---
product_id: 13999290
title: "Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II"
price: "€ 26.44"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/13999290-elephant-company-the-inspiring-story-of-an-unlikely-hero-animals
store_origin: GR
region: Greece
---

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

**Price:** € 26.44
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## Description

desertcart.com: Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II: 9780812981650: Croke, Vicki: Books

Review: Wonderful book by a veteranarian who lived with & cared for elephants during the early and mid-twentieth century. - Wonderful story! I already had a great fondness for elephants and enormous respect for their intellect & the nature of their matriarchal family structure & bonding, but this book made that affection & respect even deeper! The book was written and published long before the current crisis in which we are witnessing the wholesale slaughter of these magnificent animals, so it provides no information in that regard, but that very fact, the lack of any political agenda at a time when none was needed, is why everyone should read it. We should read it if for no other reason than to simply learn more about elephants from a veterinarian who spent years living with and caring for them. Read about the female elephant who was accidentally blinded and cared for by her child who led her daily to water & food, just as she had once led him. Read about the tragic death of that young elephant and his mother's deep mourning. We all need to read stories like these written in an earlier age and think about the state of these same animals today. When I reflect on what is happening to elephants in India & on the African continent, I feel helpless and enraged. China is the primary market for the ivory that has led to the slaughter of these gentle giants, deaths motivated by greed. It is quite possible that elephants will disappear from the earth in this generation.This book and books like it should be required reading in our schools & China should continue to be brought to task daily for its' failure to do more than it currently does to protect these wonderful creatures!
Review: Of elephants and men. - Billy Williams returned from the Great War and desired nothing more than adventure in the company of elephants. Traveling to Burma and signing on with a British teak lumber concern, he got his chance. This is such a charming story! I'm usually not a reader of "charming stories" and the military history aspect of the book initially triggered the purchase. Actually, there's very little military history and absolutely no combat in the book. Having said that, I am glad I bought it and it really is an excellent read. James Howard "Billy" Williams entered Burma at what would be the end of the colonial era in which Great Britain ruled large patches of the globe. In Burma, Williams becomes an employee of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation and is immediately in contact with elephants and the experience affects him greatly. For a man who loves animals, working with these intelligent giants is a fascination and a joy. Williams becomes a "wallah" - an elephant expert who can treat elephant injuries, direct their work and comes to understand their thinking together with his Burmese workers. It's a window into a long-gone world and how British lived in the colonies. The book chronicles his adventures with the elephants, his Burmese workers, falling in love and marrying, being involved in the Allied war effort in the CBI (China-Burma-India) theater. Although his elephants did good work building bridges and leading refugees to India, barely escaping the clutches of the brutal Japanese, "Elephant Bill's" elephants were not vital or even important. But, it adds to the story itself. This is a tale of the jungle, of a man's joy in the wilds and among animals who always had the best interests of his elephants at heart. He established "academies" for young elephants rather than allow the calves of working, female elephants die. He established hospitals for injured elephants and showed the company that they didn't need to use cruel methods of capturing wild elephants. As I said, this isn't my usual read. Having said that, I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it with five stars.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #79,882 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #125 in WWII Biographies #143 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies #222 in World War II History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (5,864) |
| Dimensions  | 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0812981650 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0812981650 |
| Item Weight  | 9.6 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 368 pages |
| Publication date  | April 14, 2015 |
| Publisher  | Random House Trade Paperbacks |

## Images

![Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/815a39ZvDwL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful book by a veteranarian who lived with & cared for elephants during the early and mid-twentieth century.
*by G***E on September 6, 2014*

Wonderful story! I already had a great fondness for elephants and enormous respect for their intellect & the nature of their matriarchal family structure & bonding, but this book made that affection & respect even deeper! The book was written and published long before the current crisis in which we are witnessing the wholesale slaughter of these magnificent animals, so it provides no information in that regard, but that very fact, the lack of any political agenda at a time when none was needed, is why everyone should read it. We should read it if for no other reason than to simply learn more about elephants from a veterinarian who spent years living with and caring for them. Read about the female elephant who was accidentally blinded and cared for by her child who led her daily to water & food, just as she had once led him. Read about the tragic death of that young elephant and his mother's deep mourning. We all need to read stories like these written in an earlier age and think about the state of these same animals today. When I reflect on what is happening to elephants in India & on the African continent, I feel helpless and enraged. China is the primary market for the ivory that has led to the slaughter of these gentle giants, deaths motivated by greed. It is quite possible that elephants will disappear from the earth in this generation.This book and books like it should be required reading in our schools & China should continue to be brought to task daily for its' failure to do more than it currently does to protect these wonderful creatures!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Of elephants and men.
*by S***G on August 16, 2014*

Billy Williams returned from the Great War and desired nothing more than adventure in the company of elephants. Traveling to Burma and signing on with a British teak lumber concern, he got his chance. This is such a charming story! I'm usually not a reader of "charming stories" and the military history aspect of the book initially triggered the purchase. Actually, there's very little military history and absolutely no combat in the book. Having said that, I am glad I bought it and it really is an excellent read. James Howard "Billy" Williams entered Burma at what would be the end of the colonial era in which Great Britain ruled large patches of the globe. In Burma, Williams becomes an employee of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation and is immediately in contact with elephants and the experience affects him greatly. For a man who loves animals, working with these intelligent giants is a fascination and a joy. Williams becomes a "wallah" - an elephant expert who can treat elephant injuries, direct their work and comes to understand their thinking together with his Burmese workers. It's a window into a long-gone world and how British lived in the colonies. The book chronicles his adventures with the elephants, his Burmese workers, falling in love and marrying, being involved in the Allied war effort in the CBI (China-Burma-India) theater. Although his elephants did good work building bridges and leading refugees to India, barely escaping the clutches of the brutal Japanese, "Elephant Bill's" elephants were not vital or even important. But, it adds to the story itself. This is a tale of the jungle, of a man's joy in the wilds and among animals who always had the best interests of his elephants at heart. He established "academies" for young elephants rather than allow the calves of working, female elephants die. He established hospitals for injured elephants and showed the company that they didn't need to use cruel methods of capturing wild elephants. As I said, this isn't my usual read. Having said that, I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it with five stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Doing justice to a great real-life story
*by D***C on August 2, 2014*

After reading the NYT's review of Vicki Croke's Elephant Company, I was so intrigued that I ordered it right away. This is the true story of Col. James "Elephant Bill" Williams, an Englishman who, as a young WWI veteran, went to Burma to try his hand in the business of teak harvesting. The teak industry was not yet mechanized and relied heavily on the power provided by trained elephants. Williams had been an animal fancier since early childhood and was instantly enthralled by the huge beasts. To say that he developed a bond with them is to grossly understate the case. His ability to understand and communicate with elephants, his love of jungle life, and his leadership abilities combined to propel him to success as a manager of teak forests. His career development is tracked skillfully related by Ms. Croke. She has researched her subject well, and Williams' character and personality are brought to light vividly as she chronicles the events that led Williams to become "Elephant Bill.". As an added bonus, we learn a tremendous amount about elephants, their behavioral quirks, and their interactions with humans. With the advent of WWII, the story becomes downright thrilling. Williams serves the British forces in Burma in their bloody struggle against the Japanese. He is made their first and only elephant officer, given the rank of colonel, and allowed to form the company for which the book is named. The company's elephants are meticulously trained and cared for, and completely loyal to Williams. Harnessing their intelligence and great strength, Williams is able to construct log bridges for British forces with unprecedented rapidity. Finally, and against great odds, he and his elephants are able to effect the evacuation of a large number of British nationals, native Burmese, and ethnic Gurkas from Japanese-held territory, across hostile terrain, and ultimately into the safety of east India. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable man. While a life such as Williams provides a lot of "can't-miss" material, only a skilled author can do it justice. Vicki Croke has filled the bill admirably, and I highly recommend this book.

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*Store origin: GR*
*Last updated: 2026-01-29*