Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: Photographer, Adventurer, Lover

by Graham Boynton

Graham Boynton's Wild is the definitive biography of photographer Peter Beard, a larger-than-life icon who pushed the boundaries of art and scandalized international high society with his high-profile affairs.

He was the original 20th century “enfant terrible” with the looks of a Greek god who blazed like a comet across the worlds of art, photography, and fame. The scion of several old WASP fortunes, he was by instinct an adventurer, and the more dangerous the escapade, the whether he was hunting big game in Africa, ingesting epic quantities of drugs, or pursuing the most beautiful women in the world. Among his friends were Jackie Onassis, Andy Warhol, and Francis Bacon. When Peter Beard died in 2020 after mysteriously disappearing from his Montauk home, he remained an enigma to even his closest friends.

Journalist and author Graham Boynton was a friend for more than 30 years, spending time with Beard at his bush camp in Africa, in London, and at his Long Island home. From hundreds of Boynton’s interviews with Beard’s closest friends, former lovers, and fellow artists comes this intimate portrait of a man Sir Mick Jagger called “a visionary.”

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Photography, Biography Memoir, History, Art, Memoir

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 11, 2022

About the author

GRAHAM BOYNTON was raised in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and later emigrated to South Africa, where he attended Natal University and worked as a journalist. In 1975 he was expelled from South Africa because of his opposition to apartheid. He worked for many years as a journalist in London before translocating to New York where he worked for a decade for Conde Nast as a writer and editor. Since 1998 he has lived in London working as an author and newspaper and magazine journalist.

Photo Credit: Håkan Ludwigson

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

What drew me to the book, was the fact that Peter Beard was a photographer, and when I looked up his art, I like the creativeness of it, but as I read the book, I found most of it was something that I could not relate to.
Peter Beard lived a very self-indulgent lifestyle, with little regard to others.
The author, who knew Beard, was able to give us the many sides of his life. Peter lived in New York, but he loved Africa and spent much of his time there, doing good and bad at the same time. From working in Conservation, to being very reckless around the animals, endangering himself and the people that were around him.
He didn't seem to care about the value of his work in the beginning, always trading his art-photography for things he owed, drugs, flights, meals, hotels, you name it.
He was like a magnet for women and even when married he couldn't stop the womanizing. Maybe they thought he would be able to progress their careers, or maybe he did have that “je ne sais quois”.
I think a lot of people will like the book, as it is well written and fast paced, full of a glamorous lifestyle, and he had a lot of famous people as friends.
I wish I could have related to it, but at least it had me searching the internet for things that I read about.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

[Kathy Cowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars -
There were so many things I loved about this book—particularly the depiction of his camp in Africa, the spectacular photo shoots that location inspired, and the drama of the old New York club scene. I did not love Peter Beard. Prior to requesting this book on Netgalley, I had been to Africa, and I remembered vaguely that Peter Beard was once married to Cheryl Tiegs. That was about all I knew when I read the book; I referred frequently to photos online to see what Boynton was referencing. I don't know if it was just the ebook I read, but I really would have loved to see some of the photos that were written about—guessing maybe Beard's former wife refused the rights on them, though.

I had a lot of questions after reading this book. Here is a trust fund baby with no money...ever. Aside from his brother, what happened to his family? Yes, maybe he decided to bravely go it alone, but then he relies on other artists, who often have so much less than him. While I found Beard's personal life astonishing—he was able to maintain this drug and alcohol-fueled lifestyle well into his 70s—I also found his behavior, for the most part, abhorrent. The fact that so few of his former paramours felt animosity toward him was stunning to me, given how he treated them and how easily he moved on. He must have been some kind of charming, because almost all of them remember him fondly—even Tiegs—though most just said he was such a handsome man. Was that it? Conversely, the idea that this same person, who treated others so cavalierly, fostered such a deep and abiding love for the wilds of Africa was equally stunning. His photographs were undeniably beautiful, and the stories about his art demonstrated the genius of his work. So does an artist need to be a good person, to have a moral compass too? My feelings wavered throughout, especially given the very brutal, graphic acts of violence he perpetrated. And yes, they were complicated by his steadfast fight for true conservation in Africa. At least I think he was steadfast. There were complications there too.

