Animal Novel The Last War Elephant

Having been born in Africa during an era when owning a picture book, let alone affording TV was a luxury, ‘Tug Of War’ was inspired by many of the African folk stories that were told to us by my grandmother. These stories were occasionally told during evenings, after meals and were extremely entertaining as well as educational in a way that made me visualize them. As a result, I have been motivated to share this experience pictorially in this book. It tells of three characters, Elephant, Hippopotamus and Rabbit. The story begins deep in the African jungle where the agile and witty Rabbit entertains himself by challenging Elephant and Hippopotamus to a game of tug of war. The little animal selects the competitors on two distinct characteristics. They live in completely different environments and possess similar strengths. Elephant naturally prefers the inner jungle and Hippopotamus spends most of his time in the water. This presents a perfect opportunity for a perfect match with Rabbit handing each end of the rope to each large animal at different times declaring that he can defeat either Elephant or Hippopotamus to this pull game. It actually ends with both huge animals fiercely competing against one another yet ignorantly believing that Rabbit is on the other end. This teaches us to acknowledge and respect each other and not to judge each other in terms of natural built or stature.

Elephants have been deployed as weapons for centuries, particularly in South and South-East Asia, where war elephants constituted the bulk of most armies in the region from antiquity right up to the 19th century. This book offers an insight into the incredible history of these 'living tanks,' focusing on the design of the equipment and armament that made them so terrifying. The author, Konstantin S Nossov, traces the history of war elephants, from their deployment against Alexander the Great's army at the battle of Gaugamela, through to their use in the 19th century by the armies of South-East Asia, analyzing the battle formation and tactics of war elephants in action and how these tactics developed.

Elephants have fought in human armies for more than three thousand years. This is the largely forgotten tale of the credit they deserve and the sacrifices they endured.

Billy Williams came to Burma in 1920 fresh from service in World War I, as a "forest man" for a British teak company. Mesmerized by the intelligence, character, and even humor of the great animals who hauled logs through the jungles, he became a gifted "elephant wallah." When the Japanese invaded in 1942, Williams joined Force 136, the British dirty tricks department. His war elephants carried supplies, built bridges, and transported the sick and elderly. And when a price was put on his head, they set out on a Hollywood-worthy escape. Book jacket.

Retreat and persistence of elephants -- Elephants and Indian kingship -- War elephants -- Structures of use: caturaga, vihana, vyha -- Elephant knowledge -- The spread of the war elephant -- North India, South India, Sri Lanka -- The Near East, North Africa, Europe -- Southeast Asia -- After the war elephant -- Drawing the balance, looking ahead