What African Hunting book to read first

08 March 2014, 01:39

Horn of the Hunter, Hunter, and African Hunter are classics and will get you hooked on Africa.

Months of the Sun is good also. Ian Nyschens second book, Footsteps of an Ivory Hunter, was self published with a very small run. It is being reprinted by Safari Press. Problem is, it won't be out until late this year.

http://www.safaripress.com/Foo...uctinfo/NYSCHENS98Y/

08 March 2014, 01:43

eagle27

quote:
Originally posted by tanks:
quote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
I can understand why many people here like Ruark.I feel that they have one thing in common with him and that is they go hunting to Africa not because they have a passion for hunting,shooting or rifles but because they want a glamorous vacation or want to be around a certain crowd...

I am confused. If one is on a 1x1 hunt with a PH on a Safari, how are they going to be around a certain crowd?

Two would be a crowd with shootaway

08 March 2014, 01:45

tsibindi

John F. Burger: HORNED DEATH

08 March 2014, 02:23

Brice

Nearly all of the preceding suggestions are excellent, and I have most in my library. However, I have enjoyed Africa more after learning more of the political history, geology, economics, etc. An excellent book that includes all is Africa: A Biography of the Continent. Can't recall the author, but he is a journalist. The book is paperbound, in print and easily available for a few dollars/pounds. Use it as a reference, or just pick it up and read a bit now and again.

Also: In Brightest Africa, by Carl E. Akeley. He was a taxidermist, did the elephants in the entry of the New York Museum of Natural History, and many of the dioramas there. He accompanied Roosevelt on his famous safari. Akeley didn't like to hunt, but did so as a necessity. The story of how his wife saved his life on one of their safaris is worth the price of the book. Out of print, but likely available at an affordable price on the used market. Try Abe Books.

When A Crocodile Eats the Sun, by Godwin. Great view of modern Zimbabwe. Godwin is a competent journalist.

Short stories by Doris Lessing. Can't recall the title of the collection. Mostly stories of colonial days in Kenya. She passed away just recently. Social and political history in an entertaining form.

"He that hath drunk of Africa's fountains will drink again." Old Arab Proverb, quoted by Akeley. Probably not true. I've only been ten times.
Brice

08 March 2014, 02:40

John Chalmers

Thank you all once again for a very comprehensive list, you are passionate about your subject.
My first three will be Horn Of The Hunter, Death In The Long Grass and Hunter.

We still have lending Libraries here in Scotland. I am going to ask them to get some of the others on their shelves.jc

08 March 2014, 02:45

Blacktailer

Mellon's African Hunter was one of my first. Boddington and Flack did an update called African Hunter II where they pretty much evaluated Africa country by country for hunting.
For entertainment
Capstick, Ruark, Hunter, or just about anything else that you can find. Like hunting, it's never bad, sometimes are just better than others.

08 March 2014, 02:47

Blacktailer

quote:
Originally posted by John Chalmers:
Thank you all once again for a very comprehensive list, you are passionate about your subject.
My first three will be Horn Of The Hunter, Death In The Long Grass and Hunter.

We still have lending Libraries here in Scotland. I am going to ask them to get some of the others on their shelves.jc

I was typing while you were posting. Read those and you will be hooked!

08 March 2014, 02:51

boarkiller

quote:
Originally posted by John Chalmers:
Thank you ALL for your advice. These books to read may cost me time on AR.

boarkiller, I doubt very much I shall ever make it to Africa but I will continue to enjoy the experience of all your Safaris, and now all the books I will read.

No No, You gotta go at least once.
Whatever it takes and I mean it.

Besides, my favorite is Months of the sun

Have a hard enough time tolerating the Scottish Midge never mind the African insect life. jc

" Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins.
When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar.
Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan
PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move...

Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies...
Only fools hope to live forever
“ Hávamál”

08 March 2014, 02:54

shootaway

Read Death in the long grass first because as a noobie you will be on the same wave lentgh as the author and all will be well.

