In this book, the author of ''Seven Gothic Tales''
gives a true account of her life on her plantation in
Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of
the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong
Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from
the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner,
who visited her: of primitive festivals: of big game
that were her near neighbors--lions, rhinos, elephants,
zebras, buffaloes--and of Lulu, the little gazelle who
came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and
beautiful. The Random House colophon made its debut in
February 1927 on the cover of a little pamphlet called
''Announcement Number One.'' Bennett Cerf and Donald
Klopfer, the company's founders, had acquired the Modern
Library from publishers Boni and Liveright two years
earlier. One day, their friend the illustrator Rockwell
Kent stopped by their office. Cerf later recalled,
''Rockwell was sitting at my desk facing Donald, and we
were talking about doing a few books on the side, when
suddenly I got an inspiration and said, 'I've got the
name for our publishing house. We just said we were
go-ing to publish a few books on the side at random.
Let's call it Random House.' Donald liked the idea, and
Rockwell Kent said, 'That's a great name. I'll draw your
trademark.' So, sitting at my desk, he took a piece of
paper and in five minutes drew Random House, which has
been our colophon ever since.'' Throughout the years,
the mission of Random House has remained consistent: to
publish books of the highest quality, at random. We are
proud to continue this tradition today. This edition is
set from the first American edition of 1937 and
commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of Random
House. |
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