to the movies in pajamas.
He writes of the camp he built twelve miles outside of Nairobi so that he would never be off safari, a forty-acre patch of bush called Hog Ranch (abutting Karen Blixen’s plantation), named for the families of warthogs who wandered into camp, a camp populated with waterbuck, suni, dik-diks, leopard, giraffe, and occasionally lion and buffalo.
In “Big Pig at Hog Ranch,” Beard tells the story of Thaka (translation from the “handsome stud”), Hog Ranch’s number-one, fearsome, 300-pound warthog, who came into camp and dropped to the ground happy for a vigorous tummy rub, and who one night, “lying in his favorite position, munching on corn and barbeque chicken,” was encroached upon by a bristly haired, wild-looking boar hog. All three hundred pounds of Thaka exploded straight at the hairy intruder, the two brutish, bony heads crashing together thundering through the camp and Peter witnessed the unleashed power—the bullish strength—of the wild pig . . .
In “Roping Rhino,” Beard tells of his first job in Africa, rounding up and relocating rhinos for the Kenya Game Department with his cohort and neighbor, a weather-beaten native of Old Kenya who thrived on danger and refused to bathe—and of the enormous silver-backed rhino bull that became their Moby Dick . . .
He writes of his quest to photograph overpopulated and habitat-destroying elephants for Life magazine on the eve of Kenya’s independence . . . of his close encounter with the legendary man-eating lions of “Starvo” (descendants of the famed beasts rumored to be immune to bullets, who in the late nineteenth century halted the construction of the Mombasa railroad, devouring railroad workers and snatching sleeping passengers from their Pullman berths in the dead of night to make a meal of them), who charged the author, “coming in slow motion, like a bullet train erupting out of a tunnel, soundless, like an ancient force.”
He tells of his round-the-clock adventure tracking and studying crocodiles with a game warden–biologist at Lake Rudolf, a tale that begins with one crewmember being grabbed from behind by a ten-foot crocodile and another doing battle with an almost prehistoric monster fish—a 200-pound Great Nile perch! . . . and he writes of the final wildlife encounter that ended his safari days, an incident that proved Karen Blixen’s “Be bold, be bold . . . be not too bold.”
Zara’s Tales confirms to our constant surprise and delight that “nothing out of the ordinary happens. It’s just Africa, after all.”
He writes of the East African hills he came to know so well over four decades, where time slows to infinity in a great bottomless, bottle green underwater world . . . about Nairobi in the 1950s, still a quaint, eccentric pioneer town, full of characters of all stripes and tribes, where rhinoceros roamed the streets and local residents went to the movies in pajamas.
He writes of the camp he built twelve miles outside of Nairobi so that he would never be off safari, a forty-acre patch of bush called Hog Ranch (abutting Karen Blixen’s plantation), named for the families of warthogs who wandered into camp, a camp populated with waterbuck, suni, dik-diks, leopard, giraffe, and occasionally lion and buffalo.
In “Big Pig at Hog Ranch,” Beard tells the story of Thaka (translation from the “handsome stud”), Hog Ranch’s number-one, fearsome, 300-pound warthog, who came into camp and dropped to the ground happy for a vigorous tummy rub, and who one night, “lying in his favorite position, munching on corn and barbeque chicken,” was encroached upon by a bristly haired, wild-looking boar hog. All three hundred pounds of Thaka exploded straight at the hairy intruder, the two brutish, bony heads crashing together thundering through the camp and Peter witnessed the unleashed power—the bullish strength—of the wild pig . . .
In “Roping Rhino,” Beard tells of his first job in Africa, rounding up and relocating rhinos for the Kenya Game Department with his cohort and neighbor, a weather-beaten native of Old Kenya who thrived on danger and refused to bathe—and of the enormous silver-backed rhino bull that became their Moby Dick . . .
He writes of his quest to photograph overpopulated and habitat-destroying elephants for Life magazine on the eve of Kenya’s independence . . . of his close encounter with the legendary man-eating lions of “Starvo” (descendants of the famed beasts rumored to be immune to bullets, who in the late nineteenth century halted the construction of the Mombasa railroad, devouring railroad workers and snatching sleeping passengers from their Pullman berths in the dead of night to make a meal of them), who charged the author, “coming in slow motion, like a bullet train erupting out of a tunnel, soundless, like an ancient force.”
He tells of his round-the-clock adventure tracking and studying crocodiles with a game warden–biologist at Lake Rudolf, a tale that begins with one crewmember being grabbed from behind by a ten-foot crocodile and another doing battle with an almost prehistoric monster fish—a 200-pound Great Nile perch! . . . and he writes of the final wildlife encounter that ended his safari days, an incident that proved Karen Blixen’s “Be bold, be bold . . . be not too bold.”
