Snake Man: The Story of C. J. P. Ionides – Alan Wykes – First Edition, 1960

Author: Alan Wykes
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, London
Publication Date: 1960
Edition: First UK Edition
Binding: Hardback with original photographic dustwrapper
Stock Code: 004254
Location: Bookroom

Description

A first UK edition of Snake Man: The Story of C. J. P. Ionides (1960), Alan Wykes’s compelling biography of one of the most remarkable figures in twentieth-century African natural history.

Constantine John Philip Ionides (1901–1968), widely known as the ‘Snake Man’, was a British game ranger, naturalist, hunter and specialist collector of African reptiles whose extraordinary field skills earned him an international reputation. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, this biography documents Ionides’s adventurous career, his encounters with dangerous wildlife and his contributions to zoological research and collecting in East Africa. The original photographic dustwrapper features Ionides holding a large snake above a striking close-up photograph of a venomous snake with its mouth open.

J. P. Ionides: The Snake Man of Tanganyika

Born in 1901, Constantine John Philip Ionides developed an early fascination with wildlife and the natural world.

His adventurous career took him through India, Burma and Africa before he joined the Tanganyika Game Department in 1933. Working in the forests, grasslands and remote wilderness of East Africa, Ionides became known for his exceptional understanding of animal behaviour and his remarkable ability to locate and capture reptiles, including some of Africa’s most dangerous snakes. His reputation extended far beyond East Africa. Zoological institutions, including the London Zoo and the Natural History Museum, sought specimens collected by Ionides, whose field knowledge proved invaluable to the study of African reptiles. His work contributed to the identification of several previously unrecorded varieties of African reptile, while his practical experience established him as a respected authority on the continent’s snakes.

Adventures, Exploration and Wildlife Collecting

Alan Wykes presents Ionides as an unconventional and resourceful figure whose life was defined by a profound fascination with wildlife.

The biography follows his experiences as a hunter, game ranger and collector, recounting expeditions through remote African country and encounters with an extraordinary variety of animals. Although snakes were his particular passion, Ionides also collected mammals and other zoological specimens for museums and scientific institutions. His exploits included expeditions in search of rare antelope and other elusive animals, often requiring considerable endurance, patience and detailed knowledge of their habitats. The book offers an absorbing portrait of the practical realities of wildlife collecting in mid-twentieth-century Africa, before the emergence of modern conservation practices and contemporary attitudes towards the capture and preservation of wild animals.

An Important Figure in African Herpetology

Ionides occupies an unusual position in the history of African zoology.

Although not primarily an academic scientist, his field experience and intimate knowledge of African reptiles made him an important contributor to the work of professional zoologists and museum researchers.

His collecting activities helped expand knowledge of the distribution and diversity of African snakes and other reptiles.

The book is therefore of particular interest to readers studying the history of herpetology, natural-history collecting, East African wildlife and the development of zoological research during the colonial period.

It also provides a revealing historical account of the relationship between professional scientific institutions and the independent field naturalists whose discoveries and specimens contributed to their collections.

Condition

A near fine, tight, clean copy in a good dustwrapper. The binding is nice and tight, and the pages are nice and clean. The original photographic dustwrapper has nicks, creasing and rubbing, together with substantial loss to the upper portion of the rear panel. The front panel remains attractive, retaining its distinctive green colouring and photographic illustrations. The dustwrapper is now protected in an easily removable clear acetate archival wrapper.

Please examine the accompanying photographs, which show the actual copy offered for sale.

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