The tree where man was bornIn this classic volume, Matthiessen exquisitely combines both nature and travel writing to bring East Africa to vivid life. He skillfully portrays the daily lives of herdsmen and hunter-gatherers; the drama of the predator kills; the hundreds of exotic animals; the breathtaking landscapes; and the area's turbulent natural, political, and social histories. |
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Page 87
This eastern region of the plain lies in the rain shadow of the Crater Highlands,
and is very dry. In winter, Serengeti days are made by the prevailing southeast
winds, which lose their precipitation when they strike the east wall of the
Highlands; ...
This eastern region of the plain lies in the rain shadow of the Crater Highlands,
and is very dry. In winter, Serengeti days are made by the prevailing southeast
winds, which lose their precipitation when they strike the east wall of the
Highlands; ...
Page 112
The eighth of February was a day of low still clouds, waxy gray with the weight of
rain. On the plain, the herd animals were restless, and the gnu, crazy-tailed, fled
to the four winds, maddened by life. At Naabi Hill, the eastern portal of the ...
The eighth of February was a day of low still clouds, waxy gray with the weight of
rain. On the plain, the herd animals were restless, and the gnu, crazy-tailed, fled
to the four winds, maddened by life. At Naabi Hill, the eastern portal of the ...
Page 113
white clouds cross the black thunderhead behind Naisera; lightning came, and a
drum of rain on the hard ground across the valley. On the taut skin of Africa rain
can be heard two miles away. Bird calls rang against Naisera's walls, which on ...
white clouds cross the black thunderhead behind Naisera; lightning came, and a
drum of rain on the hard ground across the valley. On the taut skin of Africa rain
can be heard two miles away. Bird calls rang against Naisera's walls, which on ...
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User Review - ljhliesl - LibraryThingI saw this title in my goodreads feed because a goodsreads-only acquaintance added it her to-read list without commentary. I immediately requested it from the library. Most of the books I read before ... Read full review
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User Review - satyridae - LibraryThingLovely prose, absolutely gorgeous words. Why did I have to stumble over this? Why did no one ever say to me, "Hey, you read all that nature stuff, there's this guy you positively have to read!" I ... Read full review
Contents
The Tree Where Man Was Born | 21 |
White Highlands | 31 |
Northwest Frontier | 49 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
acacia animals arrow Bantu baobab Barabaig birds buffalo bush camp cattle century climb clouds Crater Highlands crossed dark dead desert dogs Dorobo ears earth East Africa elephant Enderlein Engaruka escarpment eyes feet fire forest gazelle George Schaller Gidabembe Giga grass Hadza Hamitic head herd herdsmen hide hills hunters hunting huts hyena Iain Isanzu Kamba Kenya Kikuyu killed Kopjes Lake Lake Natron Land Rover Lengai leopard light lion Llo-molo Maasai Maasai Land Magadi Magandula Mangati Manyara Mbulu Meru miles mountain Myles Nairobi Nangai Natron Ngorongoro night Nile numbers Ol Doinyo Lengai park plain rain region rhino river rock safari Samburu Schaller Serengeti Seronera shadow Sipunga Sonjo spears stone stood strange Sudan Tanzania thorn tion track trees tribes truck Tsavo tsetse Turkana turned valley Vesey volcano vultures wild wildebeest wind wood Yaida Chini zebra
Bibliographic information
| Title | The tree where man was born |
| Authors | Peter Matthiessen, Eliot Porter |
| Illustrated by | Eliot Porter |
| Publisher | Dutton, 1972 |
| Original from | the University of Virginia |
| Digitized | 1 Oct 2008 |
| Length | 247 pages |
| Subjects | › › Africa Africa, East Animal ecology Animals History / Africa / General Natural history Nature / General Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural Zoology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |