-
Giants of the Monsoon Forest
- Living and Working with Elephants
- Narrated by: Tim Fannon
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
A journey through the hidden world of elephants and their riders.
High in the mountainous rain forests of Burma and India grow some of the world's last stands of mature, wild teak. For more than a thousand years, people here have worked with elephants to log these otherwise impassable forests and move people and goods (often illicitly) under cover of the forest canopy. In Giants of the Monsoon Forest, geographer Jacob Shell takes us deep into this strange elephant country to explore the lives of these extraordinarily intelligent creatures.
The relationship between elephant and rider is an intimate one that lasts for many decades. When an elephant is young, he or she is paired with a rider, who is called a mahout. The two might work together their entire lives. Though not bred to work with humans, these elephants can lift and carry logs, save people from mudslides, break logjams in raging rivers, and navigate dense mountain forests with passengers on their backs.
Visiting tiny logging villages and forest camps, Shell describes fascinating characters, both elephant and human - like a heroic elephant named Maggie who saves dozens of British and Burmese refugees during World War II, and an elephant named Pak Chan who sneaks away from the Ho Chi Minh Trail to mate with a partner in a passing herd. We encounter an eloquent colonel in a rebel army in Burma's Kachin State, whose expertise is smuggling arms and valuable jade via elephant convoy, and several particularly smart elephants, including one who discovers, all on his own, how to use a wood branch as a kind of safety lock when lifting heavy teak logs.
Giants of the Monsoon Forest offers a new perspective on animal intelligence and reveals an unexpected relationship between evolution in the natural world and political struggles in the human one. Shell examines why the complex tradition of working with elephants has endured with Asian elephants, but not with their counterparts in Africa. And he shows us how Asia's secret forest culture might offer a way to save the elephants. By performing rescues after major floods - as they did in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami - and helping sustainably log Asian forests, humans and elephants working together can help protect the fragile spaces they both need to survive.
Related to this topic
-
No Beast So Fierce
- The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History
- By: Dane Huckelbridge
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Sniper meets Jaws in this gripping true account of the deadliest animal of all time, the Champawat Tiger - responsible for killing more than 400 humans in Northern India and Nepal in the first decade of the 20th century - and the legendary hunter who finally brought it down.
-
-
Needed more tiger
- By RealWoman8 on 03-18-19
-
Freedom
- By: Sebastian Junger
- Narrated by: Sebastian Junger
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.
-
-
Classic Junger.
- By Bernard Lenrow on 05-18-21
By: Sebastian Junger
-
Through the Brazilian Wilderness
- By: Theodore Roosevelt
- Narrated by: Andre Stojka
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A former American president nearly dies during an ill-planned exploration through the Brazilian Wilderness and down the River of Doubt. Theodore Roosevelt was a naturalist, explorer, author, hunter, governor, soldier and 26th President of the United States.
-
-
narration hindrance to story
- By EBH on 09-29-20
-
Black Dragon River
- A Journey Down the Amur River at the Borderlands of Empires
- By: Dominic Ziegler
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Black Dragon River is a personal journey down one of Asia's great rivers. The world's ninth largest river, the Amur serves as a large part of the border between Russia and China. As a crossroads for the great empires of Asia, this area offers journalist Dominic Ziegler a lens with which to examine the societies at Europe's only borderland with East Asia.
-
-
INFORMATIVE
- By JK on 10-14-22
By: Dominic Ziegler
-
Monster of God
- By: David Quammen
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For millennia, lions, tigers, and their man-eating kin have kept our dark, scary forests dark and scary, and their predatory majesty has been the stuff of folklore. But by the year 2150 big predators may only exist on the other side of glass barriers and chain-link fences. Their gradual disappearance is changing the very nature of our existence. We no longer occupy an intermediate position on the food chain; instead we survey it invulnerably from above - so far above that we are in danger of forgetting that we even belong to an ecosystem.
-
-
Great book, shame about the performance
- By Shirzy on 05-23-18
By: David Quammen
-
Elephant Company
- The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
- By: Vicki Constantine Croke
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the onset of World War II, Williams formed Elephant Company and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in Burma and saving refugees, including on his own "Hannibal Trek." Billy Williams became a media sensation during the war, telling reporters that the elephants did more for him than he was ever able to do for them, but his story has since been forgotten.
