Shifter: Books I Love, The End of the Game

I discovered Peter Beard in 1993 while walking the stacks at the Phoenix Public Library. There he was, waiting for me. The Beard book tucked under my arm I walked home and knew my life had changed. Last month we lost an original with the passing of Beard who walked from his rural home and returned to nature.

Beard was many things. Diarist, conservationist, socialite, wild-man, eccentric, adventurer, and photographer although the camera was a mere means to an end and not something worthy of conversation, really. His catalog is extensive. Eyelids of Morning: The Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men, Peter Beard's Africa, The Adventures and Misadventures of Peter Beard in Africa, Zara's Tales, Longing for Darkness: Kamante’s Tales from Out of Africa and the masterpiece "The End of the Game."

Beard is also known for his artwork, both arguably the most incredible journals ever made and his massive prints covered in details and ever-changing fragments of copy, blood, imagery, and illustration. If you get a chance to see a Beard show, go.

The End of the Game documents the collision between man and nature. Africa, late 1950s to early 1960s. Tsavo Park and the "elephant issue." But the book is far, far more. Personal history, African history, game history, conservation warning, and a window into who Beard would become. This is a book you can open from anywhere and have your mind peeled back. This is also the ONLY photography-related book I purchased for my father who was someone who never liked photography or photographers. Dad knew immediately what he was holding. The commitment, the range, and the originality.

Beard is a reminder you haven't done shit. Think you have? Just crack this book and be prepared to be put in your safe, superficial place. (At least for most of us.) People like Beard are really the only people I'm interested in. His life and work encompassed so many things and was SO filled with, well, life. Toward the end, his cautionary tale was laced with reference to nature. How we have lost touch and need to find a way to get it back.

Beard is also a reminder that things aren't perfect, people aren't perfect but you lace up and join the fight, the fight of our species and others. Obtuse, colliding imperfection documented and detailed, balanced and blueprinted. There, now what are you going to do?

[BigFish-ylfn]

Hi Dan…. My name is Kevin J. McCann, and I was a young photographer associated with Peter from 1972-1978. Thank you for your presentation about PB and appreciation for his work. I designed, built and managed the darkroom gallery in Montauk and familiar with Peter’s books and was the only person ever to photograph all his diaries from 1964-1976. Starting late in 1974 nearly all BW processing and printing was completed at the darkroom. I worked and photographed the Blum Helman show in 1975 and assisted on the ICP show in 1977. In 1974 I toured and photographed East Africa using Hog Ranch as a base. I printed many of wildlife, dead elephants, models etc. As you may know, Peter’s entire windmill estate in Montauk and all it’s contents and many thousands of negatives and prints burned to the ground in 1977. I am currently preparing a presentation/film about by Montauk association with the darkroom and Peter and will keep you posted.

[photowalk.podcast]

Thanks for this film Daniel. I feel a sense of guilt that I was not familiar with his work. I most certainly am now. I'm getting lost down the proverbial rabbit hole of information about him now.

[BobFitz]

WOW. You just blew my mind with this. More and more please.

[sarahdippity]

Dan, this is amazing! I have not heard of Peter Beard until now thanks to you. His work and legacy ... mindblowing! (PS - Lovely color film today!)

[jessekoskinen]

Now, I need to get that book. And read. Thank you for sharing.

[abrooklyngirllinda]

How did I originally miss this video? I loved Peter Beard so much. Can't really put it into words. I remember when he was "lost" and everyone in Montauk went looking for him. I felt somehow that it was so apropos that he decided to go off into "the wild" in his own way, just how he knew in days past like the animals to perhaps meet his own death. I felt pretty gutted when he passed away, the world losing someone truly unique and special. I've been looking for a documentary about him with no real luck. Amazing you have that print of him with his writing. What a true treasure to hold!

[galoadriangoigserrano]

How interesting. Very nice video thank you very much.

[STENCHOVDETH]

Good morning and thank you for being here Daniel. Much love from Australia.

[nowisthetime]

Cannot tell how much I enjoy book reviews.
What an absolutely magnificent book and snipet of another's life.
Makes me question my own existence and what I'm doing wasting it with trivia.
More please...

[FabrizioZago]

I didn't know Peter Beard, that's a very interesting body of work in this book. Thanks for sharing.

[RichardSilvius]

This was amazing. I’m embarrassed to admit I had heard of Peter Beard, but knew nothing about him. Thank you 🙏

[ishansharma]

A big fan of Beard, thanks for this! :)

[patappaul]

More please! As a photographer I love seeing, and NEED to study others work. However living in small town America on a budget realy limits my access. The library only carrys photography how too books, and the majority of photography books run a high premium, even used. So I realy appreciate getting to see glimpses like this. This is an important series so please keep going.

[timothyroessler]

I found out about Peter Beard through your website several months ago. Without exaggeration, that discovery changed my life. I ended up reading Dinesen and Darwin and studying the paintings of Francis Bacon. My journaling (not even in the same ballpark as Beard's, of course, but useful for me) took on a new life and importance. As for Beard himself, it's striking and exemplary that he was always and forever focused on his subject -- Africa -- and not himself -- as remarkable a man as he was. So, thank you for the introduction to him, and thank you for this video. 
(Still, is it really a Daniel Milnor video if it's in color? Hm.)

[raptorphile]

Excellent synopsis of Beard's hypnotic classic. The one you're reviewing is the 1988 revised and updated second edition, the first was published in 1965. The journal entry you reference at 15:10 is actually that of J.H. Patterson (author of Man-Eaters of Tsavo) who wrote of his pursuit of the two man-eating lions that terrorized railway workers constructing a bridge over the Tsavo River in 1898.

[MiguelJuanez]

This kind of content has been very difficult for me to find. Thank you for sharing this and helping us aspiring photographers learn about our crafts history and its champions.

[BeingWolfy]

Loving your book reviews. Thanks Dan.

[chrispatmore]

As a surfer and budding surf photographer in the '70s and into the '80s, Art Brewer was one of my favourite shooters and an inspiration as his photos were always a bit more than just great action shots.

[lynnfraser]

Thanks for the introduction to Peter Beard. I read 'Out of Africa' many years ago and had a brief visit to Tsavo on honeymoon (also many years ago!) so have a sense of familiarity with the subject. This book looks to tick a lot of boxes in terms of my interests so I have just ordered a copy of the 50th Anniversary edition as a birthday present to myself 🙂

[stephencharlton]

please keep going... this was excellent