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)

Fabulous story of love and appreciation for nature

Where does The Elephant Whisperer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't normally listen to true stories but this book absolutely had me captivated from the first chapter. We live in a society that often doesn't appreciate or respect life, that of animals or humans. Lawrence was a man with a vision who I clearly identified with. The culture of the Zulu tribe and their interactions with nature were interesting to learn about. He had so many challenges to face both culturally and environmentally.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lawrence Anthony was fortunate to have a glorious life. He truly made a difference in the world and helped many people to understand why we must save these giants from extinction.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

The narration was fantastic and the life and feelings of the characters came through. He has a very calming voice that I could listen to all day. I truly felt like I was there watching Lawrence interact with his herd.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have yes, I would have listened to it all day.

Any additional comments?

I pray everyone takes time to listen to a wonderful story of a man who took a risk to save a herd of elephants and learned as much about himself as he did about the elephants. I only wish he could have lived longer to save more of these majestic creatures.

A Beautiful Book with Beautiful People!!!

It’s heartening to know that people like Lawrence Anthony exist. Many more like him and the world would be such a beautiful place to live in.
Actually I don’t have enough words to express what I felt reading the book. It was just superb, wonderful ... well, I wish I had the skill with words the authors of this book have to express myself or the skill with which the narrator has narrated this book. Marvellous.
I would recommend this book to all.
My regret would be that I couldn’t meet Lawrence Anthony in person.

Awesome book,interesting, inspiring, it has it all

I loved this book. The title intrigued me instantly so I gave it a try. I was never disappointed throughout the book. The story is about an African game preserve and the ongoing adventures of the staff and their animals and neighbors. The central focus is the increasingly intimate and loving relationship of Lawrence with his small herd of elephants.
As you can see by the host of positive reviews this book is a winner.

One of My All-Time Favorites!

If you could sum up The Elephant Whisperer in three words, what would they be?

Compelling, educational, enjoyable

What did you like best about this story?

Totally out of my genre and experience, yet readily accessible

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is one of the very best readers of audiobooks and could make the phonebook compelling. In this case he had a fascinating story from a less-experienced author. Made the the author shine.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

INTO Africa

Any additional comments?

The story of these elephants is intriguing, exciting, and moving. A story that has appeal for many varied audiences.

A Superb Book

Marvelous recounting of Anthony’s years saving, acclimating and communicating with a herd of elephants, initially to be put down for being too dangerous.

Truly captivating.

From one animal lover to another it was wonderful. A great narrator. A perfect mix of emotions.

Excellent narration

Fantastic story, but really stand out narration, with all accents, be it Zulu, So African or French performed impeccably, making the story so vivid and memorable.

I was hooked from the start!

I was in Africa 2 years ago, and I loved imagining all the scenes I was reading, all the animals and the excitement. A wonderful book, great narrator, and of course…the elephants! Highly recommend!

Loved every minute of this book!

Getting ready to go on a safari - i really enjoyed the narrators voice actually laughed out loud and cried a few times.

Ah yes

Makes me wonder if we could have a bison whisperer. Do we really need all that farmland?