Point Books In Pursuance Of Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

Original Title:	Zarafa
ISBN:	0385334117 (ISBN13: 9780385334112)
Edition Language:	English

Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris Paperback | Pages: 228 pages

Be Specific About Containing Books Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

Title	:	Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris
Author	:	Michael Allin
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	Deluxe Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 228 pages
Published	:	August 10th 1999 by Delta (first published May 31st 1998)
Categories	:	History. Animals. Nonfiction. Cultural. France. Africa. Environment. Nature

Description Concering Books Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

In October 1826, a ship arrived at Marseille carrying the first giraffe ever seen in France. A royal offering from Muhammad Ali, Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, to King Charles X, she had already traveled 2,000 miles down the Nile to Alexandria, from where she had sailed across the Mediterranean standing in the hold, her long neck and head protruding through a hole cut in the deck. In the spring of 1827, after wintering in Marseille, she was carefully walked 550 miles to Paris to the delight of thousands of onlookers.

The viceroy's tribute was politically motivated: He commanded the Turkish forces then fighting the Greeks in their war of independence, and hoped his gift would persuade the French not to intervene against him. But the viceroy and his intentions were quickly forgotten as France fell in love with its "beautiful stranger."
Zarafa chronicles the full story of this remarkable animal, revealing a kaleidoscope of history, science, and culture that opens an exotic window on the early nineteenth century. From the Enlightenment's blossoming fascination with science to Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Egypt in 1798–from the eminent French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire to Bernardino Drovetti, French consul general in Egypt and tomb robber extraordinaire–the era was full of memorable events and characters. Michael Allin deftly weaves them into the story with an appreciation for detail and an uncommon affection.

The giraffe's strange and wonderful journey linked Africa and Europe in mutual discovery. Although her arrival did not keep the French out of Ali's war, she became an instant celebrity in Paris and over the next eighteen years she fascinated all of Europe. Through Michael Allin's narrative skill, Zarafa stirs the imagination as it provides a new context for the history of a distant age.

Rating Containing Books Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

Ratings: 3.59 From 506 Users | 80 Reviews

Evaluation Containing Books Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

The story of Zarafa's 4,000 mile journey from central Africa to Paris early in the nineteenth century is interwoven with the fascinating history of African/Egyptian/French relations from Napoleon through Charles X in this slim but well researched book. Michael Allin, who takes the liberty of naming the apparently nameless giraffe Zarafa for the Arabic term zerafa which translates as "charming" or "lovely one," does an excellent job of pulling a very complicated political history together into a

Excellent, well-researched story of a giraffe who travelled from Egypt to France almost 200 years ago. I learned so much about the geography, culture, and history surrounding the event.

Nice!

I quite enjoyed this book - more the parts actually about the giraffe than the history lesson, but as a whole I have it in there with a solid 3 stars.Other reviewers have criticised the non-giraffe aspects of the book, but without this history, there would be so many unanswered questions. There would necessarily be references to many people and without the background to their actions and motivations it would be a confusing read. Even now, I am less than convinced I have a clue about the history

An amiable account of the politics back of the gift of a giraffe to King Charles X of France and this remarkable animal's long journey in 1826-1827 from far south in Africa to Paris.

This is an interesting true story following the path of the first giraffe from the deserts of the Sahara to Paris where Zarafa will become the King's "pet". The story contains many details of historic content, so it's not a quick or easy read, but it's a lovely story and sheds some interesting light on the nature of this lovely animal and how lovingly Zarafa was cared for during this long and arduous journey.

Beautiful, wide-ranging. The best kind of biography (one that puts the life of its subject in complete context).