Born Wild: The Extraordinary Story of One Mans Passion for Africa by Tony Fitzjohn

Born Wild: The Extraordinary Story of One Mans Passion for Africa Reviews

• 
  Ashes

  I have great respect for Tony and his work; thanks to him, George Adamson's legacy lives on.
  
  It is, to an extent, a continuation of George and Joy's story after
  Born Free, up until their deaths. It also picks up where
  A Lion Called Christian ended. When George was killed and Tony moved to Mkomazi (about halfway through the book, where his story of George's lions ends), Gareth Patterson adopted three lion cubs left in Kenya (George's lions), which he describes in
  Last of the Free.
  
  But back to Born Wild. As much as I couldn't put the book down for about 150 pages, the last couple of chapters read like an overlong acknowledgements section. I understand there were a lot of people involved, but at some point it's just too much info.
  
  I'd prefer to read more about the lioness Jipe, for example, than about Fitzjohn's countless friends. Why not devote one of the last chapters to her? But no, it's more important to keep telling us how woderful their benefactors are. We read that Jipe was like part of the family. Great. But how are we supposed to feel anything when we read about her death if she was mentioned in passing, squeezed somewhere between "this person helped a lot" and "that friend helped a lot too"?
  
  Tony's time with George and the lions (and the leopards) is the reason why this book gets 4 stars. It's well written and interesting, but I still can't get over all the names one has to wade through to get to the story parts. And it's hard to skim through it, too, because it's all woven into the story. Clever. Infuriating, but clever.
• 
  Waven

  I absolutely loved this book. Which really surprised me, as I'm not that interested in big game or Africa. I used to watch TV programs on the Serengeti, but after a while they seemed rather too much alike, and less than inspiring. The same cannot be said for Tony Fitzjohn's memorable tale.
  
  We meet Tony - page 1, paragraph 1 - being attacked by a lion. In the process of being killed by a lion, actually. And then saved with the help of another. It is a fitting beginning for the story of a man who spends much of his life in wild places, fighting very hard to keep them intact against ruthless predators that make even the most vicious lion look like a housecat. But his story begins in the outskirts of London, and during a bout with typhus he discovers a book that opens the potential of a distant continent: Africa.
  
  It's years before he finds his way there, and years more before he finds his home there, but once he does the effect is profound. "From the moment I arrived I knew that this was it. This was how I wished to live my life." And so he does, despite bad food and constant danger and back-breaking work, despite deep-seated government corruption and steady harrassment and heart-breaking loss. With often little more than blindly dogged determination, Tony Fitzjohn plows ahead "one step at a time," an invaluable lesson learned from his boss and mentor George Adamson.
  
  Salman Rushdie once wrote, "To understand just one life you have to swallow the world," and Tony Fitzjohn helps the reader swallow a significant piece to understand the Africa he knew. From George Adamson's remarkable respect for the animal kingdom - which plays a huge role in Tony's life - to the story of newly independent Kenya, socialistic Tanzania, and the bleeding strife of Somalia. Ethiopia, Yemen, the US and USSR are all important, essential, in understanding the challenges Fitzjohn and his associates face, their influences told with honesty and feeling. But this book is about more than lions and rhinos, paper-pushers with ill will and grazers with nowhere to go; it's about a small and dedicated group of people doing what they know is right in the face of enormous obstacles.
  
  And through it all, it's clear Tony Fitzjohn only loves Africa more. His incredible passion to help it realize its potential is infectious. Reading Born Wild makes me want to go out and change the world, or at least help those who are. Which is probably the best sign of just how touching and powerful this book is. For the first time ever I can say don't trust the blurbs ... because the book is even better than they claim.
• 
  Elie

  I should write, straight-up, that I've met and drank beers with Tony and that I watched Born Free again and again before moving to Kenya at a tender age and falling helplessly in love with it. That said, Born Wild is about as straightforward of a memoir as you're likely to get. It's choc full of name-dropping of East African dynasty families and wildlife conservation professionals, which slows it down and might put you off a bit, but the stories -- one involving a lioness leaving her cubs for Tony to babysit while she goes hunting -- are world class. As a fellow manager of independently-minded projects in Africa, I relished the parts where Tony writes about his management style the most--how he sets up a project, keeps things organized and people learning and motivated, and how his patience and persistence can solve the most intrangible of bureaucratic and political hurdles.
• 
  Pamela Barrett

  Tony Fitzjohn was a bad boy, drinking and carousing his way through life—not really knowing what to do with himself. Adopted as a baby, later a Boy Scout with mischievous tendencies; he once became infected with Typhus when someone dared him to drink out of a dirty puddle. While recuperating, he read Tarzan and it inspired a life long love of Africa. That desire to visit Africa, got him there in 1968, and he bummed around taking odd jobs and barely surviving until he met George Adamson in 1971. While most people knew of George and Joy Adamson from Joy’s book and movie Born Free about George’s work with the lions in Kenya, it was George’s autobiography Bwana Game that inspired Tony to seek him out.
  
