Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and

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Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â€¢ A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

The remarkable story of James Howard â€œBillyâ€ Williams, whose uncanny rapport with the worldâ€™s largest land animals transformed him from a carefree young man into the charismatic war hero known as Elephant Bill
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Billy Williams came to colonial Burma in 1920, fresh from service in World War I, to a job as a â€œforest manâ€ for a British teak company. Mesmerized by the intelligence, character, and even humor of the great animals who hauled logs through the remote jungles, he became a gifted â€œelephant wallah.â€ Increasingly skilled at treating their illnesses and injuries, he also championed more humane treatment for them, even establishing an elephant â€œschoolâ€ and â€œhospital.â€ In return, he said, the elephants made him a better man. The friendship of one magnificent tusker in particular, Bandoola, would be revelatory. In Elephant Company, Vicki Constantine Croke chronicles Williamsâ€™s growing love for elephants as the animals provide him lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude.
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But Elephant Company is also a tale of war and daring. When Imperial Japanese forces invaded Burma in 1942, Williams joined the elite Force 136, the British dirty tricks department, operating behind enemy lines. His war elephants would carry supplies, build bridges, and transport the sick and elderly over treacherous mountain terrain. Now well versed in the ways of the jungle, an older, wiser Williams even added to his stable by smuggling more elephants out of Japanese-held territory. As the occupying authorities put a price on his head, Williams and his elephants faced his most perilous test. In a Hollywood-worthy climax, Elephant Company, cornered by the enemy, attempted a desperate escape: a risky trek over the mountainous border to India, with a bedraggled group of refugees in tow. Elephant Billâ€™s exploits would earn him top military honors and the praise of famed Field Marshal Sir William Slim.
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Part biography, part war epic, and part wildlife adventure, Elephant Company is an inspirational narrative that illuminates a little-known chapter in the annals of wartime heroism.

Praise for Elephant Company
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â€œThis book is about far more than just the war, or even elephants. This is the story of friendship, loyalty and breathtaking bravery that transcends species. . . .Â Elephant Company is nothing less than a sweeping tale, masterfully written.â€â€”Sara Gruen, The New York Times Book Review

â€œSplendid . . . Blending biography, history, and wildlife biology, [Vicki Constantine] Crokeâ€™s story is an often moving account of [Billy] Williams, who earned the sobriquet â€˜Elephant Bill,â€™ and his unusual bond with the largest land mammals on earth.â€â€”The Boston Globe
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â€œSome of the biggest heroes of World War II were even bigger than you thought. . . . You may never call the lion the king of the jungle again.â€â€”New York Post

â€œElephant Company is as powerful and big-hearted as the animals of its title. Billy Williams is an extraordinary character, a real-life reverse Tarzan raised in civilization who finds wisdom and his true self living among jungle beasts. Vicki Constantine Croke delivers an exciting tale of this elephant whispererâ€“cumâ€“war hero, while beautifully reminding us of the enduring bonds between animals and humans.â€â€”Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time
Country USA
Brand Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer Random House
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber YES13287795
Color Multicolor
ReleaseDate 2014-07-15
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781400069330

Country	USA
Brand	Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer	Random House
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	YES13287795
Color	Multicolor
ReleaseDate	2014-07-15
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781400069330

Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

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