num_pages: 326
description: From reviews of the first editionThe journey . . . is really through Archie Carr's mind where it is easy to move from Africa to Florida or Central America or from mechanical dredges to prehistoric monsters. The result is always interesting because Mr. Carr has a rare ability to look at the world freshly.--Marston Bates New York TimesThe sights to which he calls our attention . . . the mile-high mushroom swarms of kungu flies of Lake Nyasa the buzzards' ready manipulation of whirlwinds . . . are merely the chords from which with the toughness of science and the insight of art he improvises a brilliant opera of speculations about the evolution of animal adaptive behavior.-- The New YorkerIn the timeless voice of a classic Ulendo speaks to readers today with even more force and elegance than it did on its first publication in 1954. Written by Florida's preeminent nature writer this memoir describes the African journey--the ulendo as they say in Malawi--of Archie Carr who spent several summers in Africa on official business to study animal-borne diseases and sea turtle habitats. His secret aim he wrote was to see my dream of Africa unfold. Revealed here in images of pythons fly spouts and curious men his dream became a passion to preserve the African wilderness. I had thought of Africa as inexhaustible he wrote in the preface. Now however I am not able to get rid of the thought of its waning. It comes repeatedly into the Ulendo story and has modified somewhat the tone of blithe irresponsibility I was aiming for. Every few days during his trips he wrote letters to his wife and five children at home in Florida and these personal asides full of devotion to his family and enthusiasm for his adventure are published for the first time in this new paperback edition. Of course it was a lonely summer Marjorie Carr writes in her prologue to the 1952 correspondence. Archie's letters written on little thin airmail stationery were anxiously awaited and read and reread. With the reappearance of this collector's treasure a new generation has the opportunity to experience the adventures and passions of this eloquent naturalist.Archie Carr Jr. (1909-87) world-renowned sea turtle expert was the University of Florida's first graduate research professor. Among his many books are The Windward Road (UPF 1979) High Jungles and Low (UPF 1992) So Excellent a Fishe and several volumes for the Life Nature Library. In addition to countless awards for scientific work Carr received the O. Henry Memorial Award the John Burroughs Medal and the first Hal Borland Award of the National Audubon Society for his writing.
language: English
title: Ulendo: Travels of a Naturalist In and Out of Africa
publisher: University Press of Florida