I recommend this book, because honestly, it is fascinating. And also, it's a train wreck. I need you all to read this so I have someone to talk to about it. We can discuss what a terrible person he was, but also, I have to begrudgingly admit, an amazing artist.

[Kevin Halter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Boynton's Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: was an incredible read.
I was only aware of Peter Beard's photography artwork from a college art class that had mentioned him marginally. When Sara Beth Haring at St Martin's said that I would enjoy the book I checked it out and was immediately intrigued--
Peter Beard seems to be a character who strode off the pages of an Ernest Hemingway novel. Adventurous, strong-willed, and maybe a little touched Beard seems also to have had a charisma that drew people to him including those like Francis Bacon, Cheryl Tiegs, and Iman. Peter Beard also seems to be a man who struggled with depression as well as dementia in his later years.
Graham Boynton did a great job describing the man and his work, and by the end, I wish I had had the chance to meet Beard myself.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #StMartin'sPress, Sara Beth Haring, and Graham Boynton for giving me the chance to get to know more about Peter Beard by reading #WildBook.

[Leslie Zemeckis]

Excellent bio about this artist aka asshole and what drove him

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Beard was a man who loved women, photography, Africa and women. Although he was married 35 years it didn’t stop him from pursuing his favorite animal… Women. Some say he was a male chauvinist and a racist but all agree he was a great photographer. He is even the cause for making photography and art form. He was larger than life and the center of any party and although he claimed to dislike celebrity he had a lot of celebrities as his ex lovers and friends. This was a great book one I enjoyed very much. I have never heard of Peter beard but Mr. Gram totally made him into a human with his contradictions floors and everything. I do want to say that a couple of people in the book said he wasn’t a racist because his wife was Asian and his ex lover was biracial, but I just want to point out that that isn’t the degree of a racist… I mean slaveowners slept with their female slaves didn’t they? I am not saying he was a racist I am just saying that isn’t a good predictor Aside from that they have mini interesting and wild stories in this autobiography of Peter Beard Sunny💕 aside from that they have mini interesting and wild stories in this autobiography of Peter Beard some may love them and some may hate him but all seem to respect him including the author of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if you’re contemplating reading this book then let me nudge you in the right direction… Read it! Apart from his mysterious death his life was legendary and I don’t think enough people know about this guy. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Peter Beard when I received this book but the blurb made it sound like a fascinating life but I don't feel like I know much about him even after reading this. There was a lot about African history which I found interesting but that didn't tell me much about Peter Beard himself other than he said this, he drank that, he took a picture of this. I don't feel like I am getting to know him at all. There are so many people in this story as to be expected so I decided not to keep track of who was who.

Photography is a visual thing so I'd much rather see the picture than read a page description and try to find the image on line.

As a person I really didn't like him. He is all about being the center of attention, doesn't care whose feelings he hurts and does dangerous things that could harm him and others. He seems like someone that just hasn't grown up. What I don't understand is the affection all of his lovers held for him no matter how bad he treated them.

The writing was fine but I think someone who knew more about Peter Beard and his art would enjoy this and maybe rounding out his character more for them.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, was this a fun read! Comprehensive and detailed. Especially fun to read about the sixities in Kenya as I knew a lot of the locations and even some of the people mentioned-- though I don't think we met Beard, even though we spent a good deal of time around Tsavo. Beard's attitude towards game very like my father's (hunting actually prtotected elephant by putting groups of armed people in the bush, employing locals, and providing them wi meat. Real danger to elephants not poachers so much as the elephant themselves who would and did eventually destroy their own environment by over-grazing).

