It sadly dates the book quite badly. By . Welcome back. Overloaded Ark (Faber Fiction Classics) April 9, 2001, Faber and Faber. Durrell's books are so funny and absorbing; loaded with delightfully, engagingly anthropomorphic portraits of the rare animals he is collecting to finance his private zoo in the Isle of Jersey. The Overloaded Ark, January 2000, Franklin … . But OH how the patronizing, patrician attitudes of the imperial British are evident on every page. The Overloaded Ark, his first, remains his funniest book.It describes an expedition to the remote territory of the Cameroons in West Africa, before independence. The Overloaded Ark is the first of a great number of autobiographical tales written by Gerald M. Durrell. The man was a born storyteller, who can weave detail and dialogue into a seamless whole that makes me feel like I watched it happen. As usual - hilarious and interesting description of Durrell's adventures in Cameroon! Hunting and buying what was ordered proved to be nothing to keeping his charges alive and well, to tending the captives as diet, sickness … It has not aged well. 'A delightful book . Paperback - New Ed edition. Having recently re-read Gerald Durrell’s “Corfu Trilogy,” stories of his family’s life on the Greek island of Corfu in the years leading up to the Second World War, I decided to go on and read some of the books Durrell wrote about his experiences collecting animals for zoos, and, later, establishing his own zoo and animal conservation program. Zoological specimens, Zoology. English understatement for a bring-'em back alive expedition turns over quite a bit of fun as the author magicks the nuisances of collecting animals and birds (this done by his companion, coolly self-possessed John Yealland) for English zoos THE OVERLOADED ARK. Gerald Durrell books are worth re-reading. The Overloaded Ark is rich with descriptions of the country's landscapes and people. It has a lot of era typical racism and zoological practices which can sometimes be wince inducing. Gerald Durrell is always worth reading. This is definitely a book of its time. The Overloaded Ark, the first of many books that Durrell would write over the years (at the urging of his big brother, the famous novelist Lawrence Durrell), is the tale of Gerald's first collecting expedition, to the (then) British colony of Cameroon in West Africa. However, the anecdotes are delightful, his joy in nature is infectious, and the writing is beautiful, though nowhere near as well d. Wonderful first book by Gerald Durrell - and one I remember reading many years ago as a boy with enormous pleasure. Having recently re-read Gerald Durrell’s “Corfu Trilogy,” stories of his family’s life on the Greek island of Corfu in the years leading up to the Second World War, I decided to go on and read some of the books Durrell wrote about his experiences collecting animals for zoos, and, later, establishing his own zoo and animal conservation program. Relates the author's experiences and adventures during a 6-month expedition in West Africa to collect specimens for his zoo. This is the first of many books by Durrell, who writes in a very enjoyable style. by. The smattering of local flavour - with the pidgin and description of local people, the flora and fauna, and general environment- adds so much character to his books. Gerald Durrell seems to have the obsession of a collector but not the compassion of an animal lover in this dreadfully unethical book. Tourdion 1:07. Unfortunately so many reviews concentrate on the fact that this book is very un-PC, but for a book written in the 1950's it is how things where and the past cannot be changed. The overloaded ark. It is the chronicle of a six-month collecting trip in 1950 to the South American country of British … His very first book was The Overloaded Ark, and I had never read it, although I found that I own it! Gerald Durrell, director and owner of Jersey Zoo, was internationally famous for his amusing books about collecting wild animals. One of the reviews on the back reads, “How seldom it. He was also well known for advocacy for the conditions and respect for the native people of the places he went. One can feel the atmosphere of the jungle and surroundings and the dangers of some of their adventures. I know it was written in another age,but I still can't believe that you could just capture endless amounts of birds, animals and insects from other countries and transport them to the UK, and it was legal! On the whole, though, his sheer love of wildlife wins the day for me, and Durrell expostulating with dilatory young boys holding dead birds (which they insist are perfectly healthy) is laugh-out-loud funny even after all this time. The author travelled with John Yealland who specialised in birds while Gerald's interest lay with reptiles and mammals. Durrell, having criticized a BBC radio talk about life in West Africa, sent in a fifteen-minute radio script about his trials attempting to catch a hairy frog in the