The Tree Where Man Was Born

This vivid portrayal of East Africa remains as fresh and revelatory now as on the day it was first published in 1972. Peter Matthiessen exquisitely combines nature and travel writing to portray the sights, scenes, and people he observed firsthand in several trips over the course of a dozen years. From the daily lives of wild herdsmen and drama of predator kills to the field biologists investigating wild creatures and the anthropologists seeking humanity's origins in the Rift Valley, The Tree Where Man Was Born is a classic of journalistic observation.

In this classic volume, Matthiessen exquisitely combines both nature and travel writing to bring East Africa to vivid life. He skillfully portrays the daily lives of herdsmen and hunter-gatherers; the drama of the predator kills; the hundreds of exotic animals; the breathtaking landscapes; and the area's turbulent natural, political, and social histories.

A timeless and majestic portrait of Africa by the National Book Award-winning author of The Snow Leopard, now with a new introduction by Jane Goodall.

A finalist for the National Book Award when it was released in 1972, this vivid portrait of East Africa remains as fresh and revelatory now as on the day it was first published. Peter Matthiessen exquisitely combines nature and travel writing to portray the sights, scenes, and people he observed firsthand in several trips over the course of a dozen years. From the daily lives of wild herdsmen and the drama of predator kills to the field biologists investigating wild creatures and the anthropologists seeking humanity's origins in the rift valley, The Tree Where Man Was Born is a classic of journalistic observation.

Library Journal

These dual Matthiessens, which launch the publisher's new "Nature Classics" line, profile the relationship between humans and nature in East Africa (The Tree, LJ 12/1/72) and in the United States (Wildlife, LJ 1/15/60). The latter volume has been expanded and updated for this edition.

Peter Matthiessen is the acclaimed author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as a noted explorer and naturalist. His books The Snow Leopard and Shadow Country were both winners of the National Book Award. Pioneering primatologist Jane Goodall is best known for her study of chimpanzee social and family life.