White African : The Early Autobiography of the World-Famous Anthropologist

New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1973. Mass Market Paperback. Near Fine. First Edition. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Rare book. Collectible. First published in 1937, this is the early autobiography of a wholly original man, L.S.B. Leakey, whose anthropological researches in Olduvai Gorge and elsewhere have revolutionized our knowledge of our hominid ancestors. Born in Kenya of missionary parents, Leakey grew up among the Kikuyu and became, as one of their chiefs has put it, "the black man with a white face." Like others of his tribe, he was taught the skills of patient observation in the wild, but unlike them, he was given a British education. The combination of academic and tribal skills gave him a peerless background for archeological and anthropological researches that he undertook when he returned to his homeland. This autobiography covers his first thirty years, the years of growing up on the mission station and among the Kikuyu, the years of British schooling and the fortuitous accident that redirected the course of his career, and the early researches near his home in Kenya and at Olduvai. Full of insight and good humor, it is a remarkable chronicle of a remarkable life. 274 pages. Some light rubbing on top & bottom of spine and some places on outside edges. Spine is creased. A 1" crease on rear cover bottom and slightly bumped..