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Desierto Books

West with the Night / by Beryl Markham; with a new introduction by Sara Wheeler

West with the Night / by Beryl Markham; with a new introduction by Sara Wheeler

$7.50 USD
$7.50 USD
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North Point Press, 2013. Trade pb. Slight yellowing of page edges. VG. 

In West with the Night Beryl Markham chronicles her unconventional, free-spirited girlhood in Kenya and her adventures as a rescue pilot, mail carrier, and bush pilot, scouting game for safaris all over Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The book earned high praise upon its publication in 1942 but fell out of print and into obscurity. When it was republished in 1983 the book became an international bestseller and is now considered both a classic of its genre and a significant literary achievement. National Geographic Adventure ranks it number 8 in a list of 100 best adventure books.

BERYL MARKHAM (1902–1986) was a racehorse trainer and breeder, aviator, and author. She grew up on her father’s horse ranch in Kenya, learning Swahili, Nandi, and Masai, and spear hunting with the local Nandi Murani tribe. In 1933 she became the first woman in Kenya to become a commercial pilot. In 1936 Markham, who was already a well-known figure among in aviation circles, made international news when she became the first woman to make a non-stop solo transatlantic flight from Europe to North America. After a stint in Hollywood, Markham returned to Kenya and trained horses until her death in 1983.

“Written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. [Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers...it really is a bloody wonderful book.”—Ernest Hemingway

“Written with exceptional, simple beauty in a style that, without aiming at distinction, achieves it unquestionably.”—The New York Times

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