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Eyelids of Morning: The Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men
This book documents the crocodile's profound influence on the native people of Africa as reflected in their myths, symbols, and everyday lives--and the devastating impact that these people, as well as hunters, explorers, and developers, have had on the crocodile's existence.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 30, 2021
Large picture books like these are as much a thing of the past as the photographed creatures within. The writing is excellent, and the photography is captivating and frightening, depending on the landscape and topic.
They killed 500 crocodiles for a “study.” What did they truly learn that warranted the slaughter of all these crocodiles? I don’t know.
I like his ending note, though, that they learned more about themselves during the journey than, perhaps, anything else.
The geographic contribution alone makes this book worth reading as such times and lands and even peoples have slipped into oblivion where they can never be known again.
They killed 500 crocodiles for a “study.” What did they truly learn that warranted the slaughter of all these crocodiles? I don’t know.
I like his ending note, though, that they learned more about themselves during the journey than, perhaps, anything else.
The geographic contribution alone makes this book worth reading as such times and lands and even peoples have slipped into oblivion where they can never be known again.
June 14, 2019
I read this book when it was first published in 1973. It had come across my desk to be catalogued for the university library where I worked. It blew my mind and changed my life. It was the first book I ever saw that integrated wildlife biology, mythology and art,
people living as what I can only describe as equals on a harsh landscape. I had never heard of wildlife biology, conservation, environmentalism -- never before rejected the historic depiction of animals as dangerous beasts -- but all of these became my truths from that moment on.
people living as what I can only describe as equals on a harsh landscape. I had never heard of wildlife biology, conservation, environmentalism -- never before rejected the historic depiction of animals as dangerous beasts -- but all of these became my truths from that moment on.
October 19, 2020
This is the best book on African Crocodiles I have ever read. Alistair Graham narrates it but the photos from Peter are both gruesome and awesome at the same time. These giant lizards eat an unknown number of people in Africa even today when records of such things are not kept up with and the remote villages are still remote. Excellent book don't get in the water.
October 17, 2014
Job 41:18 By his sneezings a light flashes, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning, of Leviathan
Alistair Graham was a young biologist AND (as far as I am concerned) a hotdog adventurer when he became involved in a project putatively designed to better understand the Nile crocodiles. So . . . off he goes to Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolf) to catch and slaughter 500 crocodiles (about 4% of the population), weigh and measure the contents of their gut as well as the animals themselves, then skin them and sell the hides to pay for the project. And this was a wildlife management project. This is part of the history of wildlife management in African countries. I was grossed out by the lurid nature of Graham's narrative, his over-arching ego, and the photos of those dead crocs. Peter Beard was the photographer. This was in 1967-68 when the world population was around 3.7 billion humans and there were 12, 439 crocodiles making their living on Lake Turkana. Today, Lake Turkana is severely over fished, the people are armed with AK-47s because of ethnic strife, rivers are being dammed, etc.
This book gave me insight into a way of thinking that seemed to have prevailed in some corners of the world of wildlife management nearly 50 years ago. Yes, the crocodile is a man eater, but our species eats everything, including Planet Earth at this point. As far as I’m concerned, this book is infamous. To quote another adventurer: “And so Alistair Graham, crocodile biologist and author of the famous book Eyelids of Morning, arrived in Port Moresby. With plenty of hands- and feet-on experience in Africa, where he grew up, Alistair was the perfect ‘no worries’ man for the job. It was the others with him, who had to do the worrying. He thrives on close escapes. Over the next two years, we were often in tight situations together and while he seemed maddeningly nonchalant, I would be wondering “what the hell am I doing here?’” From Crocodile Fever: Wildlife Adventures in New Guinea by Romulus Whitaker (1998)
Alistair Graham was a young biologist AND (as far as I am concerned) a hotdog adventurer when he became involved in a project putatively designed to better understand the Nile crocodiles. So . . . off he goes to Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolf) to catch and slaughter 500 crocodiles (about 4% of the population), weigh and measure the contents of their gut as well as the animals themselves, then skin them and sell the hides to pay for the project. And this was a wildlife management project. This is part of the history of wildlife management in African countries. I was grossed out by the lurid nature of Graham's narrative, his over-arching ego, and the photos of those dead crocs. Peter Beard was the photographer. This was in 1967-68 when the world population was around 3.7 billion humans and there were 12, 439 crocodiles making their living on Lake Turkana. Today, Lake Turkana is severely over fished, the people are armed with AK-47s because of ethnic strife, rivers are being dammed, etc.
This book gave me insight into a way of thinking that seemed to have prevailed in some corners of the world of wildlife management nearly 50 years ago. Yes, the crocodile is a man eater, but our species eats everything, including Planet Earth at this point. As far as I’m concerned, this book is infamous. To quote another adventurer: “And so Alistair Graham, crocodile biologist and author of the famous book Eyelids of Morning, arrived in Port Moresby. With plenty of hands- and feet-on experience in Africa, where he grew up, Alistair was the perfect ‘no worries’ man for the job. It was the others with him, who had to do the worrying. He thrives on close escapes. Over the next two years, we were often in tight situations together and while he seemed maddeningly nonchalant, I would be wondering “what the hell am I doing here?’” From Crocodile Fever: Wildlife Adventures in New Guinea by Romulus Whitaker (1998)
September 6, 2008
This is a fantastic book about a couple of guys studying crocodiles. What a project! Great photographs & great stories about local legends, lore and personal experiences. I particularly liked the photo of the foot taken out of a croc's belly.
October 23, 2008
My favorite book of all time. Controversial, etc. etc.
Read
November 30, 2008one of the best things about this book is the subtitle: the mingled destinies of crocodiles and men. the pictures by peter beard aint so bad either.
Want to Read
June 7, 2012Recommended by JM.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews