When Romulus Whitaker, aged four, came home with a dead snake, his mother made him promise that he would never kill one, even though this particular snake – “a harmless garter” – was killed by his friends, and not Breezy, as his mother called him. Now 80, Whitaker is known for establishing the Madras Snake Park, the Madras Crocodile Bank …
Romulus Whitaker recalls a rather imprudent experiment he often conducted at school, which involved mixing ammonia water and iodine crystals. “This book ends when he returns to India at the age of 24,” says Quader, adding that Snake, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll is not easy to put down once you pick it up. “It has extended to crocodiles and …
Romulus Whitaker’s Snakes, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll is a delightful tale of his exciting wildlife adventures and enduring love for India. Snakes, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll: My Early Years By Romulus Whitaker with Janaki Lenin HarperCollins India Pages: 400 Price: Rs.699 “Most kids would be interested in snakes if it weren’t for their parents. “I felt like I’d …
What is the nature of memory? For Romulus Whitaker, in a portent of things to come, one occurs when he turns over a rock and finds a shed snakeskin. Like a rolling stone One theme that runs strongly throughout the candid and delightful first part of his autobiography, Snakes, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll: My Early Years, is how unconventional …