[Christine Hiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, I expected to really enjoy this -- an iconoclast and wild living artist who befriended the Stones, but meh, after less than a third of the book I was bored of Beard and his careless privilege.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Boynton is the right biographer for Peter Beard -- he knew him well and had a friendship that spanned many decades. But this is not a hagiography -- because of his access in Peter's life, he shows Peter's manic and depressive stages as well as the impact on his personal relationships. I remember hearing about Peter Beard when he was dating Cheryl Tiegs and was splashed over all of the society pages as he was photographed at Studio 54. He himself was a photographer known for his exotic photos of elephants and other African wildlife, sometimes entwined with a supermodel. He grew up in privilege but was erratic and careless when it came to money (he never seemed to have any forcing others to pick up the tabs or exchanging photos for meals). what makes this biography so good is it is comprehensive and provides multiple perspectives on who Peter Beard was. It becomes clear that he is living with a mental illness (undiagnosed for many years) and in the end, as he battles dementia, he wanders off near his home in the Hamptons to die. This book provides moments of exhilaration as we live vicariously through his many adventures. But beneath it all is also an incredible sadness. This book is definitely worth the read and Boynton has done an incredible job pulling together all the research as well as his own reflections on this larger-than-life enigmatic man.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that the title of this book includes Photographer, Adventurer and Lover, for indeed Peter Beard was all three. This was a very informative book on the life of Peter Beard by his friend of 30 years. Ir is a frank look at his life including his strengths and weaknesses. At times I felt a little bogged down by African politics but it definitely was an interesting read about a man I was not familiar with.If you enjoy biographies this one will keep you reading. You may not like the man portrayed but have to admire his genius.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sara Beth Haring at St. Martin's Press for the suggestion and the ARC.

[Pam Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so fun and interesting to read a firsthand account of this talented and adventurous photographer and artist. I loved to hear the intimate details that are behind the photos, it makes them mean so much more as I explore his work. The African adventures spike the imagination and so many characters that I could have been reading novel written by a talented writer. While I will never be in this world - it was a nice visit. I can recommend this book as well written and a good read.

[Reed Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out Peter Beard was a good looking guy. I have a short memory so I'm grateful that was mentioned on nearly every page of the book.

Though this book was competently written, I was disappointed that Peter Beard's art wasn't discussed in more depth. He was a pretty interesting guy but I didn't really see how that connected to some of his individual works.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I have complicated feelings about this book. On the positive side, I think it is a solid biography, a good start to the body of work I expect to see after the artist's death. There is value in the testimony and research of a man who was actually there for parts of his subject's life. For this reason I give it three stars rather than the two stars my gut is telling me it deserves. However, there were a few things in this book that I COULD NOT get past, and I need to tell you about them in detail or my brain is going to explode:

1. The author, Graham Boynton, was a friend and admirer of Peter Beard's, and this weakens the book considerably. It reads more like an apologia than a biography, and you can tell Boynton really, REALLY wants us to like Peter Beard. He tries so hard to refute any potential criticism - Beard was rich and privileged (but he deserved it!), he was sexist as f*ck and potentially abusive (but 99% of his girlfriends loved it!), he was an absent addict father (but he loved his daughter more than anyone in the world!), and so on, and so on... It is off-putting and made me dislike him more than I might have otherwise.

Case in point 1: this unironic line at the start of chapter 2: "The family's great wealth was due primarily to the brilliance and resourcefulness of two penniless immigrants who started as humble clerks and whose energy and vision helped transform the country in the nineteenth century, creating tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of jobs as well as multimillion-dollar fortunes for themselves and their descendants." This rant about *~*job creators*~* is randomly inserted into the story, presumably to show us Beard's generational wealth and privilege shouldn't be held against him? THIS MAKES ME WANT TO BARF.

Case in point 2: Boynton is OBSESSED with making sure we know that Peter Beard truly, definitely, 100% was NOT racist. He literally writes stuff like "it might be easy in these woke snowflake days to call him racist, but that's not the whole story" MULTIPLE TIMES throughout the entire book. Apparently, Beard cannot be racist because he dated mixed-race models and had an Asian wife. Is this the art world equivalent of having that one Black friend? I could not be facepalming any harder right now.
Peter Beard was a wealthy American man living out his back-to-nature fantasy in Kenya...of course he's gonna be at least a little racist. Not only did he romanticize the f*ck out of "primitive Africa," he did directly racist things like comparing his (Afghani-descended) wife to "an Afghan trench-warfare terrorist" and trying to introduce model Iman to America as, in Boynton's words, "a wild African woman tending goats in the Africa bush...[a] primitive beauty, untamed and unspoiled by decadent Western society" when she was educated, middle-class, spoke four languages, and he first saw her working in a travel agency. He loved Conrad's Heart of Darkness, for god's sake. Sorry Boynton, this dude was racist af. If you hadn't tried so hard to convince me otherwise, I might not have paid so much attention to it.

