Willard Price's Adventure series, originally published from the 40s to 80s, was always a favourite of mine as a child so I decided to buy them again. It was recently republished with more attractive covers than my previous collection. The new books come with a special foreward by Willard Price's granddaughters who acknowledge the casual racism. It's not so much an apology, but more a 'times were different back then, deal with it' kind of note.
The first book in the series introduces the Long Island brothers, Hal and Roger Hunt, who catch wild animals alive for their father, a renowned procurer for zoos and circuses. Their first expedition is to the Amazon rainforest, where in addition to finding rare and valuable specimens, they hope to chart a new river. Things go awry when their father John Hunt is forced to abandon the mission following a disaster back home. Alone in an unforgiving jungle, the brothers must contend with dangerous animals, headhunting Indians, and an even deadlier gang of cut-throats determined to do them in.
The jungle hijinks are high octane, exhilarating and occasionally hilarious, but the educational aspects of the books are where they really shine. Some sections of these books would be considered rather too gung-ho and trigger happy for today's audience. Like all red-blooded American lads, the Hunt brothers love their guns and nothing pleases them more than an excuse to use them. Despite this, the adventure stories were considered forward thinking in terms of conservation when they were written.
Recommended to all lovers of adventure and wildlife, Amazon Adventures is a great start to the series and still retains the power to thrill and inspire all these years later.
Rating: 4/5
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