'Too Close to The Sun: The Life & Times of Dennis Finch Hatton'

By Books

$13.45

Denys Finch Hatton was made famous by Robert Redford in Out of Africa and this biography offers fascinating insight into this multi-faceted man, England, and Kenya of the early 20th century.

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Anyone familiar with Out of Africa can easily conjure a romantic figure - as drawn to the women he loved to the wild continent of Africa. In this biography, Sara Wheeler weaves together the different dimensions to reveal insights into the man in a book which is as much about context as it is about his character.

Finch Hatton was born into the privileged classes in a changing England in the late 19th century. Educated at Eton and Oxford, he left England for Kenya in 1911 where he ended up a great white hunter at the height of Happy Valley's antics. He retained the trappings of a gentleman while 'roughing' it on safari, cultivating a love of open spaces and the incredible pioneer women he was involved with - most notably Karen Blixen and Beryl Markham.

This biography follows Finch Hatton's life in exquisite historical detail, helping readers to understand the man behind the legacy. From British East Africa and Finch Hatton's involvement in the First World War to high-profile luxury safaris, hunting trips, and conservation efforts later on in Kenya, this is the perfect paperback to take along for your next safari or to read in anticipation of your next trip to Africa.

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In the media

"Everyone liked and many people loved Denys Finch Hatton. Few knew him well, and no one could ever fully understand him, certainly not his lovers, and, ultimately, not Sara Wheeler. But just as Blixen might have said, knowing him a little was worth the ride." - New York Times

"A small obelisk was placed over the [Finch Hatton's] grave, to the mystification of later generations of Africans who had never heard of Denys. Sara Wheeler's biography makes a more fitting memorial." - The Observer

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Customer review

Tania Perkins

7 Mar 2018

So little is really known about Dennis Finch Hatton and sarah wheeler has managed to get a clearer picture by talking to the people who surrounded him. The fascinating life of this charming adventurer is tracked right to his early and untimely death and the writing is interesting and gripping as well.

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