Wow! Not your typical PH turned author book. I picked this up to get the low down on Ethiopia and a little of the history of a country that has never been a colony or annexed by any European or Western power.

He is a very good writer in league with Richard Harland and Harry Manners and Fred Everett. His style is very sophisticated and not at all condescending. He writes with passion and care for the wildlife of Ethiopia and other places he worked. An outstanding add on feature is that the book is wonderfully illustrated by his wife. I had not heard of her before but her pencil sketches and portraits of the people of Ethiopia are excellent.

Fred is not your typical PH. He is self taught wildlife manager who has done stints as game warden, animal control officer, trainer for the nationals, and advisor to government wildlife agencies. You can tell from his stories and his opinions that he loves Africa and the people.

A common thread I note in this book and the many others I have read is the view, by non-Africans, that we can never truly understand the African mindset and way of thinking. He tells several stories to illustrate this, which sound very much like stories you will read in other biographies of hunters/PH's/game control officers. Fred is very loyal to his staff and to working with the local people, much like Terry Irwin describes in his book and many others as well.

Another plus for this book is an unusual introduction by Craig Boddington. I have read a lot of Boddington's work and his words are were chosen and complimentary. In this intro, I got an undertone that Craig did not know really how to take Duckworth. Apparently, Duckworth is a bit of a character (that comes out in the book) and he can be a bit controversial in PH/agent/hunting business. Boddington alludes to this but is complementary of the book and Fred.

You will like this book, even if just for the fantastic artwork. I rate it a solid 8 out of 10 on the "dogcat" scale. I recommend this book without reservation.

I'll get it on order. I turn 33 in 2 weeks after what I spent today I really don't need another "gift" but I'll order one anyway.

Fred is the PH in the safari of my dreams, he's old Africa.

Is it just art or are there photos too?

Lots of art and photo's. I prefer the art, but both are very well done. This is almost a coffee table type of book.

Looking forward to it. Met him and his wife at the SCI show and bought the book there.