A real "Boy's Own" adventure - but Barefoot over the Serengeti is factual, not fiction. It is a unique and evocative tale of childhood adventure in a world that very few Europeans have experienced. Barefoot is a "must read" for anyone even remotely interested in Africa!
'Beating about the Bush' is the eagerly awaited follow-up to 'Barefoot Over The Serengeti', the tale of a young boy's life with the Masai, on the predator-rich plains of, what is now, the most famous game park on Earth. This book charts the life of David Read from the period of 1936 to 1952 in the colony of Tanganyika (modern day Tanzania), as he comes to grips with his first schooling, his move to the Lupa Goldfields and the onset of adult life. Caught up in the War he marches his regiment of Masai and Samburu warriors from Eritrea to Kenya before leading them via Madagascar to the jungles of India and Burma. After demobilisation he becomes a vetinary officer, and it is here that his childhood experience comes into its own, as he roams the African bush, gazetting East Africa's game parks, investigating ritual tribal murder and learning about the reclusive hunter-gatherer Ndorobo people. As a farmer, cattle dealer, hunter, aviator, fisherman, boat builder and author David had a unique quiver of qualifications. His heart and soul belonged to Africa, the place he never wanted to leave and the place he called home. In July 2015 David travelled his last safari accompanied by his family and hundreds of African and European friends
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TRAVELERS had crossed the Oregon Trail during the gold rush of 1849. Even the most backwoods warrior understood what that meant: disease, death, and conflict with the whites. As a result of the Treaty of 1851, some Indians were convinced that the country to the north—called Absaraka—might be a better option for a home range. At the very least, it held the promise of less trouble from the whites. The danger from other tribes was another matter.
Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe and their friends embark on an exciting counting adventure through the grasslands of Tanzania, discovering all different kinds of African animals as they count from one to ten.
SERENGETI: Those vast African grasslands where God poured out herds of wildlife to trek across the savannahs after the thunderous rains. He turned the full brilliance of the sun on the land for warmth. He then put people there and gave them cattle for their wealth and music for their joy. Hear the call of the birds, and smile as the children play Somewhere, a lion roars as the sun sinks below the horizon. Warm winds carry the smell of rain and the heady odor of human toil as a stew cooks over a charcoal fire. Human tragedy unfolds in slavery and disease. Strangers from other lands come, some to love and care, some to destroy, most without regard to the fragile Serengeti. Come with me and meet the many--both native and transplant--who live, love, and die in this magnificently brutal land.