Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

All three of these books excel both in their telling and in their content. They are a delight to read over and over again for all ages.

When I saw this book available I wanted to read it before once again viewing a favorite movie of my childhood. It was wonderful to read the first hand report of Elsa and then also learn of the adventures of her cubs. So many years after the writing, you must remember while reading that wild animal interactions are handled much differently now than they were then. But Joy and George Adamson were pioneers that helped teach us what we know now. It was nice to go back to the simplicity and naivete of the time. This book held my attention even though I already knew the basic story. It is well written and I sometimes had the feeling I was peeking at the pages of a private diary. As happens so often when I read the book first, I ended up a little disappointed by the film. Of course, that media has improved by leaps and bounds since the sixties and it shows when you try and go back.

A remarkable and moving story. Joy Adamson chronicles the story of Elsa the lion, as she takes her from captivity and trains her to be reintroduced into the wild. Incredible dedication to the task and it is really quite astonishing to see how the humans and such wild animals could get along together and like each other so much.

Animals have always been a favorite topic of mine, but as a young person who just happened to find a copy of this book some 39 years ago, with the cover torn off, I consider it one of the great discoveries of my life. It was summertime, and I was headed to the 7th grade. I wasn't much of a reader until that momentous day. The story of Elsa and the Adamsons totally transported me to another place, and many wondrous adventures in Africa. Due much to this book, I now am a voracious reader. The story is heartwarming, and is the reason I insisted my 7th grade son read it for his current book report. Whether you're 9 or 99, Elsa's antics and her loving bond with Joy and George will capture your heart. I guarantee it. And with Africa's Lion population dwindling to probably less than 30,000 today, I can't think of a more timely book, in honour of conserving their remaining habitat. Especially when one considers that Africa had over 100,000 Lions when I first read it.

In my opinion, Born Free is the very BEST cat-book ever writen! Recommended to nature/Africa lovers. You'll enjoy it!