All In A Lifetime

by Frank Buck, Ferrin Fraser

The autobiography of Frank Buck (1884-1950), the famed wild animal collector, showman, and movie star. Buck was made famous by his book Bringin 'Em Back Alive, which told tales of his animal exploits in Asia. It was eventually made into a movie starring Buck and a TV series starring Bruce Boxleitner.

The story follows his upbringing in Texas through his days as a small-time criminal/con artist in the midwest to his bellhop days in Chicago. He eventually applied his $3,500 in poker winnings to a bird-collecting expedition in South America. This effectively ended his first marriage, but opened up his lifetime love of animal collection. He set up a compound in Singapore to house his animals before shipping them to America.

Through his network of contacts, he would eventually hold positions with several World's Fairs, Zoos, and Circuses.

About the author

Frank Howard Buck (March 17, 1884 – March 25, 1950) was an American hunter, animal collector, and author, as well as a film actor, director, and producer. Beginning in the 1910s he made many expeditions into Asia for the purpose of hunting and collecting exotic animals, bringing over 100,000 live specimens back to the United States and elsewhere for zoos and circuses and earning a reputation as an adventurer. He co-authored seven books chronicling or based on his expeditions, beginning with 1930's Bring 'Em Back Alive, which became a bestseller. Between 1932 and 1943 he starred in seven adventure films based on his exploits, most of which featured staged "fights to the death" with various wild beasts. He was also briefly a director of the San Diego Zoo, displayed wild animals at the 1933–34 Century of Progress exhibition and 1939 New York World's Fair, toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and co-authored an autobiography, 1941's All in a Lifetime. The Frank Buck Zoo in Buck's hometown of Gainesville, Texas is named after him.

Reviews

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so fascinated by Bringin 'Em Back Alive that I had to read his autobiography, which I ultimately enjoyed even more. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. It is still filled with many one-off stories as with Bringin 'Em Back Alive, but gives many details about his upbringing and life in general in 1920's Asia. I heartily recommend this to anyone yearning for the sense of adventure that they lost in their adolescence. Fascinating read!