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A book comes along like this once in a
lifetime. You read it as a small child, or even an adult, and never
forget the images it conjures up of a wonderful Englishman who lives
in the mysterious forests of faraway Burma and of the kind native
people who teach him about their lovely country. But most of all,
you never forget the elephants! For this is a story about those
magnificent creatures. Though he was officially known as Lt. Colonel
J. H. Williams, the author was known to the world at large as
“Elephant Bill.” That is because he spent 25 years living with the
elephants in the mountains and forests of Burma. There he trained
them to haul teak logs out of the isolated jungles. Yet this is also
a story of great courage, because when the Second World War struck
it also came to Burma. The Japanese Imperial Army planned to
confiscate the Burmese elephants, drafting them to make the bridges
and railways they needed to invade India. When he learned of these
plans to put his beloved animals to a war-like purpose, Elephant
Bill knew what had to be done. The mighty kings of the jungle had to
be evacuated to safety.
This is thus the story not only of
the peaceful days in the jungle, starting in 1921, but also the
story of the largest elephant rescue in history. It tells the
amazing account of how Elephant Bill, along with his friends and
family, rode 45 of the great beasts across the mountains of Burma,
before reaching safety in faraway India. A classic then. A classic
now. “Elephant Bill” is a blessing to any library and a literary
treasure.
Condition: Good with Poor
dustjacket. The book has some yellowing and the odd crease, but is
in otherwise very good condition, clean and tight. The dustjacket
has sections missing and is worn and torn. (Click on image above for close-up
of front cover).
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