-
-
Story of Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery
- By Patrick on 04-15-15
-
No Beast So Fierce
- The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History
- By: Dane Huckelbridge
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Sniper meets Jaws in this gripping true account of the deadliest animal of all time, the Champawat Tiger - responsible for killing more than 400 humans in Northern India and Nepal in the first decade of the 20th century - and the legendary hunter who finally brought it down.
-
-
Needed more tiger
- By RealWoman8 on 03-18-19
-
Freedom
- By: Sebastian Junger
- Narrated by: Sebastian Junger
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.
-
-
Classic Junger.
- By Bernard Lenrow on 05-18-21
By: Sebastian Junger
-
Through the Brazilian Wilderness
- By: Theodore Roosevelt
- Narrated by: Andre Stojka
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A former American president nearly dies during an ill-planned exploration through the Brazilian Wilderness and down the River of Doubt. Theodore Roosevelt was a naturalist, explorer, author, hunter, governor, soldier and 26th President of the United States.
-
-
narration hindrance to story
- By EBH on 09-29-20
-
Black Dragon River
- A Journey Down the Amur River at the Borderlands of Empires
- By: Dominic Ziegler
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Black Dragon River is a personal journey down one of Asia's great rivers. The world's ninth largest river, the Amur serves as a large part of the border between Russia and China. As a crossroads for the great empires of Asia, this area offers journalist Dominic Ziegler a lens with which to examine the societies at Europe's only borderland with East Asia.
-
-
INFORMATIVE
- By JK on 10-14-22
By: Dominic Ziegler
-
Monster of God
- By: David Quammen
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For millennia, lions, tigers, and their man-eating kin have kept our dark, scary forests dark and scary, and their predatory majesty has been the stuff of folklore. But by the year 2150 big predators may only exist on the other side of glass barriers and chain-link fences. Their gradual disappearance is changing the very nature of our existence. We no longer occupy an intermediate position on the food chain; instead we survey it invulnerably from above - so far above that we are in danger of forgetting that we even belong to an ecosystem.
-
-
Great book, shame about the performance
- By Shirzy on 05-23-18
By: David Quammen
-
Elephant Company
- The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
- By: Vicki Constantine Croke
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the onset of World War II, Williams formed Elephant Company and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in Burma and saving refugees, including on his own "Hannibal Trek." Billy Williams became a media sensation during the war, telling reporters that the elephants did more for him than he was ever able to do for them, but his story has since been forgotten.
-
-
Story of Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery
- By Patrick on 04-15-15
-
Old Man River
- The Mississippi River in North American History
- By: Paul Schneider
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Old Man River, Paul Schneider tells the story of the river at the center of America's rich history - the Mississippi. Some fifteen thousand years ago, the majestic river provided Paleolithic humans with the routes by which early man began to explore the continent's interior. Since then, the river has been the site of historical significance, from the arrival of Spanish and French explorers in the 16th century to the Civil War. George Washington fought his first battle near the river, and Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman both came to President Lincoln's attention after their spectacular victories on the lower Mississippi.
-
-
Amazing, inspiring and informative
- By Rodney Curlee on 04-27-23
By: Paul Schneider
-
Dreams of El Dorado
- A History of the American West
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Matt Kugler
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dreams of El Dorado, H. W. Brands tells the thrilling, panoramic story of the settling of the American West. He takes us from John Jacob Astor's fur trading outpost in Oregon to the Texas Revolution, from the California gold rush to the Oklahoma land rush. He shows how the migrants' dreams drove them to feats of courage and perseverance that put their stay-at-home cousins to shame - and how those same dreams also drove them to outrageous acts of violence against indigenous peoples and one another. El Dorado was at least as elusive in the West as it ever was in the East.
-
-
Dreadful narration
- By Fredmo on 12-09-19
By: H. W. Brands
-
The Men Who United the States
- America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did America become “one nation, indivisible”? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America’s most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators. Introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today’s United States, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree.
