In this magnificent book, Bartle Bull charts the history of the African safari from the first great expedition of 1836, when Cornwallis Harris crossed the Transvaal with an ox-wagon, to the guides of today, carrying on the tradition in the swamps of Tanzania and the forests of Ethiopia. Capturing the timeless beauty of the African bush, Bull tells of the men and women who made this land their home from Frederick Courtenay to Beryl Markham, the legendary expeditioners who brought fame to the safari; from Teddy Roosevelt to the Prince of Whales, and the native Africans who made the adventures possible.

An active environmentalist, Bull examines the ethics of hunting and the apparent dilemma of the hunter-conservationist. Against a rich background of tribal and colonial history, he documents developments in weapons and transport, in literature and film, in game control and conservation, and conveys the attraction that has never changed--the magical freedom of the African bush.