Zara’s Tales confirms to our constant surprise and delight that “nothing out of the ordinary happens. It’s just Africa, after all.”
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 23, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 9, 2022
Peter Beard is one of my favorite photographers and this book was written for his daughter Zara, regaling her with stories of his great adventures in wildest Africa. However, it works just as well as a luscious account of this fascinating and eccentric artist's formative experiences in the jungles of Kenya to readers who never knew or will know him. I have immense respect and admiration for him and the singular way he saw the world that so informed the ravenous way he lived his life.
The book is a collection of stories that catalog his epic hunts and near-death African escapes. These epic escapades are peppered with lush examples of his fantastic wildlife photography. Many of which are adorned with the art of his comrades. Locals from Kenya that he writes of to almost mythical effect. The combination of all these elements creates a treasure trove of thrilling, adrenaline-laced adventures that any kid (or adult) would listen to with bated breath, endless wonder and enraptured attention. The art surrounding the text lends an immersive and transportive flourish to the already majestic stories.
The writing was never the point but it should be noted that Beard was a photographer and not a writer by trade. The photographs and how they were achieved is the essence of the book. The writing itself is often clunky or indulgent and even a bit self-conscious but always full of personality and bursting with enthusiasm. Beard sometimes overexplains or simply lists off a long stream of words that mean generally the same thing. But the vigor and virility of his writing are infectious and endearing. He is clearly reliving his glory days when he writes of his daredevil antics, perilous expeditions and their glory is on full display in his exciting and engaging style.
Zara's Tales are really more like Peter's Diary as he recounts the most thrilling and memorable moments from an extraordinary life and it's the reader who benefits from eavesdropping in on this father-daughter exchange. Ultimately, as a fan of his work and an admirer of his life, this book is a precious and invaluable behind-the-scenes glimpse at an underrated American artist worthy of voluble reverence and veneration. Though esoteric and, by nature, anecdotal, this unique piece of ephemera from the canon of a great artist will forever deserve a special place on my shelf.
The book is a collection of stories that catalog his epic hunts and near-death African escapes. These epic escapades are peppered with lush examples of his fantastic wildlife photography. Many of which are adorned with the art of his comrades. Locals from Kenya that he writes of to almost mythical effect. The combination of all these elements creates a treasure trove of thrilling, adrenaline-laced adventures that any kid (or adult) would listen to with bated breath, endless wonder and enraptured attention. The art surrounding the text lends an immersive and transportive flourish to the already majestic stories.
The writing was never the point but it should be noted that Beard was a photographer and not a writer by trade. The photographs and how they were achieved is the essence of the book. The writing itself is often clunky or indulgent and even a bit self-conscious but always full of personality and bursting with enthusiasm. Beard sometimes overexplains or simply lists off a long stream of words that mean generally the same thing. But the vigor and virility of his writing are infectious and endearing. He is clearly reliving his glory days when he writes of his daredevil antics, perilous expeditions and their glory is on full display in his exciting and engaging style.
Zara's Tales are really more like Peter's Diary as he recounts the most thrilling and memorable moments from an extraordinary life and it's the reader who benefits from eavesdropping in on this father-daughter exchange. Ultimately, as a fan of his work and an admirer of his life, this book is a precious and invaluable behind-the-scenes glimpse at an underrated American artist worthy of voluble reverence and veneration. Though esoteric and, by nature, anecdotal, this unique piece of ephemera from the canon of a great artist will forever deserve a special place on my shelf.
January 28, 2017
4 Stars
I came across Zara's Tales while I was looking for West with the Night at the library. I immediately knew I had to get a copy for the little Zara in my life but wanted to check it out.
I had heard of Peter Beard as a nature photographer but never had read anything by him. This book is a series of short stories about his time in the Kenyan wilderness written for his daughter. The book is filled with beautiful photographs some of which include drawings and paintings done by locals that Beard worked with. The result was some wonderful mixed media art.
The writing was vivid with evocative imagery. It was a little stylized at times; Beard likes lists and alliteration. But some of the stories were very moving. After spending decades photographing wildlife in Kenya, it was easy to see his passion as well as his frustration at the rapidly deteriorating situation. I felt more than one pang in my chest looking at photographs of lands that were once rich with wildlife that are now decimated by humans and animals that are now endangered.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
Entertainment Level: 4 Stars
Attention to Details: 5 Stars
RECOMMENDATIONS: If you liked this book, try Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales Of A Botswana Safari Guide
I came across Zara's Tales while I was looking for West with the Night at the library. I immediately knew I had to get a copy for the little Zara in my life but wanted to check it out.
