Explores the history of the elephant from the Egyptian pharaohs' first ivory expeditions 2500 years ago to the relationship between man and elephant today, including the elephant's role in literature and popular culture. Meredith, a journalist who spent much of his life writing about Africa, explains recent discoveries about the elephant's ability to communicate, its sophisticated family and community structure, and the ways in which elephants show compassion and loyalty to one another. B&w illustrations and color photographs support the text. Originally published as by Hodder and Stoughton, Great Britain, 2001. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)