| Jim Frey, the author
of this fascinating book, was not born to the circus ring, as many
great animal trainers are. he was to have been an architect, like
his father; but instead of that he was drawn by an irresistible
attraction to become what he is today - one of the best known
trainers of wild animals in the world.
He certainly had everything needed for
his chosen career; the physique and presence; the intelligence and
the courage; the love of animals and the desire to understand them;
and, above all, the belief in his special relationship to them.
There is something more in his
attitude towards wild animals than merely lessons, however valuable,
he has learnt from those who went before him, and from his own
experience; it is an intangible but precious quality which belongs
to that borderland world between materialism and spirituality. And
for this reason his book, too, is something more than the usual,
though always compelling, memoirs of a great trainer of wild
animals. It will have enough fascination and excitement for many
reader. He tells many thrilling stories of his encounters with wild
animals, the injuries he has suffered, the triumphs he has achieved,
and the other famous trainers he has known, and compares their
methods with his; he describes the animals he worked with and the
human loves and tragedies behind the scenes at the circus. And
beyond all this, his book is undoubtedly one of the most
valuable contributions to the understanding of animals and their
psychology and behaviour that has ever been written.
Condition: Very good, in good dustjacket. Book is former library
book with some inscriptions on the inside front cover but is
otherwise tight and clean, with all photographic plates intact. The
dustjacket is price-clipped, worn along the edges, with some small
tears at the corners, but otherwise in good condition. Click on the
image above to see a cloe-up.
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