A Training School for Elephants

INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
From the acclaimed author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia, comes a new journey, following four 19^th century elephants marched from the East African coast towards Congo, to tell a heartbreaking story of folly and colonial greed.

''A beautiful, intelligent and heartfelt book, a brilliantly researched account of an imperial fever dream alongside a no less feverish contemporary journey''- THE SUNDAY TIMES

''Absorbing ... any account of a journey in the footsteps of another is bound to be elegiac, but rarely has an elegy been so suffused with drama and pathos.'' - FT

''History and travelogue combine wonderfully in this tale of colonial plunder and hubris…Sophy Roberts’ luminous new book is a journey through Africa from Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika and back, retracing the steps of a long-forgotten expedition.'' - GUARDIAN

''This is a marvellous book, an important footnote to history - of Sophy Roberts'' intrepid travel with a real purpose, shining a light on colonialism, Belgian and British, and their peculiar obsessions.’'' - Paul Theroux, author of The Great Railway Bazaar

‘Masterfully weaving adventure, intrigue and the darker truths of colonial ambition into a story as gripping as it is eye-opening.’ - Levison Wood, author of Walking the Nile

''Deeply researched. Brings to life a bizarre and long-forgotten story of Africa with empathy, intriguing encounters and memorable characters, not least the elephants themselves.’ - Luke Pepera, author of Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity

‘Sophy Roberts brings history to life, tackling difficult, sensitive subjects with careful, exquisite prose. Unputdownable.’ - Mary Harper, author of Getting Somalia Wrong?

''A brave and searching book, ric