Lightning Bird : The Story Of One Man's Journey Into Africa's Past

"This is the true story of Adrian Boshier, a young Englishman who arrived in Africa at the age of sixteen and ventured into the bush alone, on foot, equipped with nothing more than a pocket knife and a plastic bagful of salt, to look for a world described a century earlier by Livingstone and Selous." So begins Lyall Watson's deeply absorbing account of an amazing modern adventure. For not only did Boshier survive alone in the inhospitable bush, he also succeeded in learning some of the secrets of tribal life. Two features won him the respect and trust of the African people: his extraordinary ability to handle the deadliest of snakes and his susceptibility to epileptic seizures, both traits which marked him as a "man of the spirit"—a being Lyall Watson compares to Africa's mysterious lightning bird. Here are the thrilling stories of Boshier's initiation as a witch doctor; of his courageous struggles with adversity, danger, and infirmity in the untravelled bush; and of his dramatic rescue of a dying culture, just prior to his own death at the age of 39. The author also tells of Boshier's remarkable discoveries during his years in Africa: his findings of bone tools, rock gongs, and prehistoric cave paintings; his contribution to research on what may be one of mankind's earliest scripts; and his discovery of the oldest known mine in the world—all providing startling evidence that modern man, as well as early man, was born in Africa. Boshier's unique experience—and Lyall Watson's sensitive retelling of it—add to our knowledge of paleontology, prehistoric art, African culture, witchcraft and snake lore. Together, this born adventurer and the acclaimed writer who pursued his story have given us an unusually rich first-hand account of the real Africa.
ASIN: 034032810X
VSKU: PKV.034032810X.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Watson, Lyall
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: A well-loved companion. Corners and cover might show a little wear, and you could find some notes or highlights. The dust jacket might be MIA, it might have been a library book and extras aren't guaranteed—but the story's all there!