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305th out of 615 books
—
943 voters
The Last Rhinos: My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures
When Lawrence Anthony learned that the northern white rhino, living in the war-ravaged Congo, was on the very brink of extinction, he knew he had to act. If the world lost the sub-species, it would be the largest land mammal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. In The Last Rhinos, Anthony recounts his attempts to save these remarkable animals.
The demand for rhino horns...more
The demand for rhino horns...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
July 3rd 2012
by Thomas Dunne Books
(first published April 12th 2012)
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As soon as I finished The Elephant Whisperer, I began eagerly awaiting The Last Rhinos. Then, when Lawrence Anthony passed away in March, my waiting became bittersweet. I knew that this would be the last time I would get to enjoy a new book by one of my favorite conservationists.
I expected that The Last Rhinos would, like Babylon's Ark and The Elephant Whisperer, focus on Anthony's work with endangered species and the day-to-day life of his South African wildlife preserve, Thula Thula. Instead,...more
I expected that The Last Rhinos would, like Babylon's Ark and The Elephant Whisperer, focus on Anthony's work with endangered species and the day-to-day life of his South African wildlife preserve, Thula Thula. Instead,...more
Well, first off there wasn't a whole lot of talk about rhinos and their predicament. The vast majority of the book was about what the author went through in order to get protection for some white rhinos with the help of the Lord's Resistance Army. Now, don't get me wrong, hearing about the whole Invisible Children and LRA dilemna from a different point of view was definitely very, very interesting to me, which is why I rated the book three stars. But I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get t...more
The Last Rhinos goes far beyond a story about rhinos. Lawrence Anthony, in his attempt to stop the northern white rhinos from going extinct, finds himself as an unlikely go-between trying to stop a war that has been raging in Africa for decades. The local government and the Lord's Resistance Army (one of the most dangerous and deadly group of guerilla mercenaries in the world) are attempting peace talks but no one really expects them to pan out. The LRA turns to Anthony to try to help them achie...more
I hesitated to give this book a high rating because it wasn't what I was hoping for: an account of the way intrepid humans saved a bunch of rhinoceroses, filled with charming anecdotes about rhino behavior. I don't know what I was thinking when I expected that, because I know the situation for all the rhino species is unspeakably dire. Co-author Graham Spence says he thought of calling the book "Blood Horn" and that might have been a more direct approach to indicate that this book is, at least i...more
My favourite conservationist, author. I think the book was a true reflection of a brave man and his fight to save a dying species, of the imbalance between nature and humans and how the breakdown in society effects nature. Like his other books Lawrence Anthony introduces people and events that often give us a different view on matters. For those introduced to Lawrence Anthony for the first time through this book, snippets of the previous books where included and it was great to get a short updat...more
I didn't expect much from this book, which perhaps affects my rating. And, as non-fiction, my rating isn't comparable to my fiction rating (Shadow of the Banyan). All that aside, this book was a treat, a wonderful surprise. A quick, easy read, it went beyond the conservation attempts to reveal the humanity of the hated Lord's Resistance Army. Anthony shows the reader, and reminded me, how complex issues are, that both sides of war are commit atrocities and both sides lie, cheat, follow their own...more
This is the third of Anthony's books that I have read. In Babylon's Ark, he related his experience during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, when he saved the animals in the Bagdad Zoo. Then there was Elephant Whisperer, in which he describes accepting a herd of "rogue" elephants from Zimbabwe gave them a home on his private Kwazulu-Natal game reserve, Thula Thula, in South Africa. Now comes The Last Rhinos, in which he travels to the war-ravaged Congo to save the northern White Rhino from extincti...more
This book wasn’t quite what I expected it to be, but still I enjoyed it, and am so sorry that the author died, not only because I will miss his books, but also because he was a man with many talents and a great conservationist. When Anthony heard that the white rhino population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was down to fifteen and in danger of extinction, he made every effort he could to bring the animals to a safer place. Unfortunately, red tape and politics sidetracked him until it...more
