WILD, the life of Peter Beard, photographer, adventurer, lover

344pp., illus., hardback, d.w., New York, 2022

Biography of American photographer and naturalist Peter Beard (1938 -2020), author of The End of the Game (1965).

“In this magnificent biography Graham Boynton gives us a picture of a life that could have been scripted jointly by Blixen and Hemingway. A brilliantly enjoyable read – a triumph.” Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

“Boynton teases out the complexities and contradictions that made this heir of railroad money a fascination to English royals and African guides alike ... Beautifully written, fast and fun, Wild has colorful characters on every page. The most compelling is Beard himself, pinned to the page in this first account since his most dramatic death.” Michael Shnayerson, Vanity Fair contributing editor and author of Boom: Mad money, mega dealers, and the rise of contemporary art

Journalist and author Graham Boynton was friends with Peter Beard for more than 30 years. He grew up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and later emigrated to South Africa. When he was expelled from South Africa in 1975 because of his opposition to apartheid, he worked in London and later in New York. Since 1998 he has lived in London. He is the author of The Last Days in Cloud Cuckooland.