Ernest Hemingway was fascinated by death ... and his injuries in two back-to-back plane crashes toward the end of his second African safari left an indelible imprint on him, until he confronted ...

Hemingway said the blue and white Cessna crashed when it dived at low altitude to avoid hitting a flock of flying ibises--jungle birds big enough to smash the canopy of the plane. . ." (N.Y. Times ...