08 March 2014, 04:36

Nyala

These are all great books that have been mentioned - no arguments! But since people are listing more than just the first book, I would add after Horn of the Hunter and Death in the Long Grass and all the older classics plus Craig Boddington books too by the way, please read African Hunter by James Mellon. The others made me dream and are fantastic, but this work is mind blowing made me really understand I could go and do it......I would love to meet that man and shake his hand. Best regards, mark

09 March 2014, 09:55

Duckear

quote:
Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Horn of the Hunter by Ruark.

Yup

09 March 2014, 11:43

JBrown

quote:
Originally posted by JTHunt:
Difference is from a literary point of view Ruark was way up there. Hemingway is one of my favourites but he never achieved his best writing when depicting Africa

You are spot on! Hemingway is one of our greatest writers and he will be a household name for generations, but his African work pales in comparison to the rest of his body of work.

Ruark may be forgotten in a generation or two but his writing on Africa will never be bettered.

Jason

"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________

Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.

Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.

-Jason Brown

09 March 2014, 12:08

JPK

Hemmingway fans need to read his short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber" if they haven't read it yet.

JPK

09 March 2014, 13:03

shakari

To me at least, Capstick & Ruark celebrate Africa, African hunting and the wild places which is why I reckon they make good books to start with.

I like Hemingway but think he rather wallows in the miseries of Africa.

09 March 2014, 13:33

JPK

quote:
Originally posted by shakari:

I like Hemingway but think he rather wallows in the miseries of Africa.

I would agree, with the exception of this short story. Not that the story has a happy ending, it doesn't, but the ending is in no way related to Africa only.

Have you read it?

JPK

09 March 2014, 13:55

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by JPK:

Have you read it?

JPK

Several times..... but not in recent years. I'd find it hard to name an absolute Hemingway favourite but if pressed, I guess it'd be Snows Of Kilimanjaro.

10 March 2014, 21:20

JTEX

quote:
Thank you all once again for a very comprehensive list, you are passionate about your subject.
My first three will be Horn Of The Hunter, Death In The Long Grass and Hunter.

Great start! Welcome to the wonderfull literary world of AFRICA!

.

10 March 2014, 21:48

Dave Fulson

Horn Of The Hunter will always be THE classic read in my estimation..

11 March 2014, 02:12

Harry

Safari by Bartle Bull
I am with Kathi on this book for all the reasons she stated. The books starts in the beginning and takes you up over the Great Rift and into the modern era. You even get Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly!

11 March 2014, 02:21

Muletrain

quote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
I can understand why many people here like Ruark.I feel that they have one thing in common with him and that is they go hunting to Africa not because they have a passion for hunting,shooting or rifles but because they want a glamorous vacation or want to be around a certain crowd...

The most memorible part of my first safari many years ago was sitting at the same table with a man whom I had read about in several of Boddington's books. I had no idea he was going to be in the same camp. He was guiding an elephant hunter, I hunting buffalo. None the less it was thrilling to sit at the same table with the legendary Barrie Duckworth. My PH was Pieter Fick who became very well known as well.

Book recommendation - start with DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS by Capstick.

Then read the boring ones by Ruark etc.

11 March 2014, 02:26

shakari

Hunter by J A Hunter is also a good early read.

11 March 2014, 02:43

MJines

quote:
Originally posted by shakari:
Hunter by J A Hunter is also a good early read.

[P.S. Nice to see we at least agree on books.

]

11 March 2014, 02:53

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by MJines:
quote:
Originally posted by shakari:
Hunter by J A Hunter is also a good early read.

[P.S. Nice to see we at least agree on books. ]

I can't argue with that.

I Was 12 years old & it was the first book I ever read about Africa & African hunting & from that moment on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Strange how one book can change an entire lifetime.

11 March 2014, 03:03

MJines

All of Hunter's books are good, White Hunter, Tales of the African Frontier and Hunter's Tracks too. You could far worse than having your library consist just of those three (plus Hunter) books.

11 March 2014, 03:10

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by MJines:
All of Hunter's books are good, White Hunter, Tales of the African Frontier and Hunter's Tracks. You could far worse than having your library consist just of those three (plus Hunter) books.

All are good & we have them all but I reckon 'Hunter' by Hunter is the best of them all.