2. Sadly, the book is limited by the fact that Beard's wife, daughter, and assorted family members refused to be interviewed by or share material with the author. This inevitably means the story is rather shallow and one-dimensional, based on public records and interviews with Beard's friends and admirers. Their views paint his wife, child, and brothers as almost inhumanly controlling and heartless, and possibly straight-up abusive towards Beard. Lots of information is missing here. So although this biography is a good first step in Peter Beard "research," I think much more interesting books will be written in 30-50 years when more family records come to light.

3. I knew of Peter Beard's work before I read this book, but I hadn't realized that he spent over 50 years harping on the same themes - a doomsday view of overpopulation crises in Africa (both human and animal) and the horrors modern society has inflicted on nature. Publishing book after book with the same message. Creating collage after collage of lions and blood, elephant corpses, etc. If the impression I got from this book is correct, his oeuvre shows literally no progression, no refinement, no variety from the artist's 20s to his 80s. That's just embarrassing. How did he keep producing this stuff and people didn't get sick of it? Or mention that his last 3 shows had featured exactly the same thing? This book made me LESS interested in Beard as an artist, not more.

Sadly, Boynton's most balanced and meaningful assessment of Beard doesn't show up until pages 310-311 (in the conclusion), where he juxtaposes Beard's warmth and generosity with the sociopathic-level cruelty and disloyalty he exhibited throughout his life (I mean literally sociopathic, like punching his pregnant wife in the stomach and killing his friend's cat). These two pages show real insight into Beard's character and works of art that I wish had been more evident in the body of the book. The artist is not a likeable subject by any means, but his life is a valuable window into the American art world in the 20th century and Western attitudes towards Africa at the time. I hope people keep writing about him and build on Boynton's first attempt at it.

[Joni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew who he was and some details of his life, but the self-indulgent attitude wore thin. The format was all over the place. I was unable to finish this book, and it bothers me to have to say that. Thematic would have been a better choice in this reader's opinion.
I want to thank St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

[Crissy Sullivan-Carosella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautiful tribute to a very accomplished photographer. It is provocative and edgy but also composed with great admiration and love. I haven't been able to put it down.

[Daphne De · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oblivious

[Ricky Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Beard has been one of my favorite photographers for years and so, of course, I was beyond excited to hear that a new biography on him was coming out this year. I promptly added it to all my wish lists for the holidays and now I have finally read my first biography of one of my favorite artists. Written by his friend of over 30 years, Wild is a comprehensive study of this unusual man's life and a thorough retrospective on his stunning, shocking and complex work as an artist. He was many things and this biography does not attempt to pin him down as much as it lays out all the contradictions, allegations and unbelievable adventures attributed to Beard. It allows the reader to make up their own mind about who exactly Peter was and what he means to the canon of Twentieth Century American Artists.

Graham Boynton is a journalist and longtime friend of Peter Beard, which both excited me in its promise of authenticity and worried me in its possibility for sanitization or hero worship. Thankfully, Boynton's professionalism wins out over his personal attachment to the subject and the book is as unbiased and honest as possible. The author does not shy away from pointing out Beard's flaws along with his talent and beauty which was exactly what I wanted from this reading experience. At times, his decision to include every rumor or accusation about his friend even felt a bit off-putting as the artist is no longer around to defend himself. However, a discerning reader will consider the source of these accounts and take them for what they're worth.

Peter was a complicated, brilliant and troubled human being with a penchant for womanizing and a high-functioning addiction to drugs. He was very much a man of his time while also maintaining an epic romanticism that echoed back to another era. He was a neighbor and friend of Andy Warhol, helped to discover the global supermodel Iman and dated Jackie Kennedy's sister (among many others). He had many great loves including Africa and his art but his only child, Zara, would be the true love of his life and I do wish we had gotten to see more into that side of the man. I would imagine his famous diaries would be the best place to find that interiority that I felt was missing from this particular vantage point. I can only hope that one day I will get the chance to read some of them.

It was deeply upsetting to wade into the final chapters of this book and find out how subdued and controlled this once formidable maverick became but ultimately, it was a fascinating and moving journey from the glamor of the fashion and art world in New York to the exotic majesty of the African bush. This biography did what any good biography should do. It displayed all that was good, bad and ugly about this artist while revealing shocking and fascinating details that most never knew. Though the author may have leaned a bit too hard on his journalistic style to capture the true humanity of his subject, he did manage to chronicle a long and unbridled life lived by a complex and impressive man into just 300 pages. Wild is a fair and even-handed portrait of a figure that is hard to pin down. Boynton has utilized both exhaustive research and his own personal experience to create a staggering, thrilling and immense account of one wild and incredible life.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for this biography about this gifted photographer and his very diverse life

People, even people viewed by the world as successful, man of the world, and a love of the ladies, are filled with contradictions. A man of his word, except to the wives he betrayed, a hunter who discussed conservation, on his terms. A nature photographer who was in demand as a fashion photographer. Born of wealth who could not pay for meals. Peter Beard was all of these things. Beard's life was one of adventure, and traveling in the highest levels of society, who might only have been truly happy in a hunting camp taking photos. Graham Boynton captures the life of this man in the book Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: Photographer, Adventurer, Lover, which gives a portrait of this man as astonishing and truthful has the photographs Beard was famous for.

Peter Beard won the lottery on almost everything. Beard had looks, confidence, poise and the background and connections that in America get a person, even a mediocre person far. Beard was far from mediocre. After a year in England which gave him both the manners and attitude that would help him mingle in high society, Beard went to Yale where a chance meeting opened his life to the one thing that he never seemed to have stop loving, Africa. A trip there changed his life, instilling him a love in the continent, and the wildlife. Soon he was hunting and taking photos, his book The End of the Game showed a country that was slowly changing, one that friends did not want to see go. Fashion photography got him money, and friends like Mike Jagger, Andy Warhol, and Studio 54 comrades, along with a supermodel wife, his second and a lot of casual girlfriends. With his thrid wife came a bit of stability, until illness began to slowly weaken him.

A big brassy book about a very big man. Boynton was a longtime friend of Beard, and friends were not things that Beard kept easily. A book like this could easily be a hagiography, but Boynton is quick to point out mistakes, and bad things that Beard did, and to properly list the things he did right. Beard's life really does read like a fictional take on a character from the 1960's even the 1930's. The writing is good, and never drags in any places. As Beard ages, and dementia and stroke symptoms begin to slow Beard down, the book still finds ways to impress on readers just what a person Beard was.

A fascinating look a life that seems so large, so not of this day anymore. A life so big that it in many ways seem fictional. Big game hunter, fashion photographer, married to one of the first supermodels. This is all the stuff of superheroes or even P. G. Wodehouse characters. For fans of biographies about people who lived life by their own terms, no matter who got hurt. And for fans of photography and artists who really did suffer in many ways for their art.

[False · Rating 3 out of 5]

A way too positive portrayal of the most manipulative self centered man (probably sociopathic) that I have ever read about. The author calls him a sociopath on more than one occasion. His alleged qualities include great charm, WASP good looks and personal bravery (carelessness to his life) in becoming a leading wildlife photographer in Africa. Even those skills are brought into question as more of a recklessness that pervades life and puts himself, and others, at great physical risk.

He uses his so called interpersonal skills to manipulate virtually everyone in his life and then casts them off when he is done with them. He fleeces money out of them and continues to lead a jet setter life: overly indulgent, someone always there to pick up the tab, dinners that cost thousands of dollars he would walk away from and leave someone else at the party to deal with it.

I think the author also is a victim also of Beard's charms and the book reeks of man love. Many men were enchanted by the oh so artificial life of Hemingway masculinity he projected while treating women very abusively--an unnatural fear of women I would say and his many wives if being honest might agree. The type of man who would chew his paw off to get away and maintain his freedom--yet not living freely at all. If anything, benefitting from the largeness of others. I am glad I never met him. I've always said, "Charm kills." Beware the charmer. And charm is one of the top characteristics of your typical sociopath.

The author does not, that to date, none of Beard's photograph work has ever been permanently acquired and displayed in museums. Those silly notebooks held together with paste and blood are his legacy, and that's just an elaborate self absorption into a sick psyche.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fascinating Insight to a Remarkable Life

I was not too familiar with the life of Peter Beard before reading this book. But wow, this man was interesting, who lived a life that spanned all across the globe and has associations with the most wide-array of people imaginable.

Peter Beard was a photographer, artist, and person who loved Africa and its wildlife. This was the main inspiration for his work. He was extremely popular, he was mauled by an elephant which nearly killed him, was a womanizer, and was constantly broke. This book points out how much of an enigma and walking contradiction that Peter Beard seemed to be. People hated him and loved him at the same time. He was a famous photographer whose work was sought out by many celebrities, he but never wanted his work displayed in a museum gallery (and it never was).

This novel was entertaining and well done, but I feel like you had to know a little about the life of Peter Beard before diving into this book. So I do not think I would recommend it to people who are not at least a little familiar with Peter Beard and his life. As a result, there were a lot of moments in this book where I just could not connect or was not feel as invested as I would have otherwise. It was hard to keep track of all the people that were mentioned that Peter associated with and I did not have as much background knowledge on the celebrities or art scene to get as much out of this story as I would have otherwise.

Having said this, I feel like this book was well done in conveying how “Wild” the life of Peter Beard was. However, in my opinion the way this book was written, it certainly is a book for readers with specific taste and interests of Peter Beard and the famous, celebrity scene in which this book heavily comprises.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book. My opinions and viewpoints in this review are my own.

[Martin Boer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping, well-researched, and beautifully-written biography of American artist, wildlife photographer, conservationist, and bon vivant Peter Beard, who produced photos, diaries and artworks inspired by his love of Africa, animals, wildlife, and glamourous supermodels.

Graham Boynton, who was a friend of the late Beard, authoritatively chronicles the life and times of Beard's non-stop madswirl adventures in Kenya, New York, Denmark, London, and across the international art and party circuit; partying at all hours, breaking hearts, taking copious amounts of drugs, and making great friendships wherever he went. Boynton deliciously brings to life the rollicking parties, love- and art-making at Beard's Hog Ranch in Kenya, near where Karen Blixen lived, and at his laid-back Montauk compound on Long Island. Warhol, Bowie, Jagger, Trumbo, McInerney and Cindy Crawford, the cast of characters are a veritable who's who of NYC in the go-go '70s, '80s and beyond.

Prices for Beard's artworks have soared in recent decades into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, well before his mysterious death in April 2020, but so far no major museums have acquired any of his works. The final chapters of the biography explore how photography is viewed in the artworld, and the legacy that Beard leaves behind as an artist, including by an increasingly controlling widow, Nejma Beard, who has tried to control his estate, and legacy, in the later years of his life. We painfully see how Nejma builds walls around Beard in his later years, suing many of his business partners and friends, and suffocating the dear friendships and collaborations that Beard's life was built and celebrated around.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Graham Boynton was Peter Beard’s friend for more than 30 years, spending time with Beard at his bush camp in Africa, in London, and his home base in Montauk. Boynton interviewed hundreds of Beard’s closest friends, lovers, and fellow artists to provide us with a biography of a man who was larger than life and lived a lifetime of contradictions. While lamenting modern society, he lived it up and jetted around the world. His charisma drew people to him who were loyal, yet he never seemed to reciprocate. While his lovers called him kind, he also had a cruel streak and was never faithful to any one woman. Art was his passion, and while he lived a jet-set lifestyle, he was oblivious to the cost, frequently finding himself broke and unable to afford a plane ticket home.

Boynton shows us all the intimate facets of Peter Beard, good, bad and in-between. The ending is especially sad, as Beard had such an untamed spirit, and his later years were lived in such forced restraint.

