Posh Brit on elephant in India, 30 May 2008
I found the passages about the dealing with the elephant very good. But the basic situation grates - Camilla Parker Bowles' brother travels across India on an elephant accompanied by local staff and handy jeep just in case. All rather condescending as patrician young Englishman plays-at-being-native.

The tone is set at the start when Shand just happens to know the old boy network (Anglo-Indians, zoo directors, journalists and politicians) who smooth his path all the way along, lending vehicles and doling out visiting cards that bring the local police to heel when handed out.

Give it a miss, on the whole

An entertaining, well written book, 15 May 2001
Mark Shand has a relaxed, humorous and entertaining style. The book is a pleasure to read. Assam is faithfully depicted, as is the dire plight of the indian elephant. But above all the personality of Parbati, the "Queen of the Elephants" comes across - a woman of serenity, character and resilience, for whom the reader can only have respect.

Posh Brit on elephant in India, 30 May 2008
I found the passages about the dealing with the elephant very good. But the basic situation grates - Camilla Parker Bowles' brother travels across India on an elephant accompanied by local staff and handy jeep just in case. All rather condescending as patrician young Englishman plays-at-being-native.

The tone is set at the start when Shand just happens to know the old boy network (Anglo-Indians, zoo directors, journalists and politicians) who smooth his path all the way along, lending vehicles and doling out visiting cards that bring the local police to heel when handed out.

Give it a miss, on the whole

An entertaining, well written book, 15 May 2001
Mark Shand has a relaxed, humorous and entertaining style. The book is a pleasure to read. Assam is faithfully depicted, as is the dire plight of the indian elephant. But above all the personality of Parbati, the "Queen of the Elephants" comes across - a woman of serenity, character and resilience, for whom the reader can only have respect.

Berlitz English/German phrase book/dictionary + CD, 15 Sep 2004
The book :
very good and very useful, divided into sections depending on where you might need to use your German e.g. hotel, restaurant, airport etc with an English/German, German/English dictionary at the back.

The CD :
Mmmmmm organised in a similar way. The German speech was fine and clear unfortunately I didn't realise I would have to learn American to understand the English.
The 'English' is spoken in an irritating American drawl type accent instead of using a more neutral mid atlantic accent and uses expressions such as Leeessshure which I think means Leisure and also 'where is the down town area' which is not English. The German gave me a clue 'wo is der inner stadt' ahhhh you mean the town centre then! The rest of the CD is ok and certainly helped me in Berlin so long as you can put up with the Yank asking for the nearest fast-food restaurant!