  Adamson’s camp, Kampi ya Simba, is in Kora Kenya and from his first day there Tony never wanted to leave. The animals in Kora National Park, were being hunted into extinction, elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns were slaughtered by Somali poachers. George, his brother Terence, and Tony worked hard to restore the area, with some government and local help, but for every victory there was heartache and increasing violence. As much as many people believed in Kora and the reintroduction of the animals, there were just as many people corrupted by money, who would look the other way when it came to hunting and poaching. There were more than a few who outright lied; causing trouble that in the end would cause Tony to leave the place and animals he loved, to start over in Tanzania. No longer working with the lions and leopards in Kora he would go onto Mkomazi National Park and build a Rhino Sanctuary, along with reintroducing African Wild Dogs back into an area where they had been decimated.
  
  This memoir not only is an amazing look at one man’s life, but it looks deep into the history of Africa and it’s wildlife during this troubling time. The day I finished reading Born Wild the nightly news splashed pictures of piles of elephant tusks that had recently been confiscated from poachers in Kenya, and I felt such sadness and frustration that the killing continues. I’m thankful that there are people like Tony Fitzjohn that have brought us awareness of the devastation, and who have worked hard to show us the way to help things change. Now if we could just stop the slaughter before it’s too late.
  
• 
  Tove R.

  At first I thought this was going to be a sarcastic book about a young alcoholic British man who simply couldn‘t figure out his life. There are too many of these books. But, In this case I knew this man would grow up and do wonderful things saving lions, leopards, dogs and rhinos in Kenya and Tanzania. I respect people like him more than anything and I wish people would keep on reading these books!
• 
  Joanne

  An interesting read if you can skim. Work with the lions is interesting , as are the political struggles faced in country surrounding preservation. The skim part are all of the names of politicos and government folks that are part of his story but not retainable and often unpronounceable. This man gave it all up to help the lions. He is a saint for wildlife in Kenya and Tanzania. This book took me a long time to read due to some denser material. Again, I read this book prior to my trip to Africa. Good research!
• 
  Erika

  I didn't like the voice in this book. I was fed up by the arrogance by the end of the first third. I skimmed the interesting parts to the end.
• 
  Mansoor

  Amazing book. What a great service these people have done for conservation. They have left their personal lives and beautiful country the UK to serve the most endangered species of Africa. Living life in remotest, untouched, unknown, dangerous, un contact able places in Africa is not easy, especially for a westerner. Mr George and Mr. Fitzjohn etc have done an amazing job for all the people to be proud of. So many animals have survived on their efforts.
  This book "Born Wild" is an insight into their extremely difficult job as "introducers of caged or orphaned animals successfully into the wild". The struggle and watch they invested for animals is truly commendable.
  The book deals with Mr. Fitzjohn's life when he came to Kora where Mr. George Adamson was involved in conservation, their efforts in introducing animals into the wild, their difficulties, happy moments, sorrowful moments like Adamsons death to legal hurdles in Africa regarding conservation, brutal killings of animals, people, corruption. I can speak a lot about this book of invaluable experiences of Mr. Fitzjohn. If you are wishing to read or buy, dont have a second chance and just start reading.
• 
  Michelle Padley Masson

  What an engrossing timeline of information from Kenya, the quest to re-introduce lions back into the wild, and Tanzania, with the quest to save the wild dog and rhino population. Tony Fitzjohn's style of writing is entertaining to the point I didn't feel as though I were reading a biography. I want to continue to read more of the stories he has to tell.
• 
  Shane

  Great for "Born Free" fans who are interested in the social, political, and economic aspects of wildlife conservation - even though I was most interested in Fitzjohn's vivid descriptions of working with lions, cheetahs, and other wildlife.
• 
  Brittany Paterson

  So the reason I gave this book a crappy review is because overall, it wasn’t that exciting or well written.
  
  I have much love for Tony, and mean no disrespect, but it is his first book; And it shows. I feel like the chapters don’t really matter, and the timeline is all over the place. I was almost constantly getting confused with who was doing and at what point they were doing it.
  
