The Ivory Trail By TV Bulpin
The Ivory Trail (Premium Illustrated Third Edition Copy)
The Extraordinary, Legendary Biography of Bvekenya Barnard and His Outlaw Empire at Crook’s Corner
The Extraordinary, Legendary Biography of Bvekenya Barnard and His Outlaw Empire at Crook’s Corner
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Ivory Trail
- Author: T.V. Bulpin (Thomas Victor Bulpin)
- Publisher: Books Of Africa Ltd, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1988
- ISBN-10: 1868121739
- ISBN-13: 9781868121731
- Edition Details: Third Edition, First Impression. Standard Hardcover Issue.
- Binding: Publisher's original full boards with crisp stamped title lettering on the spine, topped with an illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 220 x 145 mm, 235 pages. Illustrated with classic historic line drawings, portrait sketches, and a detailed regional endpaper map tracing the Limpopo frontier.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original structural cloth binding is exceptionally sound, flat, and square. The edges show standard light shelf wear from careful storage, but the spine remains completely straight, rigid, and undamaged.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and true. Internal pages, calligraphic maps, and historical sketch illustrations are remarkably clean, crisp, and intact. Free of standard user highlighting, foxing, previous owner name stamps, or dog-ears.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior: Present and beautifully preserved within an archival clear protective plastic cover. The jacket retains high colour density and a crisp profile, displaying only limited, minor signs of standard handling along the edges. The protective sleeve keeps it completely secure and clean for prominent shelf display.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First published in 1954, The Ivory Trail is universally considered T.V. Bulpin’s absolute greatest narrative masterpiece and an undisputed classic of African frontier literature. This sought-after 1988 Third Edition by Books Of Africa preserves the raw, unedited magic of the original research, bringing to life an era when the borders of southern Africa were wild and lawless.
First published in 1954, The Ivory Trail is universally considered T.V. Bulpin’s absolute greatest narrative masterpiece and an undisputed classic of African frontier literature. This sought-after 1988 Third Edition by Books Of Africa preserves the raw, unedited magic of the original research, bringing to life an era when the borders of southern Africa were wild and lawless.
This is the incredible, larger-than-life true story of Cecil Bernard, legendary ivory poacher and hunter known to local tribes as "Bvekenya" (he who moves with a swagger). Operating along the untamed Limpopo River region during the early 20th century, Bvekenya's exploits revolved around the infamous Crook’s Corner—a lawless island sanctuary where the borders of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique met, allowing him to step across international lines to escape the police of three nations. An outlaw for over twenty years, Bvekenya fought a one-man war against all authority as an ivory poacher, Recruiter of illegal labor ("blackbirder"), and ultimate outdoorsman. Paradoxically, his deep love for the bush turned him into an early conservationist later in life. Told directly to Bulpin by Barnard himself, this gripping biographical adventure stands as a vital historical record of the old Lowveld and a cornerstone collectible for serious Africana enthusiasts.
Author Profile: T.V. Bulpin
Thomas Victor ("T.V.") Bulpin (1918–1999) was one of South Africa’s most legendary, prolific, and widely read travel authors, historians, and wilderness chroniclers. Over an adventurous career spanning half a century, he wrote nearly thirty bestselling books and more than two thousand articles on African hunting traditions, frontier history, and hidden trails—including classics like Lost Trails on the Lowveld, Hunter's Tracks, and Tavern of the Seas. Bulpin was famous for his tireless lifestyle, driving hundreds of thousands of kilometers across rough unpaved roads to interview eccentric outcasts, map hidden landmarks, and collect oral folklore. His incredible legacy balances rigorous archival research with an accessible storytelling charm, ensuring his books remain highly prized, investment-grade classics for nature lovers and book collectors worldwide.
Thomas Victor ("T.V.") Bulpin (1918–1999) was one of South Africa’s most legendary, prolific, and widely read travel authors, historians, and wilderness chroniclers. Over an adventurous career spanning half a century, he wrote nearly thirty bestselling books and more than two thousand articles on African hunting traditions, frontier history, and hidden trails—including classics like Lost Trails on the Lowveld, Hunter's Tracks, and Tavern of the Seas. Bulpin was famous for his tireless lifestyle, driving hundreds of thousands of kilometers across rough unpaved roads to interview eccentric outcasts, map hidden landmarks, and collect oral folklore. His incredible legacy balances rigorous archival research with an accessible storytelling charm, ensuring his books remain highly prized, investment-grade classics for nature lovers and book collectors worldwide.
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