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The Big Footprints
Decimated by drought and poacher's bullets, the last of Africa's majestic elephants face extinction. They are pursued by a "great white hunter" who relies on modern technology to process them as food for the starving natives.
He is opposed by his former partner who is determined that the beasts shall not pay the price for man's inability to manage his resources wisely.
"Hammond Innes shows great depth of understanding of the complex strands that make up the ecology of a region." (Best Sellers)
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
4 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
104 books107 followersRalph Hammond Innes was an English novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.He was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) in 1978. The World Mystery Convention honoured Innes with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon XXIV awards in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct, 1993.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 10, 2012
[5/10] an example of the message becoming more important than the narrative. I've known the author had been something of a green activist later in his career, but I didn't expect him to be so unsubtle and so heavy handed as to ignore the need to tell a story. He is in full preaching mode for most of the book here, ignoring character and plot development requirements that made him one of my favorite authors.
I can sympathize with the theme - actually I'm quite angry that 40 years after the book was written, we still have not learned the lesson that nature is a garden to be carefully tended and preserved and not an enemy to be subdued and plundered. The fate of African Big Game is as dire today, if not worse, as in 1974. Poachers, political instability, war, famine, greed are like a runaway train heading irreversibly towards the extinction of these majestic pachiderms.
But : I was expecting an adventure novel, not a non-genre essay on the fate of endangered species. Plus, the author admits in the afterword that he used artistic license in painting the situation blacker than what he witnessed in his trips to East Africa.
If I were to pick a positive aspect of the novel, it would be the detailed description of the safari into the wilderness of the Great Rift Valley, towards Lake Turkana (Lake Rudolf in the novel) , the rich diversity of plant and animal life, the merciless assault of the sun, the primeval harshness of the landscape and the soaring, vast vistas of mountain, savanah, lava plain, desert and starry skies.
I can sympathize with the theme - actually I'm quite angry that 40 years after the book was written, we still have not learned the lesson that nature is a garden to be carefully tended and preserved and not an enemy to be subdued and plundered. The fate of African Big Game is as dire today, if not worse, as in 1974. Poachers, political instability, war, famine, greed are like a runaway train heading irreversibly towards the extinction of these majestic pachiderms.
But : I was expecting an adventure novel, not a non-genre essay on the fate of endangered species. Plus, the author admits in the afterword that he used artistic license in painting the situation blacker than what he witnessed in his trips to East Africa.
If I were to pick a positive aspect of the novel, it would be the detailed description of the safari into the wilderness of the Great Rift Valley, towards Lake Turkana (Lake Rudolf in the novel) , the rich diversity of plant and animal life, the merciless assault of the sun, the primeval harshness of the landscape and the soaring, vast vistas of mountain, savanah, lava plain, desert and starry skies.
December 10, 2019
Easily the least impressive example I have yet read of Hamilton Innes' work. It meanders, especially at the start. There is little focus. The characterization is hazy at best. And the story simply cannot get itself started. Even the title, The Big Footprints, is an awkward failure. Innes' motivation for the novel was his 1972 trip to Lake Rudolf (now, Lake Turkana) in Kenya, where he became obsessed with the mindless slaughter of African elephants, which threatened their extinction. It's a laudable cause. But Innes sacrificed his usual storytelling skills in a fevered attempt to convince his readers of the rightness of his theme: saving elephants, stopping poachers, and ending the trade in ivory. As a result this work languishes, almost forgotten.
There are a couple of good moments. The escape up Mt. Kulal and through its gorge is memorable. For a few pages, it seems that Innes might save his story. But things quickly ebb back into meaningless speculations about the abilities and motives of elephants. Telepathy? Really? His protagonist, Colin Tait, is hardly worth mentioning, so little does he have an effect on things. Only his escape, along with that of American cameraman Abe Finkel and Mary Delden, the daughter of an aging conservationist intent on saving the elephants at all costs, whether by sabotage or killing his opponents, carries the usual Innes stamp. Their struggle against the wilds of desert and drought make for a few thrilling pages as well.
There are a couple of good moments. The escape up Mt. Kulal and through its gorge is memorable. For a few pages, it seems that Innes might save his story. But things quickly ebb back into meaningless speculations about the abilities and motives of elephants. Telepathy? Really? His protagonist, Colin Tait, is hardly worth mentioning, so little does he have an effect on things. Only his escape, along with that of American cameraman Abe Finkel and Mary Delden, the daughter of an aging conservationist intent on saving the elephants at all costs, whether by sabotage or killing his opponents, carries the usual Innes stamp. Their struggle against the wilds of desert and drought make for a few thrilling pages as well.
February 7, 2021
Mukaansatempaava mutta ahdistava tarina viimeisistä norsuista.
March 5, 2015
Two great white hunters, once friends but now enemies, one trying to preserve the dwindling numbers of elephants and one culling them for the government, go toe to toe on the East African plains.
Cornelius van Delden, who has earned the title 'Tembo', meaning elephant, is a hard, zealously committed man who will stop at nothing to ensure that the animals he loves are spared the attentions of his bitter rival.
Well written, a professional job for sure, but in between the exciting encounters with various big game, the narrative is fairly flat and plodding, just like an elephant's feet. The bland nature of the narrator himself, inexperienced documentary maker Colin Tait, hardly helps.
There is a secondary story too, as Tait goes in search of fossils from an ancient archeological site which may well contain the very cradle of civilization, but that doesn't really amount to much, if anything.
Cornelius van Delden, who has earned the title 'Tembo', meaning elephant, is a hard, zealously committed man who will stop at nothing to ensure that the animals he loves are spared the attentions of his bitter rival.
Well written, a professional job for sure, but in between the exciting encounters with various big game, the narrative is fairly flat and plodding, just like an elephant's feet. The bland nature of the narrator himself, inexperienced documentary maker Colin Tait, hardly helps.
There is a secondary story too, as Tait goes in search of fossils from an ancient archeological site which may well contain the very cradle of civilization, but that doesn't really amount to much, if anything.
November 11, 2013
It's been a long time (perhaps early teenage years) since I read an adventure by an author such as Hammond Innes. Reading The Big Footprints was, quite frankly, a bit of a chore. I often wondered if the big footprint was not so much the title but the impact it had on my imagination. So, why was I reading it? Well, it's about elephants and their culling in Africa. I saw a positive reference to the novel somewhere. It prompted me to read it, which I don't regret but can't find myself to recommend it. This book is part of a series of novels I'm reading about elephants and other big wild animals. It came to life for me when Innes described elephants, their behaviour and what happens when they are killed. Innes was a frequent visitor to Africa. He's clearly on the side of the elephants and other wildlife.
July 17, 2013
Предполага се, че сега са останали не повече от 120 000 слона в тази част на континента, а броят на убиваните е достигнал до около 20 000 годишно.
Всеки, който си купува предмет, изработен от слонова кост, е пряко отговорен за мъчителната и бавна смърт на още един слон.Ако няма купувачи, няма да има и ловци на слонове - толкова е просто.
Всеки, който си купува предмет, изработен от слонова кост, е пряко отговорен за мъчителната и бавна смърт на още един слон.Ако няма купувачи, няма да има и ловци на слонове - толкова е просто.
February 9, 2013
The only way I can describe the experience of reading any Hammond Innes book is to say it feels like I'm reading a 1950's black & white movie. A very good black & white movie.
June 1, 2014
I've read quite a few of Innes' novels and enjoyed them, but reading this novel was like being lectured. Too much attention to the political theme and not enough support for the plot.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews