{"product_id":"a-training-school-for-elephants-9780802164865","title":"A Training School for Elephants","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOut of a sidelined, colonial-era expedition in Africa comes a new history of cruelty, deception and adventure from the acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Pianos of Siberia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa's resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants--if only he could train them. And so he commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to the East African coast, where they were marched inland towards Congo. The ultimate aim was to establish a training school for African elephants.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing in the footsteps of the four elephants, Roberts pieces together the story of this long-forgotten expedition, in travels that take her to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania, and Congo. The storytelling brings to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, from ivory dealers to Catholic nuns, set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled. In an original weave of past and present, she digs deep into historic records revealing an extraordinary--and enduring--story of colonial greed, hypocrisy, and folly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSophy Roberts\u003c\/b\u003e is a British writer whose work focuses on the wild places from Papua New Guinea to the Congo. Her first book was \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Pianos of Siberia. \u003c\/i\u003eShe began her career assisting the writer Jessica Mitford, and trained in journalism at Columbia University. She regularly contributes to the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eConde Nast Traveler\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Atlantic Monthly Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51213359022354,"sku":"9780802164865","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f4b77f69-2cca-403c-b1d5-b8a193e624b4.jpg?v=1776157665","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-training-school-for-elephants-9780802164865","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}