The Picnic on Mount Kenya. Felice Benuzzi. Longhams. Hardback, 1960

Hardback, no dust jacket.The Picnic on Mount Kenya by Felice Benuzzi is a memoir detailing his extraordinary adventure and escape from a British prison camp during World War II. Benuzzi, an Italian soldier, was interned in Kenya during the war. While in captivity, he and two fellow prisoners decided to escape and climb Mount Kenya, despite being far from equipped for such an endeavor.

The book, first published in 1960, recounts the trio's daring and resourceful journey. Despite the dangers of both the harsh mountain environment and their situation as prisoners of war, Benuzzi's narrative is imbued with humor, determination, and an almost surreal sense of adventure. The title, The Picnic on Mount Kenya, reflects the group's approach to the mountain expedition, which they treated as an impromptu escape and "picnic" rather than a serious mission.

Benuzzi's writing conveys the spirit of adventure and the human desire for freedom, as well as the absurdity and the audacity of their plan. The work is often described as an uplifting and remarkable account of courage and ingenuity under the most unlikely of circumstances. Ref: 1329