I had heard of Peter Beard as a nature photographer but never had read anything by him. This book is a series of short stories about his time in the Kenyan wilderness written for his daughter. The book is filled with beautiful photographs some of which include drawings and paintings done by locals that Beard worked with. The result was some wonderful mixed media art.
The writing was vivid with evocative imagery. It was a little stylized at times; Beard likes lists and alliteration. But some of the stories were very moving. After spending decades photographing wildlife in Kenya, it was easy to see his passion as well as his frustration at the rapidly deteriorating situation. I felt more than one pang in my chest looking at photographs of lands that were once rich with wildlife that are now decimated by humans and animals that are now endangered.
"Just because wild animals such as crocs represent the savagery we mean to rise above does not mean that they have nothing else to offer the lonely soul of civilized man, so far removed from nature. Those who who regret the thoughtless destruction of nature, who feel we are losing something irreplaceable, may have something real to tell us."Overall, this was a good collection of informative stories accompanied by beautiful photographs. I did wish more of the photos had captions though.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
Entertainment Level: 4 Stars
Attention to Details: 5 Stars
RECOMMENDATIONS: If you liked this book, try Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales Of A Botswana Safari Guide
August 28, 2019
I've never given a book a high rating due to the physical presentation before...and I guess I am not this time either. The content is good, but for me it was enhanced a great deal by the book's physical characteristics.
It's a hard bound book, with a great photograph on the front...a little girl cozying up to a large warthog. Inside are lots of pictures of Africans and animals by and large, and often these are presented as proofs or decorated with colored drawings on them.
The pages also have artificial aging that somehow works and fits in well with one of the stories involving a diary that made a soggy journey from a capsized ship across a mile or two of choppy crocodile-infested waters.
The author says the book was full of his daughter's favorite stories, but the writing is definitely not for children. It's colorful and occasionally rambling and random.
It's all about the author and his photographic adventures through an Africa that has changed away from what he captured with his lens. A nice slice of life as he experienced it...recommended.
It's a hard bound book, with a great photograph on the front...a little girl cozying up to a large warthog. Inside are lots of pictures of Africans and animals by and large, and often these are presented as proofs or decorated with colored drawings on them.
The pages also have artificial aging that somehow works and fits in well with one of the stories involving a diary that made a soggy journey from a capsized ship across a mile or two of choppy crocodile-infested waters.
The author says the book was full of his daughter's favorite stories, but the writing is definitely not for children. It's colorful and occasionally rambling and random.
It's all about the author and his photographic adventures through an Africa that has changed away from what he captured with his lens. A nice slice of life as he experienced it...recommended.
February 18, 2020
I have a love for Africa that has been with me for as long as I can remember. Fifteen years ago, my daughter did a semester in Kenya and I had the great good fortune to be able to join her there. Before and since, there's something about that continent that dwells in my heart. And so, from the opening of this beautiful book, I was enthralled. Peter Beard describes his adventures with such precision and action that I sat rapt, as I read. I was with him as he roped white rhino, flying through the veldt, being tossed all over the truck. Wonderful photos and drawings are scattered throughout. This is a book I want to own and I plan to buy a copy for my daughter, so she, too, can relive the feeling of being in Africa.
June 13, 2022
Peter Beard is a fascinating character. He is one of those complex humans that seem to get it right as much as he gets it wrong. Maybe that's why he's right there at the top of my favorite photographers.
All that he was, good and bad, results in the most fascinating body of work I have ever laid my eyes on.
He died recently, barely noticed by the world. A tremendous loss.
I loved this book, but I would love it if even it was a bad one.
All that he was, good and bad, results in the most fascinating body of work I have ever laid my eyes on.
He died recently, barely noticed by the world. A tremendous loss.
I loved this book, but I would love it if even it was a bad one.
October 17, 2021
Essentially, stories for his daughter, Zara. What a nice way to share tales of daring do with her, especially now he's gone. This book is for anyone who has a keen interest in all things Africa, as it was back in the day.
January 1, 2024
I am reading the new biography of Peter Beard, a brilliant man who had a huge love of equatorial Africa. He had a daughter named Zara who lived with him at Hog Ranch in Kenya. When she was small, he treated her to stories about the animals in their environment. Some of the stories were about Zara, as the book cover will attest. It's a photo of her with the giant wart hog, Thaka (handsome stud), who came into their camp to get belly rubs.
The stories are engrossing with wonderful photos (Beard was a highly acclaimed photographer). And the descriptions are amazing. I have been to Tanzania and seen many of the animals Beard writes about. His prose is the closest thing I've experienced to actually being there!