This book goes far beyond a story about rhinos. Lawrence Anthony, in his attempt to stop the northern white rhinos from going extinct, finds himself as an unlikely go-between trying to stop a civil war that has been raging in Africa for decades. The local government and the Lord's Resistance Army (one of the most dangerous and deadly group of guerilla mercenaries in the world) are attempting peace talks but no one really believes in the peace attempts. The LRA turns to Anthony to try to help the...more
I think that this is the best of Mr. Anthony's books. It shows good and bad, kindness, stupidity, love and hate. What happens when one person tries to help the world - oh, it helps. It speaks against the Asian communities that value rhino horn which is made of the same thing as hair and fingernails, yet some Asians believe it is the healer of all things including virility, which somehow some Asians believe is more important than saving a species. The money involved in a rhino horn is crazy. It's...more
This is the third book by Lawrence Anthony, and with his death in early 2012 it will sadly be the last. This book chronicles his efforts to save the northern white rhino from extinction. Efforts that took him deep into the jungle of the Congo to meet with some of the most notorious men on the planet. It's an amazing story, and rather awe-inspiring the lengths this man went to to save these animals. A word of warning though, the rhinos themselves appear very little in the book. It is more of a ch...more
This is truly an inspirational book and a must read for all animal lovers. Besides being focused on the fate of the Rhinos, this takes one into the heart of Africa and gives the individual a look at life from the African perspective. The insight into Mother Nature's creatures will give you pause to think and reconsider any thoughts you may have had that animals can't reason or have feelings. It is a sad state of affairs that our beautiful creatures are being eliminated from our planet when all t...more
A brillant follow-on book to Lawrence Anthony's best-seller "The Elephant Whisperer."
In this book Anthony continues to share stories about the happenings at his private game reserve Thula Thula. If the reader has read his first book, the continuation of the animal tales is an easy and enjoyable one.
He also talks about the plight of rhinos in South Africa who are being poached and pushed to the brink of extinction. His mission was spurred after the loss of Heidi, a rhino at Thula Thula who they...more
In this book Anthony continues to share stories about the happenings at his private game reserve Thula Thula. If the reader has read his first book, the continuation of the animal tales is an easy and enjoyable one.
He also talks about the plight of rhinos in South Africa who are being poached and pushed to the brink of extinction. His mission was spurred after the loss of Heidi, a rhino at Thula Thula who they...more
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After a rhino is poached for its horn on the grounds of Thula Thula, and the removal of three other rhinos from the reserve for their safety, Lawrence Anthony learns of the predicament of the white rhino population in the DRC. He is told that there are only 15 rhino left in the wild and he is determined to do what he can to protect the species from extinction. He puts together a plan and with resources and financial backing, approaches the DRC government officials for support only to be met wit...more
Roy read this first and said he would give it 5 stars Plus. It is the first book he ever read that took over his life, so he simply read and did nothing else for about a day and a half until he finished. We will see what happens when I get started - it is next on the pile.
It is hard to review this book without creating spoilers and usually I don't believe that there really are spoilers. Lawrence Anthony is a well-known South African conservationist who ran the Thula Thula reserve before his deat...more
It is hard to review this book without creating spoilers and usually I don't believe that there really are spoilers. Lawrence Anthony is a well-known South African conservationist who ran the Thula Thula reserve before his deat...more
I liked this book by accident. I bought it under the pretext that it was about rhino conservation but it turns out this book isn't really about rhino conservation. Or, should I say, not ONLY about rhino conservation. It's about a whole lot of other things besides. At times, I felt that Anthony was struggling to stretch the rhino part of the story out enough to fill a book and thus added in other stories but I enjoyed each and every one of them.
So I say, give it a go. Just don't expect it to be...more
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. This book will make you fall in love with animals. The beautiful descriptions create an ambiance of African delight. The book represents Africa at its best and worst. I learned so much from reading this book...politics in Africa and the conservation of animals. I've always had an interest in elephants, so I was excited to read a vast amount about them. After reading this book, I would love to read "The Elephant Whisperer."
