Behemoth: The History of the Elephant in America

Description

In the two hundred years since their arrival in America, elephants have worked on farms, mills, mines, and railroads, in Hollywood, and in professional baseball. They've contributed to the national discourse on civil rights, immigration, politics, and capitalism. They became so deeply ingrained in the American way that they were once accorded the rights of American citizenship, including the right to vote and the right to provide testimony under oath-and they have incurred brutal punishments when convicted of human crimes. In Behemoth, Ronald B. Tobias has written the first comprehensive history of the elephant in America. As tragic as it is comic, this enthralling chronicle traces this animal's indelible footprint on American culture.

Ronald B. Tobias is a professor of science and natural history filmmaking in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University. He was a producer for the Discovery Channel for fifteen years and has produced, written, and directed more than thirty natural history films, many of which have appeared on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

"A thoroughly entertaining history." -- The Boston Globe "This book is a vital history lesson on the myriad ways elephants have permeated American culture, from Taft to Dumbo." -- Publishers Weekly "Behemoth is a fitting title for this most welcomed book about elephants -- huge, magnificent, and sentient beings with legendary memories -- who have captured the hearts of innumerable people. Ronald Tobias's book is a wonderful read, packed with detailed information about these iconic animals." -- Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and editor of Ignoring Nature No More: The Case for Compassionate Conservation "Behemoth reveals in devastating detail the 200-year history of the elephant in America... Ronald Tobias's meticulous research should encourage us to make the future for these animals a brighter, more respectful, and more caring episode." -- David Hancocks, author of A Different Nature "Carefully researched and elegantly written, Ronald Tobias's book brings shape and color to America's longstanding tradition of hucksterism-this time, at the expense of the world's largest land animal." -- John Heminway, author of Yonder "In his unique book Behemoth, Ronald Tobias brilliantly weaves the story of captive elephants into the very fabric of America's history, revealing the glory and the grief until the reader hangs his head and vows that they shall never again suffer as they have and, disturbingly, still do." -- Dr. Rob Atkinson, former Chief Executive Officer, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee "Behemoth is an astounding collection of everything elephant in America: the most magnificent animals on earth against small, exploitive humans. The battle continues, and the elephants are losing." -- Ed Stewart, Co-Founder and President, Performing Animal Welfare Society