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Summary: Fascinating history lesson
Review: Heard the taped version of ZARAFA by Michael Allin, the true story of how a giraffe in 1826 got from Africa to become the first such animal ever seen in France . . . she was a royal offering from Muhammad Ali, Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, to King
Charles X of France, presented in the hopes of keeping the French out of Ali's war against the Greeks . . . although her arrival did not accomplish its intended task, Zarafa did become an instant celebrity and fascinated all of Europe for the next 18 years.Although the tale skipped around a bit too much, I did find it a fascinating history lesson . . . what's more, it gave me a good look at what publicity was all about--back in the nineteenth century . . . and it made me appreciate the herculean effort that took place in moving this magnificent creature such a distance.
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Summary: Holding the book is one aspect of enjoying it.
Review: Holding the book as one reads it is a major part of the enjoyment of the reading. The size of the book, the end papers, the cover........... all come together to make this little book feel so very personal. Looking again and again at the cover and the beautiful illustrations charm one into staying with the read which in itself is a total delight and enlightenment. This book is a treasure.
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Summary: The journey of Zarafa, Napoleon, and Western Civilization
Review: How is it possible for one single giraffe traveling up the Nile over 150 years ago to enchant the reader as does Zarafa? This gentle creature does, and with Michael Allin's captivating look at what the history books forget to include, this exotic tale reminds us of Napoleon's contributions to the arts of Western civilization. The French savants, royalty, and populace join Zarafa's journey to a new home as we accompany her surrounded by crocodiles, mummies, obelisks, and even the Rosetta stone. This is the one to pass on to a friend!
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Summary: Fascinating blend of history, zoology, and adventure.
Review: I *REALLY* enjoyed this book! Allin does a remarkable job of historical research, but he doesn't stop there: by providing many fascinating details of life in early 19-th century Europe and Africa, he fleshes out the remarkable story of this gentle beast and the humans so enchanted by her. Allin proves that history, properly told, is if nothing else a fascinating story. I am eagerly awaiting his next book.
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Summary: It took a long time to get to Zarafa's story.
Review: I found the book interesting, although somewhat rambling. I wanted to get to Zarafa sooner. However, unlike some readers I enjoyed the personal information Mr. Allin provided and would have welcomed more. I wonder if writing a nice little book like this means one has landed on one's feet and has become a better human being.
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Summary: An Enchanting Fledgling Effort
Review: I loved this book it was well written, well researched and incredibly interesting. The history of Zarafa, a little Giraffe that was a gift to the king of France, is more than just a history book. It has a very fairy tale sort of a feel to it. It's so well written that it even the descrition of French and Egyptian foreign relations seemed interesting, which is some feat because politics, almost by definition are dull.
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Summary: A fascinating journey through history, geography and zoology
Review: I nearly set this book aside, unread, when the author started talking about his personal fascination with snakes. What was this all about? I am so glad I skipped through is personal information and entered the world of Zarafa! I was enthralled by the descriptions of Africa and the 1800s... I followed each step of the giraffe's journey on the map provided, never wanting it to end. The book makes an avid reader want more about the history and culture of the time. I agree, though, that the description of Zarafa herself and her life in Paris is lacking. I was quite disappointed at the way the story ended without more details about her life, her health, her diet, her happiness. Maybe more excerpts from the newspapers of the time, more personal accounts from people who saw her would have been nice. But all in all -- imagine being there at the time and seeing that beautiful animal proudly march by! And thanks to the author for all the research that went into this book! Incredible!
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Summary: Anecdotal Hodge-Podge Meanders Endlessly
Review: I pretty much agree with an earlier, lengthier review in here. Zarafa's story is barely told, and pretty poorly at that. The historical background is interesting, but confusing because much of the information has nothing really to do with the journey. Basically, this would have been a fantastic New Yorker article or historical children's book. I was tremendously underwhelmed and tossed it aside before Zarafa was halfway to Paris.
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Summary: Very Very Disappointing
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book. However, it was very disappointing, unfortunately a fascinating and intrigung story was ruined by the prose of Mr Allin. Who quite frankly can not write to save his life. He never really focused on what he was writing about. One minute he banging on about politics, the next about some obscure French general. This book was too rapped up in nationalistic twaddle to be a good read. If it is this easy to get publish then I think I will start writing myself.
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Summary: Zarafa the Giraffe Gets Lost in Allin's Tales of War & Gore
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. Reviews of the book proclaim it to be a magical retelling of the story of the charming giraffe, Zarafa, and her odyssey from Africa to Paris. Unfortunately, this is not a correct evaluation of the majority of the book. Allin's book focuses very, very heavily on the political intrigues of the politico-warriors who ruled Egypt, France, and Turkey in the early 19th century. In attempting to set the stage for the world history, climate and culture of the time, Allin goes way overboard with the tales of war, slaughter, slaving, court intrigue, deceptions, petty rulers and such other matters. As a result, the story of Zarafa the giraffe is lost amid the pages. It seems that very little of the book is actually devoted to telling the tale of Zarafa, and what there is about her and her journey is swathed in grisly details of warring and giraffe butcher. All this policical-historical clutter prevents the reader from reaching Zarafa except in only the barest sense. The gore of war and descriptions of heinous acts committed by those in power while on the route up to power overwhelmingly distracts from the tale. The somewhat graphic descriptions of animal slaughter at Roman fetes served no purpose. Gross. Allin gets very wound up in the telling of the historical facts. In fact, he is so wound up in it that much of the book reads like a tangle. I had to re-read numerous paragraphs to try to make the transition from the surrounding paragraphs. There was no linear thread to guide the reader. It seemed like he just decided that a certain fact would be good at a particular point and inserted it without regard for the context of the surrounding text. It was convoluted to put it shortly. Zarafa was apparently a beautiful, gentle creature and this could have been a magical tale. Perhaps if Allin had fictionalized the story more and added more likeable humans the story would do credit to Zarafa's legacy. I am still interested in reading the tale of Zarafa's journey -- it didn't really get told in this book. The only part of the book which is outstanding is the design and styling of the book jacket and the binding for the volume. The book jacket is luminous, the end papers a treat. The font follows the mood. But, why the printer chose margins which necessitated numerous hyphenations on each page is a mystery. The excessive occurrence of hyphenated words distracted from the flow of the story.
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