A man inherits an elephant whose fondness for alcohol leads to absolute mayhem in this hilarious "almost true" story from the author of the Corfu Trilogy. When his uncle passes away unexpectedly, young Adrian Rookwhistle's inheritance turns his humdrum life upside down. Instead of a manor house, Adrian has been bequeathed Rosy, an elephant whose predilection for fine spirits leads to high jinks far beyond the means of a shy English gentleman. Convinced that a circus will take the troublesome tusker off his hands, Adrian leads Rosy on a trek to the coast, setting in motion an uproarious adventure of mammoth proportions. Author Gerald Durrell promises that despite being embellished here and there, "nearly all the adventures in this book really happened."Ultimately, this tale of a pachyderm with a penchant for pandemonium guarantees pure entertainment.