Kenneth Gandar Dower Books

Kenneth Cecil Gandar Dower (1908 - 1944) was a leading English sportsman, aviator, explorer and author. In 1934 Gandar-Dower led an expedition to Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range in an attempt to capture a spotted lion that was rumoured to exist.

The book by James Riddell 'In The Forests Of The Night' was dedicated to the late Kenneth Gandar Dower who was the author's travelling companion during an expedition into the Central African forest to take pictures of animals.

The Spotted Lion by Kenneth Gandar Dower (1937)is an entertaining and amusing description of Dower's safari, with Raymond Hook, into the Aberdares in search of the fabled 'spotted lion'.

Abyssinian Patchwork by Kenneth Gandar Dower (1949) is a collection of articles about the Ethiopian Campaign in the second World War, as seen by the participants. Gandar-Dower was a press officer and witnessed the East African Campaign of 1940–1941, including the Allied liberation of Italian-occupied Abyssinia. He then compiled an anthology of the stories told to him by soldiers from both sides, prisoners, natives and strangers. The book was published posthumously.

Amateur Adventure by Kenneth Gandar Dower (1934) after learning to fly, Dower and a companion decided to fly 7000 miles from London to Madras in India. It took 2 weeks and 13 stops along the way. The book is about the successful flight which was after celebrated with a month long tiger hunt in India.

Into Madagascar by Kenneth Gandar Dower (1943) recounts his time in Madagascar in 1942 taking part in the Allied assault on the Vichy-held island. He arrived at the Madagascar coast in a troop-flled landing craft undrr heavy fire. It was after this episode of his life that he boarded the troop ship SS Khedive Ismael in Mombasa bound for Colombo, Ceylon when the ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank. Kenneth Gandar Dower was not among the few survivors.

Page Updated: Oct 2020