Any book recommendations

[tigris115]

So now that I've officially graduated from college, I'm looking for more hunting books to read in between finding a job. I've already read "White Hunters: The Golden Age of African Safaris" twice and it's still my go to the audiobook for walking around town. I also like to read "Death in the Long Grass" which I adore for Capstick's knack of writing. So I was wondering if there were any other truly great books out there I could get from Amazon or the local library. I'd especially like audiobooks since I can listen to them while doing other stuff.

 

[JPbowhunter]

I don't personally love Capstick's style so we may have different tastes.

I know it's regarded as a great read but my most recent book I read I didn't love "Pondoro", unapologetic poacher at that time or now I don't care for.

My favourite African book in my growing collection has been the same for many years "No more the Tusker" by George Rushby.

I still think the greatest hunting books written are those of Jim Corbett. Maneating leopard of Rudrapryag, Maneaters of Kumaon and Jungle Lore are great reads by a truly selfless bloke passionate about the environment and the people in it.

 

[tigris115]

I don't personally love Capstick's style so we may have different tastes.

Tbf, Capstick does come off as quite an abrasive figure. What I like about him is his creativity with words

Also I tried finding some copies of "No more a tusker" and they're rarer than big tuskers themselves at over 150 bucks.

 

[JPbowhunter]

Tbf, Capstick does come off as quite an abrasive figure. What I like about him is his creativity with words

Also I tried finding some copies of "No more a tusker" and they're rarer than big tuskers themselves at over 150 bucks.

Capstick came across to me as full of shit, particularly when his recounting of other people's stories differ from first hand accounts. It's not the worst book I've read, that title belongs to a kiwi bloke Keith someonr who wrote Hunter Climb High.

Hunting in Africa by Frank Hibben was the book as an early teen that exposed me to a lot of the lesser known species. If you take his accounts as fact though there are many ph's including Andrew Holmberg that only walked the earth after safari's with him due to his bravery and prowess under pressure. Interesting reading if for no reason other than it takes you to lots of places in Africa.

Regarding the price of NMtT it runs up a lot more expensive than that too, I was lucky to get a first edition with the dust jacket off my old man for a birthday one year. He picked it up for $100 at a second hand book store. I think that's the best way to get a lot of these old hunting books. At least it has been for me. Some good bargains covered in dust on a shelf here and there. I suggest popping in whenever you pass one never know what you'll find!

 

[Ryan]

Personally I like Capstick's writing. I've read most of his works on Africa. He knows how to spin a story and he was pretty practical on equipment recommending the 375 H&H for most people. A lot of his supposed first hand accounts were in fact other peoples stories, but he was the one to put it on paper and he did it well. So take his accounts with that grain of salt and enjoy. Like him or not he spurred a lot peoples imaginations and got them to head for Africa. There's actually a Peter Capstick Library of several books by other authors he edited and republished to give you ideas. If you want a historic read check out The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Lt. Colonel J.H. Patterson. That's the book the movie Ghost and the Darkness is based on. Interesting read, though the maneater part is maybe 1/3 of the book. Robert Ruark's Horn of a Hunter is legendary, though I've only read Uhuru and The Old Man and a Boy by him, which I recommend. Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa is a classic too. Craig Boddington writes well and is pretty straight forward and practical. Tough to say what is on audiobook.
Good luck.

 

[JPbowhunter]

Personally I like Capstick's writing. I've read most of his works on Africa. He knows how to spin a story and he was pretty practical on equipment recommending the 375 H&H for most people. A lot of his supposed first hand accounts were in fact other peoples stories, but he was the one to put it on paper and he did it well. So take his accounts with that grain of salt and enjoy. Like him or not he spurred a lot peoples imaginations and got them to head for Africa. There's actually a Peter Capstick Library of several books by other authors he edited and republished to give you ideas. If you want a historic read check out The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Lt. Colonel J.H. Patterson. That's the book the movie Ghost and the Darkness is based on. Interesting read, though the maneater part is maybe 1/3 of the book. Robert Ruark's Horn of a Hunter is legendary, though I've only read Uhuru and The Old Man and a Boy by him, which I recommend. Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa is a classic too. Craig Boddington writes well and is pretty straight forward and practical. Tough to say what is on audiobook.
Good luck.

I think anyone that watches Ghost and the darkness needs to read Patterson's book just to remove the hollywood from a great story.

In reality they weren't near as bad as the movie made out (killing an entire hospital comes to mind!, or the made up Remington character), and he probably was lucky not to be killed a couple of times. But then again he wasn't a PH so did well without the previous experience.

 

[Ryan]

I think anyone that watches Ghost and the darkness needs to read Patterson's book just to remove the hollywood from a great story.

In reality they weren't near as bad as the movie made out (killing an entire hospital comes to mind!, or the made up Remington character), and he probably was lucky not to be killed a couple of times. But then again he wasn't a PH so did well without the previous experience.

Yep, it was definitely Hollywood. Patterson may have named the book after them but it was only part of his story there. I'm currently working on The Lunatic Express by Charles Miller, which is a much broader story about the whole of east Africa back in the later 1800's into the 1900's and the railway. It's got a section about Tsavo. Should be interesting to see his perspective.

 

[Adam Stevens]

Hemingway made me dream of old Africa.

Been going through Ruarks lately and very happy. I find his style similar to Hemingway but more writing about actual hunting.

I have many more I plan to pickup. Between the forums and the books it keeps my Africa dreams burning. Roosevelt, Bell to name a few more

Buzz Charlton’s books as a great read and some good laughs and stories in it. Hearing some first hand while hunting in September was even better.

I’d like to get John Sharps book.

 

[JPbowhunter]

I'm on the lookout for a good first edition of Wanderings of An Elephant Hunter. That'll be an interesting read I feel.

 

[meigsbucks]

Ruark’s Horn of the Hunter. Boddington’s Safari Rifle’s 2 is a good read about African rifles. Chapstick... I find his writing entertaining, but not always informative.

 

[CEO]

I'm a big Capstick fan, have almost all his books. I take his stories for what they are. Recently finished Horn of the Hunter and thought it was decent. That was my first Ruark book so I need more to know how I feel about his writing.

Wife got me an old edition of Maneaters of Kumaon. Loved it and Corbett's style of writing. I'm thinking of buying a newer copy so I can read it again without damaging my current one. Also have an old edition of Green Hills of Africa but once was enough for it.

Man Eaters of Tsavo I enjoyed. There are a lot of good tidbits in the book. I'll read anything on Cape Buffalo.

One book I haven't seen mentioned is Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa by Arthur Neumann. It gives a great look into old Africa. Stories about the natives in the hunting party are worth the read alone. You can buy this book cheap but I read it online as a PDF.

 

[WAB]

I’d grab Buzz Charlton and John Sharp’s books. Well written great reads by guys who have been there. Ruark and Hemingway were great writers, but let’s be honest, their knowledge of Africa and African hunting was pretty limited in comparison to men like Buzz and John. A good friend, Bruce VanBuskirk, wrote a book, ‘The Last Safari’ after a year working in Zim. It is an excellent read if you can find it.

 

[ack]

This is one of the best you'll ever read ==I Married Adventure by Martin and Ossa Johnson.....do some searching

 

[Firebird]

Go online to “safari press” and you can find numerous great books and especially audio books that you will enjoy. I buy most mine there or from from amazon-and I am a huge Capstick fan!

 

[sestoppelman]

Another non hater of Capsticks work here. I loved his books, super entertaining and like many here, was finally pushed to make it happen largely because of his writings. My first exposure to Africana would be Horn of the Hunter by Ruark and its a great book, read it several times. There are soooooo many good books on the subject its hard to think of them all. Much depends on what one is looking for as to time frame. Most of the classics are completely out of date as to hunting in the various countries. Basically irrelevant in so far as current or near current conditions, though many are still great reads. Hemingways Green Hills of Africa is a classic, though personally I find reading about Hemingway himself more interesting than his actual writings. He sure packed a lot of living into 61 years!

One of the better titles is African Hunter by James Mellon, its a classic that should adorn any library. Boddington has his African Hunter II, which is also very good. One of my personal favorites is his Search for the Spiral Horn, a hard to find book but well worth the fairly high tariff, excellent book. You can see that not only do I like Capstick but my opinion of Boddington didn't change because he had some financial issues. He is still a damn good writer and has hunted more of Africa and the world than anyone else we will probably ever know.

Hunting the Dangerous Game of Africa by John Kingsley-Heath is good also, probably not an easy find though now.

I had so many African hunting books I actually sold some here some time back. I still have quite a few but when I first got into this madness in the early 80's I was on a first name basis with a number of hunting book sellers!

 

[Ridgewalker]

I’m reading JA Hunter again. As a game ranger in Kenya, he had some grand opportunities of trigger time that are a bit sad by today’s standards, ie, having to kill tons of lions, elephants and rhinos.
I still watch the dvd “Hatari” with John Wayne to get to see tons of animals at the foot of Kilimanjaro. You could never do a film today like that.
You’ve read one of my favorites, “White Hunters”. It is an excellent timeline that puts all the other books in sequence for me.

 

[Timbo]

Without hesitation, I can recommend two uttely superb books:
1) Hunter, by J A Hunter
2) Uganda Safari, by Brian Herne

"Hunter" just stands in a class of its own, whilst "Uganda Safari" is full of exciting hunts, and situations (like the chapter on the two Spaniards) will keep you laughing long and hard.

But another book that comes to mind, on NZ deer culling and hunting that describes an amazing collection of quirky, "characters" is Barry Crump's "A good keen man".

Enjoy!

 

[Albert GRANT]

Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa is my number one Africa book. Read it a dozen times

 

[Timbo]

I'm on the lookout for a good first edition of Wanderings of An Elephant Hunter. That'll be an interesting read I feel.

The way I collect is to buy what I can afford now (and only in hard back), then work backwards getting earlier editions, funded in part by selling my later edition. That way I fill in my collection with what I'm chasing while working towards acquiring the better, earlier, editions later.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Bell's books can be enlightening and have many parallels to today's world. Congrats on your graduation and good luck with your job search. With a marketable degree, it's a good time to be looking for employment.