Sinclair has documented not only the ecological events as the system has changed but also the political, economic, and social events that have driven these changes. Including personal accounts of the dramatic events brought about by the vicissitudes of political turmoil, he tells the story of Serengeti and its surrounding research. Providing the historical background--both the paleohistory going back 4 million years and the modern history of the region--he examines the future of conservation, considering the ominous threats facing the Serengeti today.