The Elephant Whisperer

My Life with the Herd in the African Wild

By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Biography/Memoir, 2014

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.

The Elephant Whisperer is a heartwarming, exciting, funny, and sometimes sad account of Anthony's experiences with these huge yet sympathetic creatures. Set against the background of life on an African game reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, it is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.

©2009, 2012 Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An inspiring, multifaceted account, Anthony's book offers fascinating insights into the lives of wild elephants in the broader context of Zulu culture in post-Apartheid South Africa." ( Publishers Weekly)

Spectacular story, brilliant writing

A moving, evocative, and gripping series of stories from the wilds of a conservation in South Africa. This conservationist must have training as a writer, as he is brilliant! A thrill, a treat, with a heap of wisdom thrown in. Never a dull moment. You come to love the author as much as you love the wild animals around him.

Wonderful, well written book.

Any animal lover will enjoy this account of a wildlife preserve owner’s experiences with a herd of elephants. It’s beautifully and poetically written. I now want to travel there. Who knew?

extraordinary story.

I wept through this book, page after page, learning about the elephants and the other animals and inhabitants of ThulaThula. And also the extraordinary human being, the author who somehow knew how to communicate with elephants, and the different tribespeople, enough that he kept himself alive, cannily against a definite death threat. no wonder the elephants came every year to pay their respects to their human after his death. He was taken much too early, but he gave us a glimpse into his life with the elephants and the Bush country.

amazing story

Great read, and the narration by Simon Vance is outstanding. He is among the top 3 narrators working today.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Amazing, Touching & Spiritual

First of all, the narrator is A+++++ His voice is soothing and the inflections He uses for all the voices. make it sound like there are multiple people reading.

as for the story, oh my God, it is absolutely life-changing!. there are so many amazing adventures within this story, And you will cry, laugh and cheer.

this is not a normal style book that I listen to but I am so glad that I did. It literally made me feel like a better human. just by listening to it It felt like listening to sunshine that filled my soul.

I'm going to invest in all the books that these guys have to offer. I am telling you download it buy it, just do it. You will not regret it.

Captivating.

I truly loved every page! It made me feel as if I was present, also it made wish I had been.

Thoroughly awe inspiring!

If you love animals and you admire people who devote their lives to the care and well being of all animals...wild and domesticated, you will treasure this book. It was all that I hoped it would be and more. Do yourself a favor and listen to it. The narration is sublime. You will never forget this book and the story of the people and the animals in it.

Interesting all the way through

I really liked feeling a part of a wildlife preserve. Never know what might happen next!
Elephants are so smart.

Africa at it's best.

We learned so much about elephants and other wild life in Africa. This was a great true story, made us hopeful for the future of saving animals and land there.

You'll never look at elephants the same.

I loved the book so much I had to listen to the audible! One of my favorite.