Languid and lush, this “outdoor” memoir of growing up, becoming a horse trainer, then aviator, in Africa is an redolent of the jungle as Hemingway is Languid and lush, this “outdoor” memoir of growing up, becoming a horse trainer, then aviator, in Africa is an redolent of the jungle as Hemingway is to the dry earth of central Spain. Beryl always adds an extra adjective into the frame. Perhaps to fool the reader into believing this work dug deep.
It doesn’t. It’s the tale of ground, then air, but never both. So much for the jungle’s triple canopy. And Markham says nothing about her (thrice married) personal life. A line about a marriage might have clarified the relationship between Beryl and her (necessarily) male peers.
Read it for a view into an Africa from its childhood, and—back when “gay” still meant gay—lovely prose....more
Part tour guide, part history, it does contain topographic maps of the battle sites, albeit in black and white. These are enormously helpful in undersPart tour guide, part history, it does contain topographic maps of the battle sites, albeit in black and white. These are enormously helpful in understanding events such as the retreat down "Devil's Pass" during the battle of Hlobane. ...more
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