  Another reason of why I was significantly disappointed, is because I picked up this book for reading about the adventure with the lions - Which, of course, the book DOES talk about, but only for roughly half of it. The other half is the (boring) politics and drama of being a conservationist in today’s world and dealing with those said challenges.
  
  Overall, I struggled to continue reading it, and had to actually force myself to finish it, which is not great to have to do with easy-reads. 😕
• 
  Tonya Mitchell

  As cat crazed as I am I had to read this! The love and respect for big cats so infectiously pours from this rugged account of early conservation efforts even from the puncture wounds of a near lethal lion attack.
• 
  Marlene Way

  Not an easy read or maybe it was the writing that was not compelling enough for me. I struggled with the first couple of chapters and jumped around after that.
• 
  John Ulferts

  Tony Fitzjohn - A Lion of a Man
  
  This is an incredible book written by a brave man. The world needs more men like George Adamdon and Tony Fitzjohn. There must be a special place in Heaven for conservationists like them who risk it all to help save our endangered planet. At a time when we are losing so much diversity, these men are true heroes.
• 
  Strona po stronie

  
  (recenzja po polsku) Autobiography of Tony Fitzjohn, an Englishman who found the meaning of life among the lions in Kenya. Also, the story of modern wildlife conservation in Africa - full of struggles and setbacks. Well summarized by Churchill's quote: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Definitely worth reading.
• 
  Tracy

  Wow! This book was a ride into the African wilderness. I love the big cats and always wondered what happened to Elsa in "Born Free" - the movie.
  
  It starts by telling how Tony just knew that he wanted to go to Africa after reading "Tarzan" from an early age. He gets to Africa in a relatively short time but doesn't meet George Adamson (the husband to the woman featured in "Born Free" that raised Elsa, the lion)until later.
  
  I felt like I was there while the action was happening all around me. All emotions will be felt in this book. I had to laugh out loud when some things happened, like when Tony explained how they had to fix a flat tire (roll the vehicle onto two wheels to loosen the bead, take a tire iron to pry off the tire, fix the tube, reinstall the tire, then use a foot-pump to fill the tire with air!)Picture doing that a few times a week - if not daily because of the thorny trees around.
  
  The front of the book has territory maps and even a family tree of the lions he had at the camp.
  
  I found the whole story very fascinating. Much information about lions (and a few other animals) was peppered throughout the book. I am one of those people who would love to open up a wild cat sanctuary so I fell in love with Kamp de Simba as Tony told us of its intimacies. The writing is fluid and natural with good pacing.
  
  Anyone who loves wildlife of Africa and a good adventure will love this book.
• 
  Amanda

  Tony Fitzjohn never quite fit in in England or the middle class existence he was adopted into at a young age. By his early 20s, he was roaming around Africa, and eventually found a job with George–the elderly Englishman famous for his belief in reintroducing lions into the wild whose efforts were chronicled in Born Free. In his biography, Tony accounts the steps in his life that led up to his assistantship with George, the two decades he spent learning from him in Kenya, and the efforts he himself has made in Tanzania’s parks.
  
  Although Tony's memoir can periodically be a bit dull when he's naming names or talking about politics or the way the trust is run, when he's talking about the animals, his passion and understanding of them completely wipes any boredom away.
  
  Tony is the type of person who I doubt I'd like very much in person (although maybe I would now that he's older, young Tony was a bit of a....party boy). However, I respect and admire him very much.
  
  His book gets the message across that we are stewards of the animals; we are here to protect them, not use them, in a subtle, beautiful way. I think a lot of people who read this book will come away with that new understanding without even really realizing it.
  
  Overall, I recommend this memoir to nonfiction lovers with a passion for Africa, environmentalism, or animal rights.
  
  Check out my
  full review.
• 
  Naomi

  It really surprised me that I hadn't hear of Tony Fitzjohn before reading this book. I'm a fan of George Adamson and his work with lions in Africa, but apparently I was completely unaware of the full scale of the project that blossomed from having those first few lions at Kampi ya Simba.
  
  The book itself is very interesting. It's impossible to truly express the loveliness of East Africa unless you've actually been there. I'm sure that it's my personal experiences in the brief time I spent in Tanzania gives me a special sort of connection with those you have and still live and work there.
  Tony Fitzjohn really doesn't hold anything back in this book. Although it can appear dull at times, the seemingly endless list of setbacks and stalls that he and his team faced are a side of conservation work that people rarely see or comprehend. At times the narrative gets a bit jumbled with names of people and places that haven't been properly introduced but this doesn't break the flow of the story too much.
  
