David Read (1922–2015) was a British-born author widely known for his vivid memoirs of life among the Maasai in East Africa. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, to British parents, he spent his formative years in what is now Tanzania, growing up as a self-described "white Maasai" who learned the Maasai language before his own native English. He rose to acclaim with his memoir Barefoot over the Serengeti, followed by Beating About the Bush, Another Load of Bull, and the historical novel Waters of the Sanjan, works that draw on his decades spent as a farmer, cattle dealer, hunter, and aviator across Kenya and Tanzania. After independence reshaped life for European settlers across East Africa, he continued moving between farming and consulting work before eventually returning to Momella, Tanzania, where he began writing down the stories and legends he had absorbed since childhood. Known for his intimate, firsthand portrayal of Maasai customs and the vanishing world of colonial-era East Africa, Read's work continues to offer readers a rare, deeply personal window into the region's history and people.