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Atkinson: I like reading Capstick and have enjoyed many of his books. If you knew him could you put me straight on one of the more serious rumours: That he hardly hunted at all and got his stories from bars in Jo:burg?

I�m asking this NOT in ridicule but sincerely.

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Mehul I fully agree with you. I have all Anderson and Corbett books, there are no better hunting books in my opinion. Way better than Capstick.

www.kapstadt.de/lemberg
Hunting one hour from Cape Town

Peter capstick has influenced all my hunting career as gude and trophy hunter i have all his books and videos .im a surgeon and i guide because the pleasure of make new friends from all over the world,and for my passion for hunting ,he was a wallstreet man and he guides following his passion so he is an example and i admire himsince my childhood .see his videos.juan i recommend you tony sanchez arino too and best sellers time to death of wilbur smith a great hunter too.juan www.huntinginargentina.com.ar

Im new here but Capstick was an awsome writer. I strongly recomend The Last Ivory Hunter the Wally Johnson story.
That is a great read
"Hunt On "
Tom

Alf: I really didn�t ask for the sarcasm -trophies can be bought, inherited and whatnot so get off your high horses.

The question was asked because Capstick has been badmouthed a lot -also on AR- and I wanted some feedback from a person that really knew him.

No more, no less.

/

I never had the pleasure to meet Peter, but I did phone him when he lived in Florida...I was on vacation in St.Pete
and did a directory assistance call and he, Peter had a listed number...I introduced myself and in a matter of a couple minutes we were talking like we knew each other for many years...As for writing Peter was a great story teller..His discriptions took you right into the stories and Africa...I can still vividly recall his walking across a lagoon after a supposedly dead croc...on his way back he described it coming back to life and knocking him down into the water...He then gave the croc a double dose of 500 grainers behind the smile...
His writings sent many of us to the dark continent for a lifetime of memories...

Mike

Writers bring different things to bear when electing to construct a book. Some may bring strong personal experience but require heavy assistance in putting it all together. Many are those who bring vast experience, melded with surprisingly adequate writing skills. Others offer a comparatively modest degree of experience but in tandem with prodigious authoring ability. And a very select few have a GIFT ... so marvelous that all else is rendered secondary. They connect. I place Mr. Capstick in this latter classification, right along side some other authors of Africa, I've yet to discover.

Death in the longrass was my start in africana. Since then I have been four times and have talked with people who knew and worked with him. Some were critical but I would have never have discovered africa without his writings. I now have a library full of good african books but before each trip I reread capstick just to get in the mood.

With out a doubt, Peter Capstick was a "larger then Life character." I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him at several SCI conventions many years ago now. I also recall the feeling I had when beginning the descent into (Salisbury) now Hararre that I would be grabbed by a Mamba as soon as I cleared customs! This was the latent message which PHC writings had embedded into the subconcious mind. I laughed then and smile now. To have known the dawn and the smells and sounds of the African bush, I owe to the great writers, Peter was one of them. Are there no windows in some of our houses that we must throw stones at the dead? I wise man once told me that if a man tells you he hasn't masturbated, He'll lie to you again. Enjoy your days.

Only while immersed in Capstick have I been regularly overheard laughing heartily by the Mrs., who would invariably ask:

"I thought you were reading a hunting book?"

I must confess that it was PHC, and "Death in the Long Grass", that got me off my duff and into the African bush. I strongly feel that the reassurance of interest in hunting in Africa is due in a large part, if not single handedly, to the writings of PHC.

Sitting down with a PHC book is like being around the campfire with a good friend enjoying sundowners and listening to great stories. A wonderful sense of comfort and sharing.

I suppose, as we wonder through the hunting literary night, we as Diogenes, with our lanterns held high, search for the truthful African Hunting Writer. Who would we find worthy?

Until such time as I find a better teller of great tales, Peter Hathaway Capstick has and continues to serve me well. Who among us would pass up a chance to share a campfire with Peter Hathaway Capstick?

I only knew PHC casually, but over the years, had some very enjoyable conversations with him. I found the "MAN" to be genuine! If you read his works you will find most of the "daring do" was quoted about other people, not PHC himself! Most of the things said about his hunting were about funny things, and mistakes he made! One thing you can take to the bank, when reading about Africa, you could follow his campfire smoke right up to Heaven, if he couldn't make you see it, no other writer would be able to stir your imagination. He was a Gentelman, personified, and to those who must tear him down, get a life, is all I can say!

