Elephantina by Andrew Drummond
An elephant sighs forlornly and dies by the side of the road, just outside Dundee: It is April 1706 and discussions are beginning for the proposed Act of Union. Closet Jacobite sympathiser Dr Patrick Blair, an ambitious local surgeon-apothecary, embarks on a mission to become the first man in Britain to dissect an elephant. He employs Gilbert Orum, harassed debtor, surgeon's assistant and skilled copper engraver, to help him. After the dissection, the skeleton is reassembled as the centre-piece for a new 'Hall of Rarities' in the town and Blair writes up his findings for the Royal Society in London, hoping to make his name as a great scientist. Ten years later, however, Blair languishes in a dungeon in London, condemned to death for his participation in the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. Gilbert Orum grasps the opportunity to write his own account of the dissection of the unfortunate elephant.
Andrew Drummond was born in Edinburgh and educated at the University of Aberdeen, where he studied modern languages. He has published a number of translations from German, and his first novel, 'An Abridged History of the Construction of the Railway Line between Garve', 'Ullapool and Lochinver', was published by Polygon and shortlisted for the Saltire First Book of the Year Award in 2004. His second novel, 'A Hand-book of Volapuk' was published by Polygon in 2006. He lives in Edinburgh.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781846970443 |
| ISBN 10 | 184697044X |
| Title | Elephantina |
| Author | Andrew Drummond |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Birlinn General |
| Year published | 2008-04-25 |
| Number of pages | 144 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |