Aristotle characterized the elephant as the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind and the animal has long figured in cultural artifacts, even on continents it has never inhabited. Now Elephant provides an engaging look at the elephant s long legacy.
The image of the elephant can be found throughout world cultures as a symbol of intelligence, strength, and loyalty. Wylie draws on a rich array of examples to document that symbolic power, ranging from symbols of the Hindu god of wisdom, Ganesh, to the beloved children s works Dumbo and Babar the...

Over the decades a great deal has been written about Shaka, the most famousor infamousof Zulu leaders. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that even the most basic facts about his life are locked in obscurity. His date of birth, what he looked like, and the circumstances of his assassination remain unknown.
Meanwhile the public image, sometimes monstrous, sometimes heroic, juggernauts ontruly a myth of iron that is so intriguing, so dramatic, so archetypal, and sometimes so politically useful that few have subjected it to proper scrutiny.
"Myth of Iron: Shaka in History" is the...