The Shadow of Kilimanjaro - by Rick Ridgeway (Paperback)

About the Book

One of the world's leading climbers and co-author of "Seven Summits" chronicles his walk from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

In one of the most acclaimed travel and adventure books of the past year, Rick Ridgeway chronicles his trek from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean, through Kenya's famed Tsavo Park. His tale is, according to The Boston Globe, "a gripping account of how it feels to be charged by an incensed elephant and kept awake at night by the roaring of stalking lions." But it is more than an adventure story. The Los Angeles Times noted that "the pace of walking gives Ridgeway time to contemplate his great theme and the great men and women who have struggled with the conundrum of whether man can live at peace with the beasts." Ridgeway examines the effects of colonial expansion on the indigenous people, the landscape, and the animals, and contemplates the future for all of them.

From the Back Cover

In this widely acclaimed tale of adventure, renowned explorer and adventurer Rick Ridgeway takes us on a five-hundred-kilometer trek from the icy summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, across the famed Tsavo parks of Kenya, to the shores of the Indian Ocean. Here is a rare and pulse-quickening view of one of the last wild places on Earth, as Ridgeway and his party find themselves eyeball to eyeball with lion and buffalo, elephant and crocodile. But Ridgeway has more in mind than sheer adventure. Beyond the high drama of the walk itself, Ridgeway captivates the reader with the visceral excitement of the presence of the magnificent animals and his passionate cry for their preservation.

Review Quotes

"Rick Ridgeway is a graceful and engaging companion, and East Africa teems with danger, challenge, and excitement." --Bill Bryson, The New York Times Book Review

"Mr. Ridgeway's effort is to use his trek, which takes him from the ice fields of Africa's highest mountain to the Indian Ocean...as a starting point for reflections on history and nature." --Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

About the Author

Rick Ridgeway, one of the world's leading climbers and adventurers, is known through his writing, photography, and filmmaking. He is the author of three previous books, including Seven Summits with Dick Bass. He lives with his wife and three children in Ojai, California.