-
-
Sarcastic
- By Cynthia Hartman on 06-16-16
By: Simon Winchester
-
The Discovery of France
- A Historical Geography
- By: Graham Robb
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A narrative of exploration - full of strange landscapes and even stranger inhabitants - that explains the enduring fascination of France. While Gustave Eiffel was changing the skyline of Paris, large parts of France were still terra incognita. Even in the age of railways and newspapers, France was a land of ancient tribal divisions, prehistoric communication networks, and pre-Christian beliefs. French itself was a minority language.
By: Graham Robb
-
The River of Doubt
- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.
-
-
This audiobook deserves 6 stars
- By D. Littman on 11-15-05
By: Candice Millard
-
Wonderlandscape
- Yellowstone National Park and the Evolution of an American Cultural Icon
- By: John Clayton
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Yellowstone is America's premier national park. Today Yellowstone is often a byword for conservation, natural beauty, and a way for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors. But it was not always this way. Wonderlandscape presents a new perspective on Yellowstone, the emotions that various natural wonders and attractions evoke, and how this explains the park's relationship to America as a whole.
-
-
Fascinating blend of history and storytelling
- By NC on 02-08-21
By: John Clayton
-
The Lost City of the Monkey God
- A True Story
- By: Douglas Preston
- Narrated by: Bill Mumy
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die.
-
-
Still Lost...
- By Mel on 01-12-17
By: Douglas Preston
-
King Philip's War
- The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict
- By: Eric B. Schultz, Michael J. Tougias, Nathaniel Philbrick - foreword
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At once an in-depth history of this pivotal war and a guide to the historical sites where the ambushes, raids, and battles took place, King Philip's War expands our understanding of American history and provides insight into the nature of colonial and ethnic wars in general. Through a careful reconstruction of events, including first-person accounts, and by providing information on the exact locations of more than 50 battles, King Philip's War is useful as well as informative.
-
-
Indian Good; White Man Bad
- By Gary M. Hale on 06-04-21
By: Eric B. Schultz, and others
-
Monsoon
- The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the world maps common in America, the Western Hemisphere lies front and center, while the Indian Ocean region all but disappears. This convention reveals the geopolitical focus of the now-departed 20th century, but in the 21st century, that focus will fundamentally change. In this pivotal examination of the countries known as “Monsoon Asia”—which include India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Burma, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Tanzania—best-selling author Robert D. Kaplan explains how crucial this dynamic area has become to American power.
-
-
A map is worth a thousand words ...
- By Loren on 06-03-12
By: Robert D. Kaplan
-
Encounters at the Heart of the World
- A History of the Mandan People
- By: Elizabeth A. Fenn
- Narrated by: Christine Marshall
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Encounters at the Heart of the World concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were, for centuries, at the center of the North American universe. We know of them mostly because Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-1805 with them, but why don't we know more? Who were they really? In this extraordinary book, Elizabeth A. Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology, and nutritional science.
-
-
Well deserved Pulitzer Prize winner!
- By DaveF on 11-10-19
-
Exploration Fawcett
- Journey to the Lost City of Z
- By: Lt. Col. P. H. Fawcett
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true story of the real Colonel Fawcett, whose life was the inspiration for the best-selling book The Lost City of Z and an upcoming movie starring Brad Pitt. A thrilling account, it tells of Colonel Fawcett and his mysterious disappearance in the Amazon jungle, which is now considered one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.
-
-
boring
- By Ramanda Brockett on 08-07-18
-
The Good Rain
- Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest
- By: Timothy Egan
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fantastic book! Timothy Egan describes his journeys in the Pacific Northwest through visits to salmon fisheries, redwood forests and the manicured English gardens of Vancouver. Here is a blend of history, anthropology and politics.
-
-
White man bad, capitalism bad
- By Forget about it on 04-15-21
By: Timothy Egan
What listeners say about Giants of the Monsoon Forest
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Margaret A. Hague
- 03-23-20
Great story of Asian work elephants
I really enjoyed the story and the history of these elephants. I appreciated that he kept an open mind on the not so gentle training practices of some of the elephants. He told it in an objective manner, even though I still don't agree with it. There were touching moments of the relationships of mahouts. I like that he gives ideas trying to preserve the species especially the GPS to find the elephants after their wanderings. Very well written and researched.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!