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Summary: A wonderful review in Men's Journal magazine (October 1998)
Review: "Rick Ridgeway is almost a legend among those for whom the statement 'life is an adventure' gets things backward. He's an old-pro mountain climber and explorer and documentary filmmaker, not to mention a very good writer . . . This is not yet another account of somebody's adding one more notch to the handle of all the fears he has conquered. The adventure part is almost an excuse for Ridgeway to think about the future of wildlife in one of the few spots on the planet where it's still possible to glimpse Eden . . . A surprisingly complex, excellent book."
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Summary: a journey far greater than from summit to sea
Review: "The Shadow of Kilimanjaro" is no superficial description of east Africa's game crisis. By getting inside the landscape and the men who have killed and cared for it's wild game, Ridgeway illuminates the 'why' of it all. He gives us the big picture by weaving together intimate portraits and, more importantly, lets that intimacy inform and change him in his journey from the summit of Kilimanjaro to the Indian ocean.Ridgeway does a great job of describing wildness beyond wilderness. He takes uncommon joy in stepping into a landscape where he is not necessarily at the top of the food chain and where the order of things is determined by the plants and the birds and the beasts. We share in that delicious, hypersensitive state of awareness that enhances our appreciation of the complete environment. Yes, it does feel different to be on their turf. Ridgeway looks at the depredation of east Africas game from the inside out. >From indigenous elephant hunters like the Waliangulu to the colonial whites who felt the larder could never be emptied, we begin to see the complex relationship between man and the wildlife he destroys. Ridgeway shows us how hunting, poaching, overpopulation, and the muddled politics of wildflife conservation, conspire to erase the glory of east Africa. Using humor, solid research and, above all, an obvious love of people, Ridgeway give us a compelling view of a complex problem. By letting the journey be his teacher Ridgeway takes us on a walk far greater than from summit to sea.
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Summary: "Whatever happens to beasts happens to man."
Review: Combining moments of danger with moments of profound introspection, mountaineer/explorer Ridgeway details his journey from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro through the Tsavo game reserves to Mombasa, a month-long journey on foot, which allows him to experience man's primal relationships with the environment. Traveling with an experienced guide, two members of the Kenya Park and Wildlife Service, and two sharpshooters (in case of life-threatening danger), Ridgeway follows dry riverbeds across the savanna, seeking "tactile knowledge of Africa's wildlands and wild animals."
Far more than a search for thrills, the journey offers Ridgeway an opportunity to observe breath-taking vistas and the full panoply of wildlife, from the elephant to the tiniest of birds, paying equal attention to all. Mourning the absence of once-plentiful animals from the bushlands near Kilimanjaro, and the decline of species elsewhere, Ridgeway contemplates the long-term effects of colonialism, big game hunting, poaching, traditional tribal values, climatic changes, and tourism, as well as man's seemingly innate tendency to kill certain species into extinction.
Ridgeway, long a hunter himself, is an engaging author, both observant and thoughtful. A great admirer of hunter-turned-game-park-adminstrator Bill Woodley, whose two sons from the Park and Wildlife Service are on the journey, he provides a sensitive and impartial treatment of conservation issues. Extolling the work of elephant researchers Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole, the latter of whom joins the group for part of the journey, he points out that they have acquired through study a kind of knowledge not available to hunters. Without preaching, he conveys "the big picture," making a compelling case for the fact that to preserve Africa's large mammals one must "fight fiercely not only to preserve, but even to expand, their wild habitat." Mary Whipple
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Summary: Best new book I've read on Kenya
Review: Having spent 2 months in Kenya in the last several years, I thought this book was, by far, the best I've read since Out of Africa. Well written, perceptive, accurate, a delight. Recommend to anyone who wants to know more about Kenya and wild life conservation.A masterful writer.
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Summary: My fantasy trip described in print!
Review: I found this book by accident and fell in love with it! All my life I have wanted to visit Africa and most recently realized I wanted to do this on foot. Mr. Ridgeway, I discovered, has taken my fantasy trip and written a beautiful description of it for me to enjoy. Even more than ever now I want to go to Africa and experience it firsthand. Great read!
