[.ca] In the Kingdom of Gorillas: The Quest to Save Rwanda's ... (ISBN 0743200071)

Intriguing!:
Very interesting account of a life of struggling to save Rwanda's mountain gorillas, with riveting accounts of life with Dian Fossey. Brings conservation issues and problems truly to light in central Africa. A very smooth and easy read. Recommended for those interested in conservation lifestyles and those already in conservation.

Gentle giants in a hostile world.:
The goal of the Weber-Vedder research team goes way beyond the single-minded documentation of one species: they study not only the life of the mountain gorilla, but also their changing habitat and the needy humans who share it. Amy Vedder is a biologist, her husband Bill Weber a social scientist, and their multidisciplinary approach to conservation offers a fresh look at opportunities to create win-win situations for both the animals and the humans who live near them. In a lively and fast-paced narrative, Weber and Vedder document threats to the gorillas from 1978 _ 1992, presenting graphic accounts of animals injured by snares, beheaded by poachers, exposed to diseases borne by humans, allowed to die for lack of medical care, and forced to live in ever decreasing habitats, with more and more limited food supplies. Working first with Dian Fossey, whose battles with the bottle and mental illness are well documented, they eventually found the Mountain Gorilla Project, working with local governments and international foundations to develop educational programs, slow down the devastation of forests to create farmland, and make Rwandans proud of the unique environment they share with the animal world. The outbreak of the Rwandan civil war in 1993, and the ensuing genocide of over a million people, which no western nation or the U.N. intervened to prevent, are depicted dramatically, emotionally, and thoroughly, as the research team returns to Rwanda to find their workers dead, missing, or in jail. Ironically, the gorillas are thriving. As the country tries to heal its wounds and rebuild, the authors comment about values: "There are more than a few Rwandans who wonder if the Western world would have intervened more quickly and forcefully if mountain gorillas, rather than Africans, were being slaughtered in 1994." In Rwanda, it may be the humans who are the more fragile species in this dangerous land.

An intimate, engrossing tale:
An intimate, engrossing tale of an American couple's long and largely successful campaign to protect the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. In the Kingdom of the Gorillas is a multi-layered story that moves easily from the intricacies of field research in the tropics to the dynamics of Rwandan society and politics. Particularly rewarding for this reader were the insights into the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis provided through the personal stories of the authors' many friends and acquaintances on both sides of the ethnic chasm, and the careful observations of the personality and behavior of Dian Fossey which go far to correct the public record of this complicated researcher and advocate.

Amazing book:
This inspiring book is written by two amazing people who found themselves at the right time and place, with the right knowledge, insight and determination, to develop and implement plans to save the mountain gorilla. The book covers a wide variety of topics -- from the lives of the mountain gorilla, to the human problems of East Africa (particularly the genocide in Rwanda), to the perplexing life of Dian Fossey, to the politics and reality of conservation, and how their mission affected their own lives, all told with clarity, empathy, and even a bit of humor. You cannot miss with this book!

Adventurous trip to Africa:
Bill Weber and Amy Vedder tell us in a very personal way of their experiences made in Africa. The book covers information on what difficulties occur when trying to do environmental work in a culture that differs a lot from what westeners are used to. Also the political situation is explained, but in a rather unsatisfactory way. Bill and Amy don't have the answers, but they have a foundation of experiences and therefore I recommend the book to all interested in doing work in Africa or learning about it. The chapters covering their time in the mountains remind of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, daily life at the camp is narrated in a very vivid way. All in all, the book touches many topics, but somehow fails to get into some depth. Still worth reading -and the photos are great!