While answering the call of nature one night "It came in slow motion, like a bullet train erupting out of a tunnel, soundless, without any sense of reality at all. The fireball express at midnight. Like an ancient force, a pimitive power, bigger and more powerful than you or I can ever imagine - an unnameable and unbelievable flow of silent SPEED - a mental nightmare before I knew about it, like when you get burned and snap back before the pain registers - and so much more."
I didn't experience a charging male lion in Tanzania but Beard's writing certainly makes it come to life.
Highly recommended for any lovers of equatorial Africa! I also recommend his biography and any of the other books he has written.
The stories are engrossing with wonderful photos (Beard was a highly acclaimed photographer). And the descriptions are amazing. I have been to Tanzania and seen many of the animals Beard writes about. His prose is the closest thing I've experienced to actually being there!
While answering the call of nature one night "It came in slow motion, like a bullet train erupting out of a tunnel, soundless, without any sense of reality at all. The fireball express at midnight. Like an ancient force, a pimitive power, bigger and more powerful than you or I can ever imagine - an unnameable and unbelievable flow of silent SPEED - a mental nightmare before I knew about it, like when you get burned and snap back before the pain registers - and so much more."
I didn't experience a charging male lion in Tanzania but Beard's writing certainly makes it come to life.
Highly recommended for any lovers of equatorial Africa! I also recommend his biography and any of the other books he has written.
November 14, 2012
A homage to a vanishing way of life and a delight of a book. At times it's zen like. The last chapter is a good meditation on life in general. Beard lived in Africa as a photographer for over 30 years. This book is a work of love of a way of life that is vanishing or has vanished. Pictures are integrated well with the story and there are lots of pictures and they were all taken before the days of digital cameras. Some great stories about the animals and the men, both white and native who stalked them for food and photos. Beard's whole attitude is the place was ok until the white man started trying to fix things. But Africa finally caught up with Beard and he had a really close encounter with one of its inhabitants. This book is for Zara, his daughter, who playfully leans on a masive warthog, in the cover's photo; however, it's a book for all of us. The only thing missing is a good map.
April 30, 2014
Wow! I initially was drawn to this book by the picture on the cover of an adorably wide eyed, dark haired young girl no bigger than my two year old son cuddled up next to the biggest, ugliest warthog I've ever seen! This collection of memoirs is written by her father who was born in NYC, then packed up after college and moved to Kenya. The book is filled with tales of life in wild Africa, when Africa was still truly wild. Even more amazing are the beautiful pictures and illustrations. If you're looking for something different, this should be the next book on your list.
November 14, 2014
Why was this children's book written? Did the stories come from the journals Beard kept while living in his tented compound in East Africa? Did he tell these stories to his daughter Zara when she was a child? Or . . . is this another effort inspired by his third wife Nejma to secure his legacy? The style is facile, breezy, full of high humor and the thrill of danger. He devotes a big chunk of the book to his adventures on Lake Turkana with Alistair Graham, which is interesting.
September 5, 2008
I found this book very interesting for two reasons. Peter Beard writes about the way Kenya was and how it changed from the 60's on, especially for the Rhino, Croc and Elephant. In addition he is a photographer and native people drew images on and around his photographs so it's like reading someones illustrated journal about Kenya. Delightful.
September 5, 2008
I found this book very interesting for two reasons. Peter Beard writes about the way Kenya was and how it changed from the 60's on, especially for the Rhino, Croc and Elephant. In addition he is a photographer and native people drew images on and around his photographs so it's like reading someones illustrated journal about Kenya. Delightful.
August 12, 2010
one of the most gorgeous children's books I've ever seen/read! Zara is almost too beautiful, what a dream child, what a dream childhood! Love how obvious it is that Peter Beard instilled in her a certain fierceness, a knowing confidence & a willingness to get bitten, scraped, knocked down by wild boars & zebras. Respect!
August 27, 2010
Next to the Bible, this may be my favorite book to ever read. The book is a series of essays which are true stories he told his daughter of life in Africa. Zara is the girl on the cover, hugging Thaka the warthog.
The photographs in the book are amazing. Even having read the book a couple times and studied the pictures, I would still go to an exhibition of the photos in the book.
The photographs in the book are amazing. Even having read the book a couple times and studied the pictures, I would still go to an exhibition of the photos in the book.
March 18, 2008
4 stars for the photography and book design, 2 stars for the writing style/quality
May 27, 2008
Again it is all about Peter Beard and his photographs and the stories he tells. Beard is no writer, but the stories are interesting and the photography outstanding.
February 1, 2009
beautiful book
November 1, 2009
This was mildly interesting, but not what I was hoping for.
July 3, 2012
Maravilloso
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October 1, 2024Long ago. Comment is "really good!"
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews