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Django: A Small Dog with a Big Heart
1980s Maun is reminiscent of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s 1880s Barberton, and Django is no less of a character than the legendary Jock of the Bushveld. Named for the hero in a spaghetti western, and oblivious to his diminutive statue, Django, a Jack Russell cross, squares up to the challenges life as a safari guide’s dog throws at him. As a pup he puts the ferocious Pitbull terrier Buford firmly in his place; the only other animal to have done so was a hyena.
Django’s baptism to life in the bush takes place at the tender age of not-quite-a-year old. With Peter and Salome he embarks on an arduous trek through the Okavango Delta and it is here that his humans quickly learn to heed his warnings and pay careful attention to his intuition.
Over the years, and as he notches up safaris Django develops a keen understanding of life in the bush, his nose, eyes and ears are an early-warning radar system to the less-in-tune humans and many is the time that his sharp sense of danger saves lives. These are wild, remote parts of southern Africa, angry buffalo, venomous snakes and stampeding herds of elephant are common if unsuspectingly stumbled upon. Django holds his own in the face of a lion charge and endears himself to the locals of these sacred lands.
In his travels he wins the hearts of a tribe of Kalahari Bushmen, descendants of the oldest people on earth. In the Namib Desert he encounters the red ochre-adorned Himba people who try to claim him for their own, and while venturing into the remote Kaokoveld he befriends the most endangered tribe in Africa. In one interlude, in the depths of Barotseland, Zambia, a young boy, influenced by tribal lore regarding the white man, flees screaming in fear of being eaten by these strange white-skinned people and their dog.
As the shared adventures in this odyssey unfold, the reader cannot help but fall hopelessly in love with the intelligence and charm of this plucky terrier. His adventures are woven into an enthralling tapestry that reveals a host of intriguing, colourful characters, an understanding of the hyper-specialized ecological system of the Delta and some truly hilarious encounters.
Praise for Django:
‘…a wonderful read – an experience more than just a read actually.’ Trish Frielinghaus
‘One of the greatest pleasure of reviewing books for publishers is when really great ones come along – this is one: Django by Peter Comley’ Lesley Cripps Thomson
‘…magic book, with a free flowing writing style; very Bill Brysonesque, with a proper African view! I feel I knew Django.’ Julian Hill
‘Wonderful and so beautifully and wittily written. Great treat.’ Heather MacDonald
‘We very much enjoyed the delightful story of Django.’ Anthony and Sandy Collier
‘It was a really lovely read. It was interesting, informative, exciting and sad too. I found it very entertaining, and very well written.’ Jill Thiselton
‘Totally lost in the book, loving it, wish I could take a whole day off just to read it; makes me want to be a part of it and to have a Django of my own. A second book would be most welcome.’
‘I just couldn’t put the book down. What a lovely book – not only the actual story about the dog but even more about the African background of Botswana and Namibia, just the safari guide aspect with the game and the different stories that came out. It was so enjoyable and entertaining about a way of life that one wonders how long it will go on for.’ Lea
Django’s baptism to life in the bush takes place at the tender age of not-quite-a-year old. With Peter and Salome he embarks on an arduous trek through the Okavango Delta and it is here that his humans quickly learn to heed his warnings and pay careful attention to his intuition.
Over the years, and as he notches up safaris Django develops a keen understanding of life in the bush, his nose, eyes and ears are an early-warning radar system to the less-in-tune humans and many is the time that his sharp sense of danger saves lives. These are wild, remote parts of southern Africa, angry buffalo, venomous snakes and stampeding herds of elephant are common if unsuspectingly stumbled upon. Django holds his own in the face of a lion charge and endears himself to the locals of these sacred lands.