An amazing story about one man's journey to save a beautiful animal from extinction. His descriptive writing brings the reader to the heart of the issues and he drives home the tremendous urgency for action in the saving of these animals. He was a courageous man, taking on communications with the dangerous rebel soldiers of the Congo. Read this beautiful and heartwarming story.
An extraordinary book by an extraordinary man. Shows what can be achieved if someone just follows the path in front of them wherever it leads. I learnt so much - about rhinos, about Africa, about the complexities of of trying to conserve animal and human life in this magical but highly challenged continent. A must read for anyone interested in conservation or Africa, or life.
Excellent story of the politics and red tape that bog down and sometimes totally hinder conservationist. Very sad that so many people absolutely don't care about endangered species. Especially frustrating is how the demand for such items as rhino horn has decimated this species- no amount of education or protection can triumph over the $$$$ and greed.
This book was not quite what I thought it was going to be about. I mean it was about rhinos but there was a whole section on the Lord's Resistance Army and then poaching and conservation generally. It was fascinating though and made me miss Africa badly. It is an interesting overview of life on a game reserve as well as the challenges of conservation and saving wild animals.
Another well written and easy read. Loved this book, as apart from the drive to save the rhino's and obvious love of animals... I enjoyed the information about the LRA. As this is something I have heard many one sided comments on...but appreciated the objective information from Lawrence's first hand experience.
It was very inspiring to read about the efforts Lawrence Anthony has gone to in his conservation battle. What an admirable goal in life. In the conclusion where his co-writer speaks of his death and about the discussion regarding the book's title, I have to say that I think a different title would have been more appropriate. What started out as an effort to save the white rhinos turned into so much more.
A well written book about trying to save the rhinos in Congo. It turned into politics but eventually got back to the point of trying to save the rhino, white rhino in particular. I can relate to this story as I have been part of Africa in my growing years. It took me right back there. Very well written.
This is an absolutely inspirational story of one mans question conserve one of Africa's most endangered species. There is a lot of information about the notorious LRA of Uganda and I found this, though more political than I would normally enjoy, extremely interesting. Lawrence Anthony manages to show them in an unbiased light and describes them as less violent as they are known for worldwide. This book is a must read for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation. It will pull at your heart...more
A poignant read...nothing goes as expected for Lawrence Anthony. Published after his death, this is more than just a nature book, it's a tale of politics and greed and the struggle to honor the commitment to be a good steward to God's creation, including the Rhino. I love books that cause you to look at the world in a new way and from an unexpected angle. This one succeeds beautifully.
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Like all of Lawrence Anthony's books, I highly recommend this one as well. It does stray from the conservation theme (saving the northern white rhinos) but provides a fascinating inside look at life and politics in some of the most violent and remote parts of Africa.
Several years ago, I visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park and took a safari tour, where I learned all about the plight of the northern white rhino. San Diego, along with a Czech zoo, has some of the few remaining northern white rhinos, as well as southern white rhinos. It's just heartbreaking to lose such a magnificent species in our lifetimes, and to know that it was most likely preventable. It's also heartbreaking to lose Lawrence Anthony's passion for saving animals to this world -- knowing...more
I think this wasn't finished before he died. Felt rushed & there was no resolution with the rhinos after all! Still a good read, and wonderful insights into all animals, but not as "pulled-together" as his first.
This story really didnt help my opinion of goverment policy and all of the hoops that you have to jump through to end up no where. It is so sad that we humans cant see how important the other species are to our Earth. Great book and sad that their are not more humans that are willing to go through what he did to help protect the great African wild life or any wide life that we are so insistant on killing off.
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“The children danced on. They were alive; that is all that mattered. They lived for the moment. They danced when they could, and died when they would.”
—
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Cheers, Tony
Nov 21, 2012 08:43am