Grey Ghosts at Buffalo Bend by Allan Wright

Grey Ghosts at Buffalo Bend by Allan Wright is a fascinating and increasingly collectable work of Rhodesiana, first published by Galaxie Press in Salisbury, Rhodesia, in 1976. Drawing on Wright’s intimate knowledge of the south-eastern Rhodesian Lowveld, the book brings together thirty-five true stories, recollections and observations centred on the wildlife, landscapes and people of this remarkable region.

The “grey ghosts” of the title are the elephants that inhabit the wild country around Buffalo Bend and the Nuanetsi River. Wright writes vividly about these great animals while ranging much more widely across the natural history of the Lowveld. Elephants, hippopotamus, crocodiles, birds and smaller wildlife all feature, alongside stories involving hunters, poachers and the communities who lived in this remote landscape. Grey Ghosts at Buffalo Bend also provides an interesting period perspective on Gonarezhou and the development of wildlife conservation in what was then Rhodesia.

Wright was closely associated with the Nuanetsi district and played an important role in the conservation history of the area. His writing combines personal experience, wildlife observation, anecdote and descriptions of the Lowveld’s rivers, mopane woodland, droughts and changing seasons. Many of the pieces originated in or were developed from articles that had appeared in the Sunday Mail between 1968 and 1972.

Illustrated by Len Curling and containing maps, this 136-page first edition is particularly appealing to collectors of Rhodesiana, Africana, African wildlife literature, conservation history and books relating to the Zimbabwean Lowveld. Grey Ghosts at Buffalo Bend also makes an excellent companion volume to Wright’s earlier Valley of the Ironwoods.

Condition – Very Good

General age-related shelf wear, light rubbing and handling wear to the covers and edges, and some age toning to the text block. Binding appears sound.