In his travels he wins the hearts of a tribe of Kalahari Bushmen, descendants of the oldest people on earth. In the Namib Desert he encounters the red ochre-adorned Himba people who try to claim him for their own, and while venturing into the remote Kaokoveld he befriends the most endangered tribe in Africa. In one interlude, in the depths of Barotseland, Zambia, a young boy, influenced by tribal lore regarding the white man, flees screaming in fear of being eaten by these strange white-skinned people and their dog.
As the shared adventures in this odyssey unfold, the reader cannot help but fall hopelessly in love with the intelligence and charm of this plucky terrier. His adventures are woven into an enthralling tapestry that reveals a host of intriguing, colourful characters, an understanding of the hyper-specialized ecological system of the Delta and some truly hilarious encounters.
Praise for Django:
‘…a wonderful read – an experience more than just a read actually.’ Trish Frielinghaus
‘One of the greatest pleasure of reviewing books for publishers is when really great ones come along – this is one: Django by Peter Comley’ Lesley Cripps Thomson
‘…magic book, with a free flowing writing style; very Bill Brysonesque, with a proper African view! I feel I knew Django.’ Julian Hill
‘Wonderful and so beautifully and wittily written. Great treat.’ Heather MacDonald
‘We very much enjoyed the delightful story of Django.’ Anthony and Sandy Collier
‘It was a really lovely read. It was interesting, informative, exciting and sad too. I found it very entertaining, and very well written.’ Jill Thiselton
‘Totally lost in the book, loving it, wish I could take a whole day off just to read it; makes me want to be a part of it and to have a Django of my own. A second book would be most welcome.’
‘I just couldn’t put the book down. What a lovely book – not only the actual story about the dog but even more about the African background of Botswana and Namibia, just the safari guide aspect with the game and the different stories that came out. It was so enjoyable and entertaining about a way of life that one wonders how long it will go on for.’ Lea
350 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 9, 2024
We loved this book. DJANGO A Small Dog with a Big Heart by Peter Comley
Pete Comley, a true man of the wilds of Africa, and his late wife Salome, together with the most amazing dog, Django, take us back to the 1980s when Maun, in Botswana, was still likened to a wild frontier town of explorers and hunters. Fearless in so many ways, this little Jack Russell cross, not yet a year old, is trekking through and exploring the untamed wilderness of the Okavango Delta. Always with his ‘humans’ as they venture further into remote parts of southern Africa, Django soon discovers the ways of the bush, the wild animals and snakes that inhabit it. Pete and Salome soon learn to respect their young companion and heed his warning signals.
Written with great humour Pete Comley shares their safaris, the colourful characters they meet and take on safari, the beauty of Botswana and the Namib Desert, hilarious encounters along the way, how the Kalahari Bushmen embraced this brave little dog – and the time Django faced down a charging lion.
This is the 2nd Edition of DJANGO, A Small Dog with a Big Heart the 1st Edition sold out.
Pete Comley, a true man of the wilds of Africa, and his late wife Salome, together with the most amazing dog, Django, take us back to the 1980s when Maun, in Botswana, was still likened to a wild frontier town of explorers and hunters. Fearless in so many ways, this little Jack Russell cross, not yet a year old, is trekking through and exploring the untamed wilderness of the Okavango Delta. Always with his ‘humans’ as they venture further into remote parts of southern Africa, Django soon discovers the ways of the bush, the wild animals and snakes that inhabit it. Pete and Salome soon learn to respect their young companion and heed his warning signals.
Written with great humour Pete Comley shares their safaris, the colourful characters they meet and take on safari, the beauty of Botswana and the Namib Desert, hilarious encounters along the way, how the Kalahari Bushmen embraced this brave little dog – and the time Django faced down a charging lion.
This is the 2nd Edition of DJANGO, A Small Dog with a Big Heart the 1st Edition sold out.
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February 8, 2021A charming story of man's, and woman's best friend. At a time when we are confined to our homes the space and freedom embodied in this delightful story resonated. As a lover of Jack Russells I could picture the attitude and confidence Django would have exuded, as well as the loyalty. A really uplifting read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews