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All creatures great and small
It has been a long time, but I'm pretty sure this book is about animals and their handlers.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Daniel P. Mannix
44 books63 followersDaniel Pratt Mannix IV was best known as an American author and journalist. His life was remarkably different from other writers of his generation. His career included times as a side show performer, magician, trainer of eagles and film maker.
The Grest Zadma was a stage name Mannix used as a magician. He also entertained as a sword swallower and fire eater in a traveling carnival sideshow. Magazine articles about these experiences, co-written with his wife, became very popular in 1944 and 1945.
As an author Mannix covered a wide variety of subject matter. His more than 25 books ranged from fictional animal stories for children, the natural history of animals, and adventurous accounts about hunting big game to sensational adult non-fiction topics such as a biography of the occultist Aleister Crowley, sympathetic accounts of carnival performers and sideshow freaks, and works describing, among other things, the Hellfire Club, the Atlantic slave trade, the history of torture, and the Roman games. His output of essays and articles was extensive.
The Grest Zadma was a stage name Mannix used as a magician. He also entertained as a sword swallower and fire eater in a traveling carnival sideshow. Magazine articles about these experiences, co-written with his wife, became very popular in 1944 and 1945.
As an author Mannix covered a wide variety of subject matter. His more than 25 books ranged from fictional animal stories for children, the natural history of animals, and adventurous accounts about hunting big game to sensational adult non-fiction topics such as a biography of the occultist Aleister Crowley, sympathetic accounts of carnival performers and sideshow freaks, and works describing, among other things, the Hellfire Club, the Atlantic slave trade, the history of torture, and the Roman games. His output of essays and articles was extensive.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 12, 2015
You couldn't publish this book today. That's probably a good thing. Mannix's memoir tells of how an indulgent and affluent childhood allowed him to acquire numerous exotic pets. There are moments of humor and wonder, but the work as a whole is marked by a crazy and stubborn devotion to taming the wild.
Mannix did not want to be a zoologist. He was more of a collector who wanted to feel special through his bonds with wildlife. I can understand the impulse, but cannot help but feel bad for the creatures he struggled to fit into his life.
Mannix did not want to be a zoologist. He was more of a collector who wanted to feel special through his bonds with wildlife. I can understand the impulse, but cannot help but feel bad for the creatures he struggled to fit into his life.
August 28, 2012
Read several times when young. Was about author's experiences with exotic "pets".
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews