BryceM
AH enthusiast
I've been searching around for some good Africa hunting books and I've finally made it through a few of them.
Green Hills of Africa - Ernest Hemingway - This is an account of his first safari to Africa in the 1930s. As an adventure story it's great. He captures the essence of the thrill of hunting and sharing good times with good people. The book builds to the suspense of finally getting a nice Kudu, which he had a difficult time accomplishing. This is probably the definition of a "classic safari" in many people's minds.
The Man-eaters of Tsavo - John Patterson - The story of these lions is told in the film "The Ghost and the Darkness" I've visited these lions twice in the Field Museum in Chicago. Reading the book was of course better than the movie. For once, real-life events were probably more gruesome than what was portrayed in the film. This book isn't terribly too long and goes on to describe several of Patterson's lion hunts after he finally got the two Man-eaters.
African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt - I've finished about 60% of this one. This is a first-hand account of ex-president Roosevelt's year-long hunting/collecting trip to East Africa exactly 100 years ago. His take on life is refreshing and interesting, if a bit dated. I have a greater respect for the man, but it's probably a good thing that times have moved on. The adventures do make for an enjoyable read. His hunting party consisted of at least 200 people and he shipped most of what he shot back to the Smithsonian. Reading between the lines it seems that the real purpose of the trip was to do a safari in monumental style while getting the fat cats of the day to fund the trip "for the museum". His usual technique was to throw lead until something was wounded and then run it down for several miles on horseback to finish it off. He must have gone through several thousand rounds during his trip.
Under Kilimanjaro - Ernest Hemingway - I haven't started this one yet. So little time.......
Green Hills of Africa - Ernest Hemingway - This is an account of his first safari to Africa in the 1930s. As an adventure story it's great. He captures the essence of the thrill of hunting and sharing good times with good people. The book builds to the suspense of finally getting a nice Kudu, which he had a difficult time accomplishing. This is probably the definition of a "classic safari" in many people's minds.
The Man-eaters of Tsavo - John Patterson - The story of these lions is told in the film "The Ghost and the Darkness" I've visited these lions twice in the Field Museum in Chicago. Reading the book was of course better than the movie. For once, real-life events were probably more gruesome than what was portrayed in the film. This book isn't terribly too long and goes on to describe several of Patterson's lion hunts after he finally got the two Man-eaters.
African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt - I've finished about 60% of this one. This is a first-hand account of ex-president Roosevelt's year-long hunting/collecting trip to East Africa exactly 100 years ago. His take on life is refreshing and interesting, if a bit dated. I have a greater respect for the man, but it's probably a good thing that times have moved on. The adventures do make for an enjoyable read. His hunting party consisted of at least 200 people and he shipped most of what he shot back to the Smithsonian. Reading between the lines it seems that the real purpose of the trip was to do a safari in monumental style while getting the fat cats of the day to fund the trip "for the museum". His usual technique was to throw lead until something was wounded and then run it down for several miles on horseback to finish it off. He must have gone through several thousand rounds during his trip.
Under Kilimanjaro - Ernest Hemingway - I haven't started this one yet. So little time.......