I remember working 24 and 36 hour shifts in my residency program. When I got home I was too wired to sleep. I would read a couple chapters of Capstick; that would take me many thousands of miles away. Sometimes I would wake up 10 hours later with the book stuck to the side of my face. Hell, for all I know he might even have consorted with democrats. All I do know is that he provided me with relief at a time when that was a rare and precious thing.
JCN

If you enjoy Capstick's books on African hunting, you are sure to like the works of J.A. Hunter, Sir Samuel Baker, Arthur Neumann, R. Gordon Cummings, John Taylor, Denis Lyell, F.C. Selous, William Harris, W.D.M. Bell, William Finaughty, James Sutherland, T. Roosevelt, Von Blixen-Finecke, Abel Chapman, Jim Corbett, etc., etc.- real giants.

I have the same collection of Capstick books as seen in the pic of his house, the leather bound Safari Press editions, signed and numbered by PHC. They're a prized possession. I'm only sorry I never met the man who could bring Africa to the frozen north so well.

If you've read Capstick's books, you know he never even hints at being a "giant" of African hunting; many of his writings were tributes to the real giants, Capstick is merely the more entertaining writer. How seriously can a man take himself when he writes an article on the fun of shooting a fully automatic bb gun at dragonflies? His personal stories of African hunting usually relate how he lived through some hairy moment through luck, the help of a good tracker and a bit of skill. The man was a sniper in Vietnam after all, if I correctly recall the article posted shortly after his death in SCI magazine by one of his friends.

Sad to see how so many people are eager to bring down a man who did nothing but bring the joy of Africa to so many. As Jeff Cooper said of Capstick's stories, "they may not be true, but they're so good they should be."

My post was in no way meant to "bring down" PHC.

Atkinson:

She's married to Adelino Pires now? I didn't know that. I read Winds of Havoc, and recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the lunacy of modern African government.

He just wrote better than most, and he wrote a lot. And since he did, like Hemingway there is aways some to spread rumors and what have you. I think his Family once owned or still owns Hathaway Shirts. I only wear those. So enough said on my feelings for both the Man and his work.

There were two writers which I directly attribute to steering me from being an "Anti" to the hunter I am today.

One of those was a British author Brian Plummer (Tales of a Rat Hunting Man & Adventures of An Artisan Hunter) and the other was PHC (Death in the Long Grass).

These two writters cover the just about the two most opposite poles of hunting, but both told a story such that it gripped you from the momment you picked up their books. Both were very controversial in their own spheres.

With regards PHC, I would agree with others that Peter clearly credited many incidents he recalled to others. I do confess however that I did not enjoy some of his later books so much; he seemed to be trying too hard and signs of his drink problem start to show.

These days I find I enjoy the likes of Corbett and especially Kenneth Anderson and prefer their "understated" style, but Death in the Long Grass will always be special to me and was definately the reason why I went on my first African hunting trip.

Regards,

Peter

Withn a year of reading Death In The Long Grass I found myself in Tanzania sharing a campfire with someone who is now a friend.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about the nights around that campfire and the sounds of the african night. PHC started it all, I would have loved to have hunted with PHC and his crew, Silent and Invisible.

I have recently read Death In The Dark Continent and I am currently enjoying Death In The Long Grass. Can anyone tell me more about Mr. Capstick I can not find any general information or his life story other than what they put on the dust cover. I am hopefull that someone can play Paul Harvey and give me THE REST OF THE STORY.

Oh..you'll get lots of opinions!!

I just like his writing and I could care less if everything is 100% accurate..

I've never caught a 60# salmon, but I'm pretty sure that I had one get away once!