  I can't appreciate the amount of motivation and passion held by men such as Tony and George Adamson. Their friends were murdered, their animals shot and killed, the government turned against them and still they never faltered in their desire to reach their goal. A truly inspirational tale.
• 
  Vincy

  Not an easy read. I loved Born Free and I have loved quite a few other books about people and their relationship with animals. The parts of this book that were about the animals, those were the intriguing parts. I suppose if I was interested in geography and setting, this would have been a more entertaining read for me. Fitzjohn goes on at length to describe the way things looked and the way they've changed over the years. But this just didn't grip me.[return][return]Parts of the story were immensely interesting. I loved hearing about Fitzjohn's relationship with Freddie, for example. I didn't so much care about the boozing. Or the roads in Kora. [return][return]I found myself wishing there was an abridged version, like Les Miserables (where I avoided the long winded descriptions of Paris's sewer system). This man has led a very interesting life and I bet he's a wonderful oral storyteller. The book, however; was dry and left much to be desired.
• 
  Lulu

  It was a pure delight to read about Tony Fitzjohn, whom I have never heard of before. I was glad to read about his life, how he got started in conservation in Africa, and so much more. Some parts of it were exceedingly slow, but when he describes and talks about some of the animals (especially Squeaks and Bugsy), I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. It was simply adorable. The photos add a nice bonus too. I liked reading about his experienced and I even went "aww" when one of the lions (Freddie I think) even defended him from another lion that attacked him! I would love to do volunteer work and get a chance to meet Tony and his wife and family. In his writing, I felt for him and ached when he explained about deaths of people he was close friends with and even the creatures he cared for. Once again, I love reading these types of books and it definitely transported me away from boring old Texas to the volatile but wonderful Africa.
• 
  Era

  An excellent work about some truly extraordinary experiences. As someone who rarely reads biography, my only complaint about this work was the sheer amount of information given in passing--names, places, etc.--that are mentioned and left without enough of an explanation to show me their significance. Other than that, I found this work wholly engaging. Fitzjohn's work in Africa is truly phenomenal on so many levels. Descriptions of his personal one-on-one work with lions is just as astonishing as his overall fight to protect and honor Africa's wildlife. The narrative is very powerful, and Fitzjohn's voice comes through personally. I was given the impression that I was actually in the room with him, listening to him tell me about his experiences. Overall, a very enjoyable work that I feel blessed to have stumbled upon.
• 
  Katie

  I liked this book but ended up feeling like I was the wrong reader for it. Tony Fitzjohn has a very personal and informal narrative style, like he's just talking to you, which can be both good and bad -- it's intimate and engaging, but there's not a lot of explanation or back-story involved. I had unfortunately only vaguely heard of George Adamson before reading this book, and I knew almost nothing about his lion project and even less about his life, and I feel like this lack of knowledge hurt my understanding of this book. At times it felt almost like it should be a supplement to an Adamson biography; Fitzjohn assumes you know much (about the history and politics of Kenya and Tanzania as well) and doesn't fill in a lot of blanks for you. Ultimately, though, his life is a fun adventure to read about -- I just wish I'd gone into it more prepared.
• 
  Ashley

  This is a remarkable story, and very interesting. All about the grand, adventurous, rough life of Tony Fitzjohn as he helps the most beautiful, remarkable animals in Africa who are endangered. He lives with and meets amazing people, accomplishes what many will never in a lifetime, and saves many animals only from the kindess, and wild spirit of his. A endless journey of living with dangerous, yet loving creatures, fighting to protect them, and living on edge. I truely love this story and hope many people enjoy it as much as I have :] "Born Wild" is a great read, a great adventure, and a great motivator. It should help everyone realize why animals are so important to this Earth and how only one man/woman can realy make a big difference!!
• 
  Sibel Hodge

  This is a truly amazing story of courage, love, triumph, and sadness as Tony Fitzjohn carries on George Adamson's great work in rearing lion cubs back into the plains of Africa. Despite the numerous challenges he faces, his courage and compassion really shine through in this book. Heartfelt and emotional, this book will make you smile and cry and touch your heart. Change has to start with awareness, prevention, conservation, and protection, and this book highlights the plight of the troubling events African animals face at man's hands. Anyone with interest in big cats, conservation, and a love of wildlife should read this book.
• 
  Marta

  I love the stories of George Adamson and his lions. I love the descriptions of the landscapes, animal behavior, and funny everyday life he led among them. That's why I found it particularly disturbing to find out that the second half of the book focuses mainly on the bureaucracy and red tape of maintaining Kora and the other parks working. Each and every person that appears even for a second is mentioned by her full name and profession, which is also quite annoying. I mean hey, I started off reading a book about animals and end up reading about every single document that needed to be signed? Do not like.