Frozen Leopard: Hunting My Dark Heart in Africa (Destinations) [Hardcover]

Aaron Latham (Author)

Book Description

Series: Destinations | Publication Date: September 1991

This is an eloquent, impassioned account of one man's adventures across Africa and into the depths of his soul on a quest to recover the magic of belief in himself, misplaced along life's journey. With spare, exquisite prose, the book is a map of rebirth for a creative man in his mid-forties. 1 map.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Africa proved a revelation and a revitalization for the author. Dispirited and in the grip of writer's block, Latham ( Urban Cowboy ) recently took his family on an extended safari as a palliative. In the wildlife parks of Kenya and on a side trip to see the gorillas of Rwanda, he found he was escaping both his old identity and his species; in the presence of the animals, he temporarily became one of them. This account of the family safari is fine travel writing; Latham's experience of Africa is a spellbinding story of self-discovery. When he asked anthropologist Richard Leakey what gives Africa such power, the answer was "genetic memory"--Latham had returned to his first home.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Latham, author of such works as Urban Cowboy (Bantam, 1980), is overcome with diffidence and despair resulting from problems with his writing. As a remedy, he embarks on an exciting journey through Eastern Africa and Rwanda. Traveling with a private guide, Latham visits various parks, reserves, and sanctuaries, observing a multitude of wildlife in their natural habitat. He shares his emotions through beautiful prose and adeptly creates images of the Africa he experienced. His versatility as a writer is evident through the creative fantasy and analogy he employs to illustrate a point. His absorbing text is made interesting with the inclusion of historical anecdotes, cultural observations, and wildlife information. Latham ultimately recaptures his enthusiasm for life, providing readers with the opportunity to explore both captivating countryside as well as the inner workings of a writer's mind. Highly recommended.
- Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 334 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (September 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0139460217
• ISBN-13: 978-0139460210
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,395,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, January 25, 1999

By 

Frank (Stockton CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frozen Leopard: Hunting My Dark Heart in Africa (Destinations) (Hardcover)

The Kirkus review is unfair and off-the-mark.
This is the autobiographical story of writer Aaron Latham in the depths of grief for his sister's death, and depression, who feels the answer lies in Africa. So he packs up himself, his daughter, and his wife (CBS's Lesley Stahl) and heads off to safari in Africa.
He gives a vivid and insightful description of his own internal and external journeys. Along the way he meets some of the giants of research in Africa (Craig Sholley's work with gorillas, Cynthia Moss with elephants, Richard Leakey with early man), and reports their insights into their work and the significance of Africa to each of us.
This out-of-stock book is well worth searching out at your library or book dealer.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, January 24, 1999

By 

Frank (Stockton CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Frozen Leopard: Hunting My Dark Heart in Africa (Destinations) (Paperback)

This is the autobiographical story of a writer in the depths of grief for his sister's death, and depression, who feels the answer lies in Africa. So he packs up himself, his daughter, and his wife (CBS's Lesley Stahl) and heads off to safari in Africa.
He gives a vivid and insightful description of his own internal and external journeys. Along the way he meets some of the giants of research in Africa (Craig Sholley's work with gorillas, Cynthia Moss with elephants, Richard Leakey with early man), and reports their insights into their work and the significance of Africa to each of us.
This out-of-stock book is well worth searching out at your library or book dealer.