Ghost of Tsavo Book

This is a book about man-eating lions. You may as well stop reading this review now, because can you really go wrong? I mean, even though the author went to Africa to work with researchers in the hopes of gaining scientific knowledge of the animals, is it wrong that my favorite parts were accounts of the man-eating itself?

Different researchers have different theories about the lions of Tsavo and they carry out careful experiments in an attempt to uncover answers. Are the mane-less lions of this region a separate species? Are they products of their environment, harsher than that of the Serengeti lions? Are they truly man-eaters by nature or is this just a backup plan for sick and injured individuals? These are the questions the author attempts to answer in his journeys.

Interesting stuff. Where the book falters, in my opinion, is when the author - an otherwise engaging writer - waxes on about the humility he feels in being out in the field and finding he's not the top predator in the food chain. It's a fair enough observation the first time, but after one too many wide-eyed discussions of it and references to god, it comes across as naive from someone who's a professional writer in his 50's. Has this man never gone outside before? Has it never occurred to him that other animals don't see as us as their lords and masters, but as chucks of meat? I don't think you have to face man-eating lions to experience this - I have felt like prey in California cougar country or encountering bears in the Shenandoah Valley. I will give him credit though in that towards the end of the book, he lets it be known that one of the researchers seems to be sick of hearing him talk about this. I hear ya.

Again, the best parts were the accounts of the lions actions. Their behaviors appear to be so...primate-like, so well thought-out and cunning. Makes you want to get into the lions heads.