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Summary: Much more than I expected
Review: I got this book as a present and thought would be just a nice one to add to my collection of adventure books. Not at all, Mr. Ridgeway has the right measure of literary writing, research and 'adventure', which I praise as something far from easy to find. My only criticism is that I find his focus on the late Mr. Woodley and his deeds sometimes too reverential. Nevertheless, a little masterpiece in his style. I will sure look for other books by Mr. Ridgeway!
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Summary: I was just there and this book makes me want to go back...
Review: I recently returned from Kenya and Tanzania where I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and went on a safari across the Seregenti and neighboring parks. Reading _The Shadow..._ has me longing to flee my desk job for good and head back to the wilds of Africa. The book brought back memories of the trip of a lifetime, from the icy cold of the oxygen-starved summit of Kili to the vast plains of East Africa and my only regret upon reading the book was that my safari was in a car -- an amazing experience, to be sure, but I envy Ridgeway his chance to experience Africa and its wildlife from the "real" perspective, the one man has always occupied... on foot and thus always on alert. The book is a must-read for anyone who has been to or is contemplating going to East Africa; Ridgeway does a great job of discussing the history of the region and, in particular, the precarious balance between man and beast. The history of the conservation movement and cast of characters Ridgeway introduces is a wonderful way to learn more about the area and the people and policies that shaped its development. It's the latter focus, however, that makes me recommend the book even to those who've never been and never will be to Africa, because Ridgeway's ruminations about the interaction between man and nature, about what wilderness means to mankind, and, unfortunately, what mankind is doing to the last pockets of true wilderness that remain strike a chord that reaches far beyond the scope of his 250-mile walk. As he points out, North America once was "another Africa" with megafauna roaming wild just as the elephants and buffalo still do in Africa and, if we're not careful, the African wildlife may well go the way of all the large wildlife which mankind has driven to extinction. In one sense, it's a rather depressing book because at the same time I found myself caught up in the excitement, reliving the adventure and planning my next safari, there's a faint undercurrent of despair, as Ridgeway visits the Waliangulu tribal village and finds their way of life disappearing, as he roams through the Rhino Free Range Area where the nearly-extinct black rhinoceros population is protected. But, as Ridgeway quotes "To despair of the entire situation is a reasonable alternative. But the unsatisfactory thing about despair is that besides being fruitless, it's far less exciting than hope." The excitement, and even the hope, of this seasoned adventurer shines through throughout _The Shadow of Kilimanjaro_ as he strides through one of the earth's last truly wild places.
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Summary: When is the video coming out?
Review: I was fortunate enough to have been a safari guide in Kenya for a year and have met and known many of the characters in this wonderful book. Mr. Ridgeway has covered many of the complicated issues about conservation in the Tsavo area and on a larger scale East Africa. I salute his knowledge and thirst for learning more about this wonderful region of Africa.
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Summary: A unique perspective on the history of Kenya's wildlife.
Review: Rick Ridgeway brings a unigue perspective to the history and the present problems which face the country of Kenya and its wildlfe. Although the authors thoughts and comments occur during his "hike" through Keyna from the top of Kilimanjaro, Tsavo east & west n.p., to the Indian Ocean, this is more than just a travel book. We are introduced to many of the historic persons who shaped what is currently the national park system in Kenya. We are also introduced to those who presently hold important positions within this system. The book provided an excellent discussion of the important issues in regards to the balance of nature/wildlife, economic concerns, and the local peoples. I found the discussions of the Waliangulu (elephant people) an excellent example of the problem which not only faces Kenya but other parts of Africa as well. For those with interest in this part of the world, this book provides a refreshing point of view.
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Summary: A unique perspective on the history of Kenya's wildlife.
Review: Rick Ridgeway brings a unigue perspective to the history and the present problems which face the country of Kenya and its wildlfe. Although the authors thoughts and comments occur during his "hike" through Keyna from the top of Kilimanjaro, Tsavo east & west n.p., to the Indian Ocean, this is more than just a travel book. We are introduced to many of the historic persons who shaped what is currently the national park system in Kenya. We are also introduced to those who presently hold important positions within this system. The book provided an excellent discussion of the important issues in regards to the balance of nature/wildlife, economic concerns, and the local peoples. I found the discussions of the Waliangulu (elephant people) an excellent example of the problem which not only faces Kenya but other parts of Africa as well. For those with interest in this part of the world, this book provides a refreshing point of view.
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