EC: I started reading Capstick way back in 1982 and it had a profound influence on my sporting life. I've read them all, Ruark, Hemingway, etc., and including the new generation writers like Craig Boddington. In my view, he has no equal. Nobody can illustrate a moment in time better than Capstick could. There's lots out there for you to read, doa search on the internet. There was even a website somewhere. If you like Africa, there is none better. jorge

Hey guys, you speak words of wisdom and rejoicing. If have the joy to be with you on this forum for one month, it�s PH Capstick�s fault. I was a lonely French serioulsely misinformed. When fishing salmons in Alaska I took hold of 2 books : �Alaska Bear tales and More Alaska bear tales� written by Larry Kaniut. These books improved my English considerably. But my command stayed low. Last year I bought �Death in the long grass� and it was EYE-OPENER. Since I improve strongly my English and my African-hunting knowledge with ALL the PHC�s books, along with C Bodington, Ruark, Hunter, and the classics �
Information on PH Capstick�life could only be provided by Safari Pres or Fiona Claire Capstick (�The Winds of Havoc�) who is living in RSA in Petermarienburg (something like that) Our southaf friends could be of great help.
PHC was my teacher.

Glock23: the title is "Man eaters of Kumaon". Other books from Jim Corbett are "The tiger of the temple", "Jungle Lore" and "The leopard or Rudraprayag".

If you like PHC, read "Man Eaters" by Jim Corbett too.

G23c

Yes, "Man Eaters" is all of them in one volume!

1997 Adventure Press. I had a hard time locating the out-of-print editions, so I took the compendium version. I would love to get first editions of them though someday.

G23c

quote:

Originally posted by glock23carry:
Yes, "Man Eaters" is all of them in one volume! <br /><br />1997 Adventure Press. I had a hard time locating the out-of-print editions, so I took the compendium version. I would love to get first editions of them though someday.<br /><br />G23c

I found a copy today of "The Temple Tiger." It is a third edition, but more than good enough for me.

Corbett actually wrote about seven books, one of which is 'Treetops' which is about his time in Africa and so named after the time when he was at that location when Elizabeth went up a tree a Princess and came down a Queen.

How's that for a useless piece of information!

Decent 1st editions seem to be from about US$130 upwards and least expensive paperbacks are from about US$2.

quote:

Originally posted by Thomasjohn:

You went back 6 and a half years to post this? Maybe the horse wasn't dead when this thread was started.

All of Jim Corbett's books have been compiled into a 2 volume Omnibus and is easily available in India. the 2 volumes cost about Rs 300 each, which is about US$15 for the pair. Check this http://www.indiaplaza.com/jim-...books/0195627628.htm

Tiger Tops is just one short story.

Kenneth Anderson was not an authentic big game hunter. He wrote about 12 to 14 books claiming that he shot many man eaters, tigers, rogue elephants etc. There are no Government gazette records of any of his major claims. In reality he never shot a tiger or an elephant. His son Donald Anderson is now in his 70's and lives in Bangalore. He is a good friend of my brother's and I spoke to him about a month ago. Don has shot tigers and elephants in the early 60's and may even be the late 50's but no man eaters. I remember Don visiting my dad in 1969 (a Forest / wildlife official then) to get his annual hunting license. Don still gets away into the jungle to watch wildlife. In January he was with my brother when they spotted a tigress at less than 50 meters and it walked away roaring. I have a video clip of this episode on my facebook & do not know how to post it here.

I got hold of PHC's Death in the Long Grass and love it. I have read it a few times and will read it again & again.

I just ordered "man eaters of Kumaon"

I first encountered Capsticks writing when he published "Death In The Long Grass". Aside from his magazine articles - he was a columnist in the NZ Rod and Rifle magazine for a brief spell prior to his death - I had no other contact till recently when I have had a binge on Capstick books , and other African authors.

I dont really care if he was a fraud or a drunk , or shagged small children for a hobby . he wrote damn good books , and introduced a lot of people to Africa in a way that probably would not have happened.

Why do we have to try and destroy someones reutation after death? Cant we just accept that whilst he wrote a decent story , he was as human as the rest of us.

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:

Why do we have to try and destroy someones reputation after death? Cant we just accept that whilst he wrote a decent story , he was as human as the rest of us.

And that is the truth of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

quote:

Originally posted by glock23carry:
Yes, "Man Eaters" is all of them in one volume! <br /><br />1997 Adventure Press. I had a hard time locating the out-of-print editions, so I took the compendium version. I would love to get first editions of them though someday.<br /><br />G23c

I found a copy today of "The Temple Tiger." It is a third edition, but more than good enough for me.

Done; finished reading it. Excellent story telling by a master.

Every one including myself that makes a dime from the safari \ hunting business owes this man a tip of the hat and amount of respect if for no other reason (as many here have admitted)than he lit the fire under a new generation of hunters. The rest be damned.