A Training School for Elephants

Sophy Roberts travels from Ireland to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania and the Congo on the trail of a forgotten expedition, a part of Leopold II of Belgium’s plan to plunder Africa’s resources. Following the footsteps of four elephants she uncovers an extraordinary story of colonial greed, ineptitude, hypocrisy and folly.
In 1979 Leopold commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to Zanzibar, from where they were marched inland towards Lake Tanganyika. The aim: to establish a training school for African elephants.
Roberts digs deep into historic records as she travels, bringing to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, from ivory dealers to Catholic nuns, all set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled.
‘History and travelogue combine wonderfully in this tale of colonial plunder and hubris… Roberts is such a vivid travel writer that you forget what a brilliant historian she is. She has the water-diviner’s gift for stories in unlikely places.’ Guardian