Dangerous Beauty: Life and Death in Africa: True Stories from a Safari Guide

Most of this book is about true encounters with amazing animals in East Africa. The stories took me back to my own safari experiences in another part of Africa. If you've never been on safari and are thinking about going, this book will give you a good idea of what to expect. As implied in the title, beauty is also sometimes dangerous. The last part of the book is about an awful incident in which he and two of his clients were taken hostage by rebels who crossed the border from a nearby country. The area they were in should have been safe. Mark did all he could to take care of his clients, but in such a chaotic situation, no one can control what happens. Sadly, the couple who had been on safari with him several times was killed. It may have only been chance that he survived himself. I admire how he has honestly shared his feelings of loss and helplessness and also how he is trying to reconcile his love of Africa with what happened. Reading this book scared me but it also made me want to return to Africa to see more of this amazing continent.

On January 20th, 2003 a 10 ton elephant gave chase to our Range Rover in Samburu National Park. In the days that followed I photographed rhino as I lay motionless in the grass 10 feet from the endangered animals, witnessed the birth of 3 wildebeest and the death, the same day, of 7 calves who dared venture too close to a pride of Lions in the Serengeti. Mark Ross,the author of Dangerous Beauty, was our guide, and it is hard to imagine a person more knowledgeable and passionate about the flora and fauna of Eastern Africa than him. While the book documents the depths to which man can sink, it is also a testimony to a continent and a people in grave danger from AIDS, poverty, poaching and war. Marks love of the people and wildlife of East Africa is apparent on every page.

Mark Ross gives an excellent account of his career as a safari guide in modern Africa. The stories of his encounters with dangerous wildlife are interesting, but more entertaining are his stories of experiences with various types of clients he has guided. I have always wanted to visit Africa, and plan to as finances and the political climate permit, but for now books such as this help fill the void. Mark Ross is one of the finest writers of these so called adventure books. As you can see from the other reviews, the worst encounter Mark Ross faced is when he and several of his clients were kidnapped by a rebel army while attempting to see Mountain Gorillas. The story of his and some of his clients ultimate escape is both frightening and exhilirating. One should not focus only on the kidnapping event, as the rest of the book is equally informative and entertaining. This is truly a fine book of true life adventure.

Ohio is about as far away as you can get from the adventure and danger of Africa but reading Mark Ross' book I could feel the heat,hear the sounds,see the animals, and experience the terror of the kidnapping and murders of some of his group. I literally could not put this book down. The stories of all the animals were so varied and detailed. I learned alot about the behavior of creatures we usually only see in zoos. Reading about the attack and kidnapping of the tourists kept me awake the night I read about it--it is like a horror movie, the ultimate vacation-gone-wrong. The only complaint I had about this book: I wish there were more pictures! Look for the one of Mr. Ross scratching the chin of a very large kitty--a cheetah!

Africa commands the attention, curiosity, and primal emotions of most human beings. Mark Ross says that people who come to Africa to go on safari with him almost always report that for as long as they can remember they have had a deep yearning for Africa, to see the animals roaming the Serengeti as they have been doing for millions of years, and to FEEL the place where human life first emerged. The book is elegantly written -- Ross describes settings and events beautifully and meticulously but makes/allows the reader to fill in the emotional content. He recreates a perfect-pitch Africa for those of us who have been there (I once spent three weeks in Kenya and Tanzania) and also, I feel certain, for those who have never been. Ross is a trained biologist, and it shows. He delivers a deep experience of Africa's animals, geography, people, and politics -- that alone would make for a satisfying book. But the chilling beauty of this one is that, while we're immersed in our on-the-ground experience of the place, Ross also forces us to confront another question that lurks within us all: "What would it be like to experience a sudden emergency -- and how would I, personally, react?" Ross' account of the tragedy in the rain forest is riveting and sickening -- I would recommend reading that part of the book (the last 70-some pages) early in the day, not before bedtime. But its pages are hard to resist. By the end I felt like I had stalked lions in the bush (and like I knew their thoughts) and also felt personally violated, as though I'd stared down the barrel of a gun held by someone else, and then seen that someone else casually murder people I was very close with. Like the safaris he leads, Ross' book is first-class in every way. You put it down knowing that you've just spent twenty years and 322 pages with a remarkable individual. And you've learned quite a bit. If it cost $..., it would be more than worth it.