The Tree Where Man Was Born

By: Peter Matthiessen

Narrated by: Dion Graham

In this classic volume, Peter Matthiessen exquisitely combines nature and travel writing to bring East Africa to vivid life. He skillfully and magically portrays the sights, scenes, and people he observed firsthand in several trips over the course of a dozen years: the daily lives of herdsmen and hunter-gatherers; the drama of the predator kills; the hundreds of exotic animals; the breathtaking landscapes; the area's turbulent natural, political, and social histories; the adventures of the field biologists who pursue and investigate the habits of wild creatures; the anthropologists seeking man’s origins throughout the Rift Valley; and the lonely African, poised between the traditional ways and the conflicting demands of Western culture.

©1972 The New Yorker (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc., and Buck 50 Productions, LLC

Critic reviews

In this classic volume, Peter Matthiessen exquisitely combines nature and travel writing to bring East Africa vividly to life.

“Stunning….The Africa [Matthiessen] evokes is finally timeless, majestic, throbbing with life, indivisible.” ( Saturday Review)

“Few nature books called 'classic' are as deserving of the appellation as this one, for no one writes about Africa with quite the same insight and enthusiasm as Peter Matthiessen.” ( Kirkus Reviews) (UK)

Just back from Tanzania

This wonderful book, lyrically written and read, beautifully evokes east Africa. The place names from the guidebooks come alive. Highly recommend.

Great book if u go to Africa

Great book if you are traveling on Safari.

But easy to fall asleep while listening it.

Some Technical Issues

Would you consider the audio edition of The Tree Where Man Was Born to be better than the print version?

No, I am going to buy the book as well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tree Where Man Was Born?

All of it.

Have you listened to any of Dion Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first - he is TOP NOTCH

Any additional comments?

The first download starting pausing toward the end. It was most annoying as I was so engrossed and I had to keep pushing pal over and over. It was not the system, I listened to it w/ headphones , it still happened. The second download skipped a few times, nowhere near as bad as the pausing. I'm only mentioning it because I love your company and it's the first time anything like that has happened. I thought it would be helpful. AN AMAZING BOOK!

Matthiessen masterful transporting into the heart of Africa.

Matthiessen at his best: colorful, enrapturing, poetic — if there is such thing as magic realism, this is it!
Dion Graham’s voice is a musical instrument, precisely well tuned for this kind of reading.

Enjoyable read

I enjoyed his descriptions of the people & animals. Would be interested in how much has changed in the present time.

I couldn’t get into this book and didn’t finish.

The narrator’s voice was so soothing I would space out while listening. I started listening to it when I couldn’t fall asleep so I’d fall asleep faster. Maybe it’s a good book. I’ll never know cuz it puts me to sleep.