Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

Wonderful story! I already had a great fondness for elephants and enormous respect for their intellect & the nature of their matriarchal family structure & bonding, but this book made that affection & respect even deeper! The book was written and published long before the current crisis in which we are witnessing the wholesale slaughter of these magnificent animals, so it provides no information in that regard, but that very fact, the lack of any political agenda at a time when none was needed, is why everyone should read it. We should read it if for no other reason than to simply learn more about elephants from a veterinarian who spent years living with and caring for them. Read about the female elephant who was accidentally blinded and cared for by her child who led her daily to water & food, just as she had once led him. Read about the tragic death of that young elephant and his mother's deep mourning. We all need to read stories like these written in an earlier age and think about the state of these same animals today. When I reflect on what is happening to elephants in India & on the African continent, I feel helpless and enraged. China is the primary market for the ivory that has led to the slaughter of these gentle giants, deaths motivated by greed. It is quite possible that elephants will disappear from the earth in this generation.This book and books like it should be required reading in our schools & China should continue to be brought to task daily for its' failure to do more than it currently does to protect these wonderful creatures!

Billy Williams returned from the Great War and desired nothing more than adventure in the company of elephants. Traveling to Burma and signing on with a British teak lumber concern, he got his chance. This is such a charming story! I'm usually not a reader of "charming stories" and the military history aspect of the book initially triggered the purchase. Actually, there's very little military history and absolutely no combat in the book. Having said that, I am glad I bought it and it really is an excellent read. James Howard "Billy" Williams entered Burma at what would be the end of the colonial era in which Great Britain ruled large patches of the globe. In Burma, Williams becomes an employee of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation and is immediately in contact with elephants and the experience affects him greatly. For a man who loves animals, working with these intelligent giants is a fascination and a joy. Williams becomes a "wallah" - an elephant expert who can treat elephant injuries, direct their work and comes to understand their thinking together with his Burmese workers. It's a window into a long-gone world and how British lived in the colonies. The book chronicles his adventures with the elephants, his Burmese workers, falling in love and marrying, being involved in the Allied war effort in the CBI (China-Burma-India) theater. Although his elephants did good work building bridges and leading refugees to India, barely escaping the clutches of the brutal Japanese, "Elephant Bill's" elephants were not vital or even important. But, it adds to the story itself. This is a tale of the jungle, of a man's joy in the wilds and among animals who always had the best interests of his elephants at heart. He established "academies" for young elephants rather than allow the calves of working, female elephants die. He established hospitals for injured elephants and showed the company that they didn't need to use cruel methods of capturing wild elephants. As I said, this isn't my usual read. Having said that, I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it with five stars.

After reading the NYT's review of Vicki Croke's Elephant Company, I was so intrigued that I ordered it right away. This is the true story of Col. James "Elephant Bill" Williams, an Englishman who, as a young WWI veteran, went to Burma to try his hand in the business of teak harvesting. The teak industry was not yet mechanized and relied heavily on the power provided by trained elephants. Williams had been an animal fancier since early childhood and was instantly enthralled by the huge beasts. To say that he developed a bond with them is to grossly understate the case. His ability to understand and communicate with elephants, his love of jungle life, and his leadership abilities combined to propel him to success as a manager of teak forests. His career development is tracked skillfully related by Ms. Croke. She has researched her subject well, and Williams' character and personality are brought to light vividly as she chronicles the events that led Williams to become "Elephant Bill.". As an added bonus, we learn a tremendous amount about elephants, their behavioral quirks, and their interactions with humans. With the advent of WWII, the story becomes downright thrilling. Williams serves the British forces in Burma in their bloody struggle against the Japanese. He is made their first and only elephant officer, given the rank of colonel, and allowed to form the company for which the book is named. The company's elephants are meticulously trained and cared for, and completely loyal to Williams. Harnessing their intelligence and great strength, Williams is able to construct log bridges for British forces with unprecedented rapidity. Finally, and against great odds, he and his elephants are able to effect the evacuation of a large number of British nationals, native Burmese, and ethnic Gurkas from Japanese-held territory, across hostile terrain, and ultimately into the safety of east India. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable man. While a life such as Williams provides a lot of "can't-miss" material, only a skilled author can do it justice. Vicki Croke has filled the bill admirably, and I highly recommend this book.

Vicki Croke's "Elephant Company" is a fabulous book that brings to life, J.H. William's deep and passionate relationship with the teak logging elephants of Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, and his exceptional contribution to the war efforts. During lashing monsoons, jungles of Burma become inaccessible, and the swollen rivers turn treacherous. The author has painstakingly researched and chronicled the formidable living and working conditions of both humans and elephants alike in the inhospitable Chindwin River belt. Elephant Bill's selfless service and sacrifice earned him so much respect, that during the Japanese occupation, he was able to lead herds of elephants, and weak and infirm refugees, hundreds of miles to safety in India, through uncharted and hazardous hill tracts. Author Croke took me back to my logging stint half a century ago chronicled in my book "An Elephant Kissed My Window". Reviewed in India by M. Ravindran.

Una storia bella vera e da insegnamento per la vita da tanti punti di vista. E mi ha presentato Burmania!

new york times best sellerと表紙に書いてあって、自分の興味あるジャンルの本は、ハズレを 引いた事がない。 殊に今回は、ホームラン。それも、満塁ホームランクラスの満足感があった。動物が好きなひと、ペットを 飼っているひと全員に勧めたい。登場人物が象を観察して、人間的にも成長するだけではない。 ＜人生に大切なことは象から学んだ＞と、言い切っている様子が、手に取るように分かる。 もしも犬より遥かに大きな動物を ペットに持てるなら、象を飼ってみたい。しみじみ、そう思わされた。

One of the best books I have read. A fascinating glimpse into the world of the relationship between working elephants and those who cared for them before and during WW2 in Burma. The story is based around a British man who went at a young age to learn the art of training and working with elephants in the teak trade. He formed an unusual bond with the elephants illuminating their intelligence and their bonds within their families and elephant friends as well as their trust of their gentle handlers. Also when the Japanese invade Burma and advance towards the small settlements, the hero of the story with some elephants are able to bring many Burmese and British families from Burma to safety in India. Often the elephants perform heroic measures to climb cliffs and escape from the approaching Japanese armies. The amazing part of the book was how the elephants faithfully followed the path of the courageous and clever elephant leaders through danger and unsurmountable challenges, saving many lives.

Sehr schnell und gut