One of those 'Mad dogs and Englishmen ...' memoirs, the late Mark Shand's account of a trek across India with his elephant Tara is vivid, lively, and not without emotion.
A man who led a colourful life, Shand turned his adventure into a cause, eventually founding the conservation charity Elephant Family which establishes wildlife corridors, protecting habitats so that animals can thrive.
I found the book fascinating, for its portrait of India, for what I learned about elephants, and for what it says about how to live.
Hankies at the ready!
