Help me compile a list of all the must-read books on African Hunting

[Northern Shooter]

I'm starting to compile a list of all the essential books on the topic of African Hunting and am planning to read them in chronological order this summer.

1. 1907 - John Patterson - The Man Eaters of Tsavo
2. 1910 - Teddy Roosevelt - African Game Trails.
3. 1923 - W.D.M. Bell - The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter
4. 1935 - Ernest Hemingway - Green Hills of Africa.
5. 1948 - John Taylor - African Rifles and Cartridges
6. 1949 - W.D.M. Bell - Karamojo Safari
7. 1953 - Robert Ruark - Horn of the Hunter
8. 1960 - W.D.M. Bell - Bell of Africa
9. 1978 - Peter Hathaway Capstick - Death in the long grass (and the 3 follow up books).
10. 2003 - Kevin Robertson - The Perfect Shot and the Perfect Shot II

Which others are worth adding to the list?

Cheers,

 

[Josh P]

F.C. Selous, Hunter, Finaughty, Lyell, Baker, Percival...It's a big list, man.

 

[Tanks]

I'd say number 10 is a must read for anyone planning a hunt in Africa. Number 5 is a good reference material applicable even today.

The rest are good reads for enjoyment that one can read during the 15 hour flight on one's Kindle.

 

[Trail Rated]

Streeter’s “Denatured Africa” was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Northern Shooter]

F.C. Selous, Hunter, Finaughty, Lyell, Baker, Percival...It's a big list, man.

Thanks, I'll look into these authors.

 

[Don458]

White Hunters. Herne

 

[Jason Miller]

There are literally hundreds of must reads in my option, Elephants and Ivory has recently struck a cord with me and I am on my third read in the same year. Its so poetic, kind of like Out Of Africa for hunters,

 

[375Fox]

Ask the Namibian Guides is a very good book for planning a first safari and just a good read in general.

 

[flatwater bill]

My fav out of an extensive library: Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa.....by Neumann. But you must decide whether you are after advice on hunting, or historical works......best of luck......consider also Foa, Blixen, Baker, Stigand and Von Honel...........FWB

 

[Christian Davis]

In addition to many of those already mentioned, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Robin Hurt.

 

[baxterb]

My fav out of an extensive library: Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa.....by Neumann. But you must decide whether you are after advice on hunting, or historical works......best of luck......consider also Foa, Blixen, Baker, Stigand and Von Honel...........FWB

Neumanns book is good. I happened to trek exactly where he camped in what is now Meru Nat Park in Kenya. My mind ran…


Other books:

Months of the Sun
For the Honour of a Hunter
Kambaku
In Brightest Africa
Horned Death
Sand Rivers
Safari (Bull)

 

[flatwater bill]

Dang, @baxterb ........now that is living some real history......might add in another book, "The wild Sport of Southern Africa" by Harris.......the first white man known to have encountered a Sable......(which he called a Potaquaine.)...and Peter Berger's book on The Great Karoo.....FWB

 

[Buffalo1]

Your #10 needs to be read and memorized; then put in your day pack.

 

[Flipper Dude]

I like all of the aforementioned. John Sharp’s “Facing down Fear” was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommend for a modern look at safari life

 

[C.W. Richter]

There are MANY others. If you promise not to mention the Needmore anymore and swear you'll never take a Mossberg to Africa, I'll consider adding to your list. (Stil have the best gun Mossberg ever made in CT: the heavy bbl 22 WMR 640K Chuckster model i got when i was 10. I quickly dispatched of their junky shotguns I got a few years later in-favor of quality stuff by others-Franchi/Browning/Beretta/Ithaca.) LOL Kevin Robertson's "Africa's Most Dangerous" is probably an even better book than his "how to aim at animals" that sells a lot of copies and posters, etc.! lol You missed a pile of steeped-in-Africa hunters that wrote or were featured in many books. Crawford Fletcher Jamieson. Denis Lydel. Wally Johnson. Mark Sullivan. et. al.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

“Jungle Man” by Pretorius
“The Hunter is Death” by T.V. Bulpin

 

[steve white]

May I suggest you take advantage of one of the last great service--oriented businesses....that of the local public library?!! They will literally scour the net for other libraries copies of your favorite africana and have it shipped to the one near you AT NO CHARGE and thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I literally have more hunting books than I have shelf space and cannot seem to learn that I don't have to actually purchase everything I want to read. (After reading, I can select the best ones for purchase) I hope my wife doesn't read this, she won't believe it is coming out of my mouth, but I am going to start using this free resource more often.

Having said that, no collection is complete without Months of the Sun, by Ian Nyschens

 

[IdaRam]

Months of the Sun - Ian Nyschens
The Hunting Imperative - Richard Harland
Horned Death - John Burger
King of the Wa-Kikuyu - John Boyes
Facing the Charge - Michael Miller

And so many more… quite a good list we’ve got going so far!

 

[flatwater bill]

Second that vote for Denis Lyell..........the compilation of his letters shows more about the great hunters, what they were doing and thinking...since they wrote the letters to Lyell .....than any later historical perspective. .....FWB

 

[Sue Tidwell]

I'm starting to compile a list of all the essential books on the topic of African Hunting and am planning to read them in chronological order this summer.

1. 1907 - John Patterson - The Man Eaters of Tsavo
2. 1910 - Teddy Roosevelt - African Game Trails.
3. 1923 - W.D.M. Bell - The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter
4. 1935 - Ernest Hemingway - Green Hills of Africa.
5. 1948 - John Taylor - African Rifles and Cartridges
6. 1949 - W.D.M. Bell - Karamojo Safari
7. 1953 - Robert Ruark - Horn of the Hunter
8. 1960 - W.D.M. Bell - Bell of Africa
9. 1978 - Peter Hathaway Capstick - Death in the long grass (and the 3 follow up books).
10. 2003 - Kevin Robertson - The Perfect Shot and the Perfect Shot II

Which others are worth adding to the list?

Cheers,

You have some great books already listed but just off the top of my head, you should add Kevin Robertsons “It shouldn’t have happened”. I loved that book! It is so fun with great stories…plus you will still learn a lot. At least I did while being thoroughly entertained at his mishaps.

I’d also love for you to add Cries of the Savanna to your list. Of course, I am a bit prejudice but many people here have read the book. Maybe you could ask their opinion or check it out on Amazon or my website. Thanks! Happy reading this summer! Sue