For both laughs & informed comment, I'd recommend:

The Hunter & The Go Away Bird by Stevie Smith

KILLERS IN AFRICA, THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS LYING IN WAIT AND HUNTERS LYING IN PRINT by Alexander Lake

The Half Fast Hunter by Bill Yung

All 3 are brilliant reads.

11 March 2014, 03:26

gbax

Personally I would start with Capstick, Boddington and Flack, I have read all of their work and it is consistently good.

I recently read John F. Burger: HORNED DEATH and although i enjoyed it it failed to captivate me.

A couple of chapters into Horn of the Hunter and the juries out for me so far.

11 March 2014, 13:45

Carlsen Highway

My favourite is "Karamojo Safari" by WDM Bell. I probably read it every year.

As a Scotsman, you might appreciate him, if you want to read about elephant hunting. His house is still in Garvie.

(I just picked up JA Hunter's first book "Hunter" from the second hand bookshop for a couple of dollars! )

I wouldn't mind Ruark so much if he didn't start or finish a bottle of something on every single page...

11 March 2014, 13:59

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by Carlsen Highway:
My favourite is "Karamojo Safari" by WDM Bell. I probably read it every year.

As a Scotsman, you might appreciate him, if you want to read about elephant hunting. His house is still in Garvie.

(I just picked up JA Hunter's first book "Hunter" from the second hand bookshop for a couple of dollars! )

I wouldn't mind Ruark so much if he didn't start or finish a bottle of something on every single page. ..

Ja, it's a bugger when the pages get damp like that huh?

11 March 2014, 18:19

sammyh312

White Hunter & Hunter by J.A. Hunter

12 March 2014, 09:58

lavaca

quote:
Hemmingway fans need to read his short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber" if they haven't read it yet.

One of my favorites.

Also wanted to comment on a couple of others. Read a "how to" book recently where the author revealed mid-way through that he had been on Five -- count them -- Five safaris. I'd started to wonder about a lot of his "advice" prior to that, but come on -- I would never presume to tell someone how to hunt a particular animal continent-wide based on five safaris. Pretty lame.

As to meeting some of the greats, I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Paddie Curtis in Masailand in '12. A fine gentleman. He had a new hunter in camp and we had eland tenders for lunch. I commented on the hunter's luck in taking an eland in such short order. Paddy offered that the eland was a lion kill; they found a fresh one and took the backstraps and tenders. It was very good.

I did notice that Paddy still has elephant leather seats in his cruiser notwithstanding his hyena experience in the Selous, as related in Wessel's book. I didn't mention it, thought it might be bad form.

12 March 2014, 16:22

John Chalmers

quote:
Originally posted by JPK:
Hemmingway fans need to read his short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber" if they haven't read it yet.
JPK

JPK, Hunter got delivered yesterday and im halfway through. Its as you all said, brilliant. Mr Hunter flags up Hemmingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis MacComber in the, Clients Brave or Otherwise, chapter 5. Temptation is a terrible, and in this case, deadly thing.jc

12 March 2014, 16:55

Pegleg

I've just finished "Kwaheri!" by Robert von Reitnauer.
About a young boy growing up in the "old" Africa falling in love with the bush and hunting. As he grows his love for the art of hunting grows and he eventually becomes a PH and soon owns his own safari company. Very good read and one of the life styles I'm sure we have all dreamed about.

15 March 2014, 01:51

hunt99

quote:

I wouldn't mind Ruark so much if he didn't start or finish a bottle of something on every single page...

All outdoorsman would start or finish a bottle of something way too often if they lived in New York City!!

I'll add another suggestion to the reading list that I haven't seen here yet:

With a Gun in Good Country by Ian Manning

15 March 2014, 05:40

crbutler

From my perspective, I read Ruark after I had been on my first buffalo hunt.

The writing all but brought me back there, at least at the beginning of the book.

I think Ruark in many ways captures the experience that we all recall, but in talking to a friend who I lent the book to, he took the alcoholic part as being way more important- and gave me a hard time about it, so it may be that one sees different parts more strongly based on one's experiences (my friend is much more a drinker than I am- he felt that all I was doing was going over there to get loaded where no one would say boo about it.)

I have not read Hunter's books.

Capstick does a great job in selling Africa to any outdoorsman.

Pondoro Taylor's books I found to be rather slow going. Lots of information, but not as entertaining.

Some of Jack O'Connor's stuff was quite interesting also, but that is not whole book format Africa.

19 March 2014, 02:46

Muletrain

Changing my recommendation to
THE MONSTER HUNTERS by Larry Correia.

03 April 2014, 06:39

LR3

John, as a Scot you must be proud of some great Scotish hunter / adventures! The Highlands are beautiful and I visit with my wife.
Great old books you can download from Google books free are those by Gordon Cummings, Harris, Baldwin, Selous and Drummond. These are the earliest hunters. Of course there is also Livingstone. My first well thumbed copy at school was Jock of the Bushveld about a dog written by Percival Fitzpatrick, later a member of parliament. For more existential examination of hunting and motives, including his own negative ones ther is Hemingway. Ruark is more about the experience and a good read. Patterson and the man-eaters of Tsavo is interesting as is the movie about it The Ghost and thebDarkness. But Hemingway bases The Short Life of Francis Macomber on Patterson after the murder / suicide of Pattersons batman after he has an affair with the wife. Percival the PH of Hemingway is also the model. For rifles I d start with John Taylor but also De Lange, Green, Bonnington, and van der walt. For buffalo the two best are Nyati and Kevin Robertson - Africa's most Dangerous. Elephants Karamajo Bell and Harland and Bulphin about Barnard. Lion probaly Hunter is among the best but also a great read. Safaris - Bonnington, Capstick for stories and fiction, and Roosevelt. For a complete review of Southern Africa, politics, hunting, wildlife, diary of hunt, photos and future of wildlife breeding etc the two books by Lytle and Svensson - A short Safari Adventure. There is a treasure trove of other great books and after your first one there are many to be discovered.( Also Gregory Woods on rifles)

03 April 2014, 09:50

umzingele

all suggestions are good - for a good read of current hunting stories - Peter Flack's Heart of an African Hunter, and any of his other books.http://www.peterflack.co.za/booksDvds/booksDvds.html

Enjoy your Reading Safari.....

04 April 2014, 20:09

TANZ-PH

quote:
Originally posted by JPK:
I'd say, of you want to keep it light, Capsticks books.

The some John Pondoro Taylor.

The Harland's "Ndlovu"

Ron Thomson's "Mohohoba" (SP?)

The Harland's "The Hunting Imperative."

Nychesns "Months of the Sun" and "Footsteps of an Ivory Hunter."

Hemingway's short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber"

Ruark never thrilled me. I usually like Hemigway, but "The Green Hills of Africa" was boring to me.

JPK

Ditto on Ruark & Hemingway. interesting guys both...but a bit dry & boring reading for my tastes.

Out of the 100's books I have...where does one start? Well here a few of my favorites (not in any order):

1)HUNTER, JA HUNTER
2)AFRICAN HUNTER, MELLON
3)WHITE HUNTERS, BRIAN HERNE
4)BRIGHTEST AFRICA, CARL AKELEY
5)MEN OF ALL SEASONS, ANTHONY DYER
6) A HUNTER'S STORY/MAMBAS & MANEATERS C.J.P. IONIDES
7)PONDORO, John Taylor
8)MEMORIES OF AN AFRICAN HUNTER, TERRY IRWIN
9)THE LAST OF OLD AFRICA, BRIAN NICHOLSON
HUNTING DANGEROUS GAME OF AFRICA, John Kinsley Heath
10) CARL AKELEY AFRICA's COLLECTOR/SAVIOR, Penelope Bodry Sanders
11) BWANA COTTON, Cotton Gordon
12) BROR BLIXEN (Africa Letters) C\.F.V. Kleen
13) HUNTER & GO AWAY BIRD, Steven Smith
14) TRAILS OF THE HUNTED, James l. Clark
15) WILD HEART of AFRICA, Rolf Baldus

All good, interesting reads. All written (with one exception), by men with many years of genuine experience in the bush.