This led me on such a journey! Beard’s Hog Ranch in Kenya had been part of author Karen Blixen’s former coffee plantation, “at the foot of the Ngong Hills.” So many years since I saw Out of Africa, and the cinematography still remains stunning. I also purchased Beard’s The End of the Game and can’t wait for it to arrive!

A fascinating human study!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild: The Life of Peter Beard
By Graham Boynton

Peter Beard was a very complex and interesting character. He was born to old wealth in America, but he was definitely the black sheep of the family. At an early age he traveled to Kenya and started a lifelong love affair with the dark continent. He was an artist in the field of photography, and used his gifts to promote his ideas about conservation in Africa; he believed that the arm chair do-gooders were using conservation methods that were destroying the wilderness and driving animals like elephants and rhinos to the brink of extinction.

Peter was full of contradictions. He was irresponsible, having no concern about his financial extravagances or the value of material things, including his own work. He was a party animal throughout his life – alcohol, drugs, and women were his constant companions. There was nothing he liked better than lively discussions over a range of topics with his multitude of friends. He refused to be tied down, even for the sake of his three wives and his daughter.

This is a well written biography of a fascinating man who arrived in Africa as the days of the great white hunter were waning – and basically traded in his guns for his cameras. He was a giant in his field. Thank you, Mr. Boynton, for this introduction to the larger than life character of Peter Beard. "Wild" is an apt title indeed.

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, GOODREADS and St. Martins, for an ARC. WILD indeed! Like the animals of Africa photographer and artist Peter Beard roared through life untamed and undomesticated-in personal and family relationships and financial concerns, habitual drug use and even in artistic discipline. And though much of this book is told from the glow of African campfires, there is enough return to New York and Paris and London to satisfy the artistic masses. From charging elephants and black and white rhinos to the late-20th century "beautiful people" like Cheryl Tiegs (Beard's second wife) and Andy Warhol, and the trendy New York spots like Studio 54 and Elaines, the Hollywood handsome Beard took command of a crowded night spot or art gallery with his looks and confidence. As WASP as one could get, Beard showed a reckless disregard for finances and family; wives were confronted with constant adultery-liaisons sometimes bookending the wedding night. Still this is played out against the drama of the African continent, from white colonialism to battles over animal population management to corrupt governments and filthy jails (places Beard would know, but friends in high places like Jackie O to the rescue!). Animal beauty and death and slaughter were captured in Beard's photography, sometimes printed and then drenched in blood for effect. Here is a life and a book to capture the wild life enthusiast, the artistic devotee, and the celebrity watcher.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Beard’s biographer reveals the true man behind the art. Beard came from prominent New England families but he was not interested in playing any society games. He was adventurous and rebellious from the start. He fell in love with Africa on a school trip which led to a lifelong relationship with the continent He was passionate about animals and began using his photography to educate on conservation. Eventually his artwork (mixed media collages that included his photography, drawing, blood, dirt etc) made him famous.

His personal life was a disaster. He was reckless, from ingesting copious amounts of drugs to doing anything for a shot, including putting his head in a crocodile’s mouth. He was movie star handsome and seduced women after woman. His third wife, Nejma, looked the other way throughout their marriage and eventually became his caretaker in his old age. She still controls his estate and all of his artwork.

Like everyone else, Boynton seemed to be drawn to Beard and looked at his bad boy behavior in an affectionate light. This biography is exhaustive, to the point of being exhausting. He went into great detail of his many legal issues and personal conflicts. It was an overwhelming amount of information. It was fascinating to know more about this artist that I’d followed for years but I didn’t find him very likable. It seems that genius requires a certain amount of selfishness and Boynton’s biography bears this out.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book advertised, I had no idea who Peter Beard was. The description alone was compelling enough for me to go and pick it up, in person, the day it was released.

This reads like a love letter / apology tour for Peter Beard. The author was constantly reiterating that Peter was handsome and white - to the point where I would turn a page and think "please don't let the acronym WASP be on this page" (spoiler alert, it usually was.) I've never seen the use of it so much in my entire life.

