West with the Night in Around the World in 80 Books

Apr 02, 2016 Jim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: africa, womens-_studies, memoir, non-fiction, biography

Beryl Markham was an amazing woman, raised in Africa by her father after her mother tired of bush life and bolted back to England with Beryl's brother. Without any womanly interference, Charles Clutterbuck was able to let his daughter get a proper education in the Kenyan bush, tearing around the countryside barefoot and toting a spear, hunting with the nearby Nandi people. Hers was the world of hunting and horses with the odd bit of bookwork thrown in. Beryl clearly worshipped her father, and th Beryl Markham was an amazing woman, raised in Africa by her father after her mother tired of bush life and bolted back to England with Beryl's brother. Without any womanly interference, Charles Clutterbuck was able to let his daughter get a proper education in the Kenyan bush, tearing around the countryside barefoot and toting a spear, hunting with the nearby Nandi people. Hers was the world of hunting and horses with the odd bit of bookwork thrown in. Beryl clearly worshipped her father, and this is quite clear in her book.

In fact, there is little mention of anything but men in the memoir. Our heroine loved the things that are dearest to men and pursued these interests while remaining strictly a woman. That is to say that she did not try to become a man; she was content with being able to do the things that men could do while retaining a trace of her femininity. Her life experiences include being mauled by a lion, spotting for hunters (and rescuing those hunters from flood shortly thereafter), flying mercy missions in sparsely populated regions armed with a map and a Luger, and training race horses for wealthy clients. Oh, and she survived a plane crash...her own plane...after she flew it across the Atlantic.

I don't recall reading any passages where Markham complained that she was oppressed or held back by men. Quite the reverse is true; men instructed her and helped her develop the skills she required to accomplish what she wanted to do. Some things are noticeable for their complete omission from the book, and I found myself going online to get more information. It turns out that Markham was quite the amorous lady, but this side of her is not covered in her memoir ....at all! Another glaring omission is that the book does not have a single photograph, map or sketch, an almost inexcusable oversight as there must be scads of photos extant.

I have to admit to being quite smitten by Markham. I will be looking for another title featuring my heroine, perhaps one that is somewhat less bashful about listing her amorous escapades!

P.S. - 8 May 2017 In reading Straight on Till Morning: A Biography of Beryl Markham I'm learning that Markham very likely was not the fine person she put herself forth as in this book! In fact, she quite likely didn't write the book at all! Regardless, I still maintain that the book is exceptionally well-written and deserving of 5 stars, I'm just not sure to whom they should be awarded! ...more

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Feb 05, 2008 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: autobiographical, africa

Reading Markham is like a breath of fresh air. The world of training horses, Africa and airplanes is so deliciously foreign to me, I could have read 500 more pages. I found the writer to be undeniably feminine yet no-nonsense.

I would recommend this book to all my free spirited friends.

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Aug 03, 2007 Kay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, africa, audiobooks, favorites, biogr-memoir, exploration-adventure

There's controversy over who actually penned this book, some claiming that it was Markham's third husband, writer Raoul Schumacher. Even if that is the case (and I suspect that at the very least he had a hand in editing it), this is a lyrical and passionate book, and an unforgettable memoir. Read Markham's account of being the first to fly across the Atlantic against the wind and her memories of growing up in Africa. She seems to have packed more into one lifetime than any dozen of the rest of u ...more

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Aug 12, 2015 Oblomov rated it it was amazing

Shelves: want-to-read

Another addition to my strange people in strange places doing adventurous things bookshelf. Markham was raised as a child on her father’s farm in Kenya during the early years of the twentieth century. By the time that she was eighteen, she had hunted with natives, been mauled by a lion and had established a career as a successful race horse trainer. And then she saw a plane and knew that she wanted to be a pilot, so she trained, got her license, became a favourite pilot for great white hunters i ...more

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Jul 10, 2018 Aimee added it

"Flight is but a momentary escape from the eternal custody of earth." Beryl Markham had an absolutely fascinating life and she was an excellent writer. My favorite parts of the memoir are the tales of (often harrowing) wildlife encounters and the friendships she had in childhood. As she grows up, her continued bravery and willingness to defy gender norms and barriers is impressive and inspiring.

Unfortunately, looking at the life she was born into and then the choices she made as an adult from a ...more

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Nov 25, 2024 Andy Plonka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: src

Beryl Markham was one talented lady and this book tells you why.

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Nov 28, 2016 Jana rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

I enjoyed the stories of her childhood in Africa!

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Sep 15, 2011 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, travel, africa, audio

Sometimes you read memoirs that just plain make you jealous - not only was Markham's life an incredibly adventurous and interesting one, but her writing is absolutely luminous as well. Her stories of her life are so immersive and compelling (particularly her recounting of the racehorse Wise Child) that you feel as if you were standing next to her. This one has definitely made my list of all-time favorites. ...more

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