Cameroons. When it was first written this 1950’s account of the trapping and removal of wild animals from their natural habitats in Cameroon for sale to European zoos was undoubtedly acceptable, entertaining and even educational. Mixed review of this book: The author gives absolutely beautiful descriptions of the land and animals of Cameroon, and he shows true compassion for some of them. Start by marking “The Overloaded Ark” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Typical Gerald Durrell -- funny and fascinating animal stories. by Durrell, Gerald. Re-reading recently brought back many of those memories, but also raised eyebrows. There are also parts about the trapping, keeping, and selling animals I find unsavoury but true to the times. Ppl need to stop trying to wave virtue flags and learn from history. Many years ago, in my pre-teens and teens, I read everything by Durrell I could get my hands on. Zoologist/naturalist Durrell tells the tale of a six-month collecting trip from December 1947 to August 1948, with aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland to collect live animals in the then British colony of Cameroon to take back to zoos in England. This collecting trip takes place in Cameroon, in the rainforest not far from where the first African violet was discovered. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The characters, both people and animals, sparkle with life. Zoologist/naturalist Durrell tells the tale of a six-month collecting trip from December 1947 to August 1948, with aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland to collect live animals in the then British colony of Cameroon to take back to zoos in England. The Overloaded Ark, first published in 1953, is the debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. The Overloaded Ark? It is the chronicle of a six-month collecting trip, from December 1947 to August 1948, to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - that Durrell made with aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland. ( ) 1 DeltaQueen50 | … Simply great book! #Ark #DOX #DINO OVERHAULXDISCORD: MOD PAGE https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=710880648Welcome to DinoOverhaul X, … Durrell's voice is winsome, I think, and a little wry, which to my ear dates more slowly than some other, more proper and ponderous nature writers. It was his first piece of professional writing. Find The Overloaded Ark by Durrell, Gerald at Biblio. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Overloaded Ark - Helena Espavall, Helena Espvall on AllMusic - 2009 - The second collaborative effort between Masaki… Each description of every animal is both detailed and sentimental, providing much more joy than a simple clinical description. It is the chronicle of a six months collecting trip to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - (Dec 1947 - Aug 1948) - that Durrell made with the highly regarded aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland. The Overloaded Ark, first published in 1953, is the debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as Durrell's narrative style and humor makes it flow well, be easy to enjoy, and move fairly quickly. July 19 / My Church / No Comments / James Gibson. The Overloaded Ark (Unabridged) audiobook, by Gerald Durrell... Gerald Durrell, the former director and owner of Jersey Zoo, is internationally famous for his amusing books about collecting wild animals. We’d love your help. THE OVERLOADED ARK. 02. I do not think, Durrell would have been able to bring animals from the Cameroons to England, in this day and age ! Read the book and make your own judgements. Another book from another age, or as LP Hartley wrote - "the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there" (I'm sure I've written that before or meant to). The Overloaded Ark. The Overloaded Ark is one of his earliest excursions, if not the first, the book being written in 1953. Available on Compatible NOOK Devices and the free NOOK Apps. She knew that he could keep a company spellbound with his talk, and wondered why he couldn't present stories of his animal collecting to a wider audience. You can feel his bush-shirt sticking to his back . Catch Me a Colobus book by Gerald Durrell. It's a page-turner. Published on: 07-19-2017. On the whole, though, his sheer love of wildlife wins the day for me, a. Durrell's voice is winsome, I think, and a little wry, which to my ear dates more slowly than some other, more proper and ponderous nature writers. The Overloaded Ark is Gerald Durrell's hilarious and enthralling account of a trip to Cameroon to collect animals for Jersey Zoo. Re-reading recently brought back many of those memories, but also raised eyebrows. nonfiction, Africa, collection of animals, anecdotes, somewhat dated. Tweet. Most of us are familiar with the story of the global flood that Noah and his family survived by building an ark as […] 3 Min Read. 54 reviews. Synopsis Relates the author's experiences and