I agree with other reviews I've seen for this, that I learned everything about what Peter Beard did, where he went, who he talked to and what about, but never actually learned much about him as a person. Given the descriptions of his relationships with others, maybe that was intentional. The author started this book strong with his own feelings on Beard and never let the reader come to their own conclusions, something I'm left sad about after finishing. There's a photo in the book, of the author and subject, where the author is pictured smiling and blissfully unaware that Peter is next to him seemingly disconnected and disinterested. I imagine that's exactly the relationship they had during his life, based off what I've read.

In the end, Peter Beard seemed like a remarkable person, and I'm left wanting to learn more about who he actually was. This book inspired me to purchase The End Of Game and everything that followed.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Complicated Man of Many Talents

Peter Beard was larger than life from his exceptional talent as a photographer, to his love of Africa, and beautiful women. He visited Kenya as a young man and fell in love with Africa, perhaps his most enduring love affair. He married three times, but he couldn’t resist taking many lovers. He was the life of the party, but could never seem to pay his bills and often touched his friends to pick up meals and hotel bills.

There was also a dark side. He took drugs and drank to excess. He may have had an undiagnosed mental illness for many years. However, in his later years it manifested as depression and eventually dementia. His death was almost as iconic as his life, wandering off from his home in Hamptons to die in a forest and not be discovered for days.

The author was the perfect person to write this biography being a friend to Beard for many years. He tells all the amusing and dangerous stories, but he also manages to make Beard come to life as a complex individual. I enjoyed this book. If’s fun to read because of the famous people and incidents, but it also leaves you thinking about the man and how he lived an exceptional life.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided a free copy of this book from @netgalley and @stmartinspress I'm exchange for my honest review.
I was intrigued by this book as I appreciate photography and have a love for Africa, but had never heard of Peter Beard. Throughout the story I kept recognizing names of other famous people he interacted with, including many from Kenya, but wasn't sure why I had never heard of Beard. 🤷🏻‍♀️
But, wow, what a crazy life he lived! It was hard to imagine, sometimes, how he was liked so well by so many people when he did all the crazy things he did. He was definitely all about that sex, drugs, and rock n' roll lifestyle.
Overall it felt a bit long and repetitive for me. He did a lot of partying, taking new lovers, producing art, and a lot of crazy things in between, but some of the details got a bit heavy for me. Not knowing him before, I was expecting more of the fun safari stories, and less of the other stuff. Maybe if I was a fan beforehand I would have appreciated it more.
Overall it was still an interesting story of a very unique man.
It was published this past Tuesday, so if it sounds like something you would be interested in, go ahead and give it a try!

[Tawney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham Boynton has written a very thorough account of Peter Beard's life, but in the end it seems hollow. Beard was a flawed and frenetic character who, it seems, was a whirlwind of action. His life was in the doing - embracing a life in Africa that went from hunting to photography eventually seguing to New York and art. It was always accompanied with a cloud of other people with whom to party and talk. There was also a parade of mistresses, lovers and three wives. It may have been a charmed life (he had the connections to get him out of prison in Kenya) but he had a darker side as Boynton relates. Unfortunately Beard's estate probably made it impossible to show any of his art and really delve into it, especially his collage diaries. It would seem that some of Beard the person might be found there, but maybe not. His life was certainly one adventure piled on another and on that level worth the read.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book compliments of St. Martin's and NetGalley.

[Mark Latchford · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject for this biography sounded fascinating. A wealthy American adventurer, lothario and very talented photographer, who over his lifetime produced iconic pictures but also moved in some of the most significant social circles across three continents.

Alas, this book is very disappointing. The author is clearly a friend of the subject and writes accordingly. Antagonism between him and the subject's family has limited the reach and especially the depth of the work. Beard was renowned for a life time of extensive diaries which would have been a marvelous primary source, but appears not to be used (even though many are in the public domain). The family history was well researched (by the author's wife) but the subjects early years are very light, despite family members being available to contribute. The fact that virtually none of Beard's major works are reproduced in the book is very disappointing, especially as pages are spent explaining the scenario around the execution of the said masterpiece. Photographs that are used are a bit of a jumble. All in all, its not a very balanced work. Interesting but a more subjective work with better research and analysis is required