Behemoth

The History of the Elephant in America

Ronald B. Tobias

$19.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Harper Collins
24 October 2013

History of the Americas; Social & cultural history; Mathematics & Sciences

If the country’s official mascot is an eagle, then its unofficial mascot is the elephant. While the eagle soars above the head of the nation from a dispassionate distance, the elephant stands with his feet on the ground with simplest of wretches and the most powerful of men. The first elephant arrived aboard ship barely twenty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He toured the former colonies on foot from Maine to Georgia, appearing in front of a barn or a tavern, hidden by a canvas curtain, where people flocked to see him, paying the admission fee in cash, rum, or potatoes. Then they went home and told their friends and neighbors, I have seen the elephant.

Since then, the elephant has become an unparalleled symbol in the American imagination and a giant figure in our popular culture. As the number of elephants grew in the early 1800s, they ventured onto the frontier, and traveled to every state, territory, and possession in the Union. They worked clearing the land by pulling stumps, laid ties for new railroads, and hauled cargo in shipyards. In 1849, an elephant crossed the Rockies in search of gold in California. The elephant became a symbol of the horrors of the battlefield during The Civil War, and the emancipation of slaves became “Lincoln’s elephant.”

Just when excitement over the elephant began to wane, P.T. Barnum started to include them in his traveling caravans toward the turn of the century. Soon, elephants were performing Shakespeare and playing baseball, winning over the American public with their imposing yet gentle manner. In 1884, the famous Jumbo, whose name lives on in our daily lexicon, saved the Brooklyn Bridge from collapse. Elephants resumed their place in our culture, from Thomas Edison’s famous electrocution of poor Topsy to the CIA’s LSD-dropping Tusko in the 1960s, from D.C.’s political animals to Hollywood’s giant stars.

In Behemoth, Ronald B. Tobias, a natural historian and filmmaker, has written the first and only comprehensive history of the elephant in America. He traces the elephant from its first steps on our shores to its indelible footprint on our national culture, capturing our imagination and paralleling our own joy and suffering. Interspersed throughout this lively and fascinating chronicle are dozens of illustrations, posters, and news articles from the eighteenth century through the present, underlining the strength of elephant as an enduring symbol of the American experience.

By: Ronald B. Tobias
Imprint: Harper Collins
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 135mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 399g
ISBN: 9780062244857
ISBN 10: 006224485X
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 24 October 2013
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ronald B. Tobias is a Professor of Science and Natural History Filmmaking, in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University. He was a producer for the Discovery Channel for fifteen years and has produced, written, and directed over 30 films, many of which have appeared on PBS, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and the Travel Channel. He has seven Grand Prix and Gold Medals (Japan, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, and the United States) for his film work, including the Prix Leonardo (Italy) and a New York Times Critic's Best Pick. He was also a finalist for Best Documentary of the Year at the New York Film Festival. Tobias is a National Fellow at the Explorers Club.

Reviews for Behemoth: The History of the Elephant in America

Behemoth reveals in devastating detail the 200-year history of the elephant in America. . . . Ronald Tobias's meticulous research should encourage us to make the future for these animals a brighter, more respectful, and more caring episode. --David Hancocks, author of A Different Nature