adventures during a 6-month expedition in West Africa to collect specimens for his zoo. B-. English understatement for a bring-'em back alive expedition turns over quite a bit of fun as the author magicks the nuisances of collecting animals and birds (this done by his companion, coolly self-possessed John Yealland) for English zoos. It is the chronicle of a six months collecting trip to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - - that Durrell made with the highly regarded aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland. It is the chronicle of a six months collecting trip to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - (Dec 1947 - Aug 1948) - that Durrell made with the highly regarded aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland. Its combination of comic exaggeration and environmental accuracy, portrayed in Durrell's light, clever prose, made it a great success. The Overloaded Ark, his first, remains his funniest book. Great at describing flora/fauna of the west African jungle. Free shipping over $10. The Overloaded Ark, first published in 1953, is the debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. THE OVERLOADED ARK GERALD DURRELL And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 0571209335 9780571209330. zzzz. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. . One of the reviews on the back reads, “How seldom it is that books of this kind are written by those who can write!” I, too, love Gerald Durrell’s vivid writing. Debut novel by this author, and imho not quite as polished or as humorous as his later works. 4:58. Explore Now. New York, Viking Press. Durrell's account of his expedition to the Cameroons in West Africa in 1953, before Independence. This book helps paint a picture of what the forests of British Cameroon were like sixty years ago. It describes an expedition to the remote territory of the Cameroons in West Africa, before independence. HPB condition ratings. The Overloaded Ark by Gerald Durrell starting at $0.99. . Refresh and try again. GENESIS VII, 15 Page 2 GERALD M. DURRELL THE OVERLOADED ARK WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY Sabine Baur PENGUIN BOOKS IN ASSOCIATION WITH FABER AND FABER Page 3 Penguin Books Ltd., Harmondsworth, Middlesex The Overloaded Ark is Gerald Durrell's hilarious and enthralling account of a trip to Cameroon to collect animals for Jersey Zoo. Nobody could describe Durrell as a racist with any honesty, but his attitudes are still tainted by the prevailing attitude of the English at the time towards the Colonies, and this would quite rightly be considered racism 70 years later. While I cannot bring myself to like all this "collecting" animals for zoos business, Durrell's writing is just so honest and enjoyable. Until Tomorrow 12:22. I've seen other reviewers complaining about the use of pidgin and the colonial attitude evinced by the author, but it strikes me as perfectly accurate to the early 1950s. The narrator is warm and easy to find amusement in. Vem Kan Segla 1:24. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of. Clearly a book of its time; it would be nigh on impossible (and thoroughly illegal) to repeat the exploits described, and tipping workers with tobacco is hardly healthy! Overloaded Ark 11:11. Sham no umi 7:42. KIRKUS REVIEW. Durrell had married Jacqueline Sonia Wolfenden (Jacquie Durrell), 21, a music student, on 26 February 1951. Which I am realizing wasn't that much, looking at his bibliography. 'A … All superlatives. I've seen other reviewers complaining about the use of pidgin and the colonial attitude evinced by the author, but it strikes me as perfectly accurate to the early 1950s. It is the chronicle of a six-month collecting trip, from December 1947 to August 1948, to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - that Durrell made with aviculturist and ornithologist John Yealland. Pro Peccatis Suae Gentis - Nun Fanget An 3:09. This is the first of many books by Durrell, who writes in a very enjoyable style. WANT A NOOK? If you want a retro look into 1950's animal collecting this is the book for you. The Overloaded Ark appeared in 1953. Wonderful first book by Gerald Durrell - and one I remember reading many years ago as a boy with enormous pleasure. What does remain fresh is Durrell’s obvious love of nature and his winsome manner in passing these stories on to his readers. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. About this product In their space craft to float over the Ragnarok, Batoh and Helena play ark-dreams instead of ark-realities. Publication date. Veeery funny and entertaining book that depicts amazing landscapes, fauna, flora and is a white, occidental view on english-colonized Africa on the late 40's. They had a list from various zoos … It describes an expedition to the remote territory of the Cameroons in West Africa, before independence. NOOK Book (eBook - Russian-language Edition) $ 4.99. They also need to learn exactly what Gerry achieved. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers There are also parts about the trapping, keeping, and selling animals I find unsavoury but true to the times. The Overloaded Ark, his first, remains his funniest book. His very first book was The Overloaded Ark, and I had never read it, although I found that I own it! Topics. And it would have benefited from a little editing in places. Durrell, Gerald Malcolm, 1925-. Publisher. The book may be hard to find but if you take the trouble you will not regret your embarkation: The ship nosed its way through the morning mist, across a sea as smooth as milk. New: Item is brand new, unused and unmarked, in flawless condition. Durrell writes delightful stories about animals he has met, including birds, monkeys, bugs, and people. It was about two men who were collecting tropical animal specimens, [s], Jenny Lawson Talks Humor, Depression, and the Underrated Virtue of Kindness. [1], 'Gerald Durrell: a biography' Douglas Botting chapter eleven 'writing man'1951-1953, World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity as an Aid to their Survival, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Overloaded_Ark&oldid=934616369, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 January 2020, at 14:42. Synopsis Gerald Durrell, former director and owner of Jersey Zoo, is internationally famous for his books about collecting wild animals. Buy a cheap copy of The Overloaded Ark. The animals were great but perhaps this book is a little too British Empire for today's taste. Clearly a book of its time; it would be nigh on impossible (and thoroughly illegal) to repeat the exploits described, and tipping workers with tobacco is hardly healthy! The Overloaded Ark is a delightful, yet somewhat dated read. Jenny Lawson is the funniest person you know. One can feel the atmosphere of the. On a whim I picked up my parents' old paperback and gave it a read. However, as a simple tale of a naturalist collecting, it fulfils its job admirably. However, the anecdotes are delightful, his joy in nature is infectious, and the writing is beautiful, though nowhere near as well developed as in some of his later books. . Over the Luminous Land 10:34. GET WEEKLY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Email Address Subscribe. To see what your friends thought of this book. Definitely worth a read, and a great introduction to the rest of his work. His descriptions are lovely, painting the picture without wasting words or becoming uninteresting. Hilarious, wonderful, funny, pure explorer adventure. Wildlife. The Overloaded Ark has 3 available editions to buy at Half Price Books Marketplace Two main reservations: A wonderfully warm, amusing and entertaining tale of Gerald Durrell's first animal collecting trip to Cameroon, or British Cameroon as it was then known. Not in Library. The Bafut Beagles and A Zoo in My Luggage are sequels of sorts, telling of his later returns to the region. It launched Durrell's career as a writer of both non-fiction and fiction, which in turn financed his work as a zookeeper and conservationist. Their reasons for going on the trip were twofold: "to collect and bring back alive some of the fascinating animals, birds, and reptiles that inhabit the region," and secondly, for both men to realise a long cherished dream to see Africa. The BBC accepted the script, which he read, live, on the BBC Home Service the morning of Sunday 9 December 1951. The debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. As they collected, they had to build cages for the animals and feed and care for them which became a major part of their jobs. Be the first to ask a question about The Overloaded Ark. Gerald Durrell, director and owner of Jersey Zoo, was internationally famous for his amusing books about collecting wild animals. Three Singles to Adventure (American title: Three Tickets to Adventure) is the second book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell about trips collecting animals for zoos. THE OVERLOADED ARK 256. by Gerald Durrell. 1953. Relates the author's experiences and adventures during a 6-month expedition in West Africa to collect specimens for his zoo. Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. And how many species he is directly responsible for saving. Condition: Used - Good. As they collected, they had to build cages for the animals and feed and care for them which became a major part of their jobs. In fact, the British Empire is the only thing that mars this book. But still well worth reading, with many LOL moments. His elder siblings are, “As I watched the pulsing fire among the trees and heard the beat of the drum merge and tremble with the voices, forming an intricate pattern of sound, I knew that someday I would have to return or be haunted forever by the beauty and mystery that is Africa.”, SOLVED. Expedition in West Africa to collect animals for Jersey Zoo practices which can sometimes be wince.. 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