<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[author results for Croke, Vicki]]></title><description><![CDATA[author results for Croke, Vicki]]></description><link>https://gateway.bibliocommons.com/v2/libraries/salinecountylibrary/rss/search?query=Croke%2C%20Vicki&amp;searchType=author&amp;origin=core-catalog-explore&amp;view=grouped</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 07:48:49 GMT</lastBuildDate><item><title><![CDATA[Elephant Company]]></title><description><![CDATA[J.H. "Billy" Williams always had an affinity for animals. So, when he responded to a job offer with the East India Company to work with logging elephants his family wasn't surprised, though they were worried. He had already come back from World War I in one piece; would he be so lucky with India? Not only did he find his calling with the elephants in India, Billy and his elephants became war heroes. At the onset of World War II, Williams formed Elephant Company and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in Burma and saving refugees, including on his own "Hannibal Trek." Billy Williams became a media sensation during the war, telling reporters that the elephants did more for him than he was ever able to do for them, but his story has since been forgotten. Part biography, part war story, and part wildlife adventure, Croke delivers an utterly charming narrative and an important, little-known piece of the legacy of World War II. Vicki Constantine Croke has been covering pets and wildlife for more than two decades. She has anchored NECN-TV's "The Secret Life of Animals" and wrote the Boston Globe's "Animal Beat" column for 13 years.]]></description><link>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S981C13534926</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S981C13534926</guid><category><![CDATA[EAUDIOBOOK]]></category><category><![CDATA[eng]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Croke, Vicki]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><comments>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/comment/13534926981</comments><format>EAUDIOBOOK</format><subtitle>The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II</subtitle><language>eng</language><image_url>https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9781470397388/MC.GIF&amp;client=midarkansas&amp;type=xw12&amp;oclc=</image_url></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Lady and the Panda]]></title><link>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S200C128119</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S200C128119</guid><category><![CDATA[BK]]></category><category><![CDATA[eng]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Croke, Vicki]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><comments>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/comment/128119200</comments><format>BK</format><subtitle>The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China&apos;s Most Exotic Animal</subtitle><language>eng</language><image_url>https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780375507830/MC.GIF&amp;client=midarkansas&amp;type=xw12&amp;oclc=</image_url></item><item><title><![CDATA[Elephant Company]]></title><description><![CDATA[<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER • A <i>NEW YORK TIMES</i> NOTABLE BOOK<br>The remarkable story of James Howard “Billy” Williams, whose uncanny rapport with the world’s largest land animals transformed him from a carefree young man into the charismatic war hero known as Elephant Bill</b><br>In 1920, Billy Williams came to colonial Burma as a “forest man” for a British teak company. Mesmerized by the intelligence and character of the great animals who hauled logs through the jungle, he became a gifted “elephant wallah.” In <i>Elephant Company,</i> Vicki Constantine Croke chronicles Williams’s growing love for elephants as the animals provide him lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude. <br><i>Elephant Company</i> is also a tale of war and daring. When Japanese forces invaded Burma in 1942, Williams joined the elite British Force 136 and operated behind enemy lines. His war elephants carried supplies, helped build bridges, and transported the sick and elderly over treacherous mountain terrain. As the occupying authorities put a price on his head, Williams and his elephants faced their most perilous test. Elephant Company, cornered by the enemy, attempted a desperate escape: a risky trek over the mountainous border to India, with a bedraggled group of refugees in tow. Part biography, part war epic, <i>Elephant Company</i> is an inspirational narrative that illuminates a little-known chapter in the annals of wartime heroism.<br><b>Praise for <i>Elephant Company</i></b><br>“This book is about far more than just the war, or even elephants. This is the story of friendship, loyalty and breathtaking bravery that transcends species. . . . <i>Elephant Company</i> is nothing less than a sweeping tale, masterfully written.”<b>—Sara Gruen, <i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b><br>“Splendid . . . Blending biography, history, and wildlife biology, [Vicki Constantine] Croke’s story is an often moving account of [Billy] Williams, who earned the sobriquet ‘Elephant Bill,’ and his unusual bond with the largest land mammals on earth.”<b><i>—The Boston Globe</i></b><br> “Some of the biggest heroes of World War II were even bigger than you thought. . . . You may never call the lion the king of the jungle again.”<b><i>—New York Post</i></b><br>“Vicki Constantine Croke delivers an exciting tale of this elephant whisperer–cum–war hero, while beautifully reminding us of the enduring bonds between animals and humans.”<b>—Mitchell Zuckoff, author of <i>Lost in Shangri-La </i>and<i> Frozen in Time</i></b>]]></description><link>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S980C1536579</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S980C1536579</guid><category><![CDATA[EBOOK]]></category><category><![CDATA[eng]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Croke, Vicki]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><comments>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/comment/1536579980</comments><format>EBOOK</format><subtitle>The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save  Lives in World War II</subtitle><language>eng</language><image_url>https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780679603993/MC.GIF&amp;client=midarkansas&amp;type=xw12&amp;oclc=</image_url></item><item><title><![CDATA[Animal Er]]></title><link>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S200C12455</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S200C12455</guid><category><![CDATA[BK]]></category><category><![CDATA[eng]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Tufts University]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><comments>https://salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/comment/12455200</comments><format>BK</format><subtitle>Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing From One of the World&apos;s Leading Veterinary Hospitals</subtitle><language>eng</language><image_url>https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780525945079/MC.GIF&amp;client=midarkansas&amp;type=xw12&amp;oclc=</image_url></item></channel></rss>