The zest for travel and adventure runs true in our family. Whether it was bringing in powder to the battery from a wagon under heavy fire during the Crimean War, dodging assegais in the Matabele War in Rhodesia, escaping from the Japanese when they invaded China in 1937, or facing off a charging lion in the North Luangwa National Park in Zambia, taking risks is what this book is all about.

The first part is autobiographical, which provides the framework from which I developed my passion for walking and my enthusiasm for nature. My work as a safari guide took me off the beaten track to national parks in Malawi and Tanzania, but most of all in Zambia, and in particular the South and North Luangwa National Parks. I had kept a diary, and have recounted some of the most exciting episodes during these foot safaris in search of lion, leopard and elephant.

As a keen photographer I also kept meticulous photographic records of my early safaris dating back to the 1970s. Some of these capture VIPs who visited the Luangwa Valley; others capture the contributions of many of the local villagers who played such an important role in the operation of the safaris.

Several parts of the book go more deeply into the lore of the wild, tracking, finding your way back, and how to deal with a charging animal - in fact, everything about being a successful safari guide.