I have read Capsticks Books, does anyone have sny other books they can recomend? Thanks

This is a good source:
Trophy Room Books

JA HUnter, John Taylor, Selous, Ruark, Hemingway, Don Thomas, Denis Dyell, Patterson, Kitenberger, James MElon, Walter Bell, and by God and sonny Jesus read African game trails by Roosevelt twice

_Baxter

I will add a few off the top of my head..... Jimmy Sutherland, Ron Thomson, Whelen, Stigand, Harland, Baker, Willoughby, Sanchez-Arino, Robertson, Merfield (Gorrila Hunter), Corbett (India but still very good), Pretorious (Jungle Man)

If I had to pick a few books to read first it would have to be (in no particular order);

1. James Sutherland's "Adventures of an Elephant Hunter"

2. W.D.M Bell "Karamojo Safari"

3. C.H. Stigand "Hunting the Elephant in Africa"

4. F.C. Selous "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa"

5. R. Ruark "Horn of the Hunter" (for a bit of relatively modern flavor)

6. J. Hunter "Hunter"

7. Roosevelt "African Game Trails"

One of the best sources for a definitive list of African books to purchase and to read is Safari Press.

"Hunting Africa's dangerous Game" by our own AR member Will

It helped me understand the brain shot on an elephant...

Mike

I will add Ian Nyschens,MONTHS OF THE SUN

Geronimo

Africa: A Biography of the Continent, by John Reader. Though not a hunting book, it is a very complete overview of Africa-politics, geology, economics, history, etc. Very well written.

"Safari" by Bartle Bull. This is a very readable history of big game hunting in Africa

i recommend the State of Africa by Martin meredith for a good history of colonialism to present day

Also

Rifles for Africa- Gregor Woods

The Boer War by Thomas Pakenham-excellent history and photos of the conflict

Big Game and Big Game RIfles John Taylor- a must for any Africa library

The Adventures of an Elephant Hunter by James Sutherland

14 Years in the African Bush by

A life on Safari by Geoff Broom

14 Years in the African Bush by Bryan marsh

i didn't care for any of Boddington's books, other than the Life on Safari he co wrote with Geoff Broom

quote:

JA Hunter, John Taylor, Selous, Ruark, Hemingway, Don Thomas, Denis Dyell, Patterson, Kitenberger, James MElon, Walter Bell, and by God and sonny Jesus read African game trails by Roosevelt twice

I have about 35-40 books that I personally love. Some are by explorers who also hunted and some are by hunters who explored. You need to pick an era. I recommend Sir Samuel White Baker for the muzzle loaders, although there are close seconds such as Selous. To pick a high-velocity turn of the last century author just read one of Capsticks books with portions of others books inside. Bell is excellent, but you really should read Lt. Colonel JH Patterson's Tsavo lion account and also Captiam Melliss in his Somalilan hunts. The list really goes on and on.....

"Horn of the Hunter" by Ruark. I was in the hospital a few weeks ago and my wife surprised me with this book. So, while laying in a hospital bed I read it straight through. I just could not put it down.

This topic has been explored several times in the "Books and Videos" section below.

Bill Quimby

Rifles for Africa by Gregor Woods is an outstanding reference book on firearms, bullets, and African Hunting in general. I highly recommend you purchase a copy. You can order it from Safari Press.

Anyone who is interested in hunting in Africa needs a copy (any edition) of the SCI Record Book's Africa records. There is no other place where a reader can learn as much about the natural history of the hunted species and their subspecies on that continent.

The text that makes the book so valuable was researched and written by Jack Schwabland of Seattle.

My problem with Ruark, Hemingway, Baker, Hunter, Selous, Sutherland, Patterson, Bell, Roosevelt, and all the others mentioned is that they wrote about an Africa that is long gone and in some instances never existed.

Some of the best known of them also did not write well. Some also got too absorbed with firearms, calibers (many of them now obsolete), and ballistics and neglected the lure of the hunt itself.

I read the old timers' work to learn more about how African hunting evolved, but I prefer contemporary authors talking about contemporary conditions. Give me Capstick, Marsh, Boddington, Thomson, Nyschens and other modern writers any time.

Bartle Bull is an exception. He wrote well and his "Safari" is a beautiful book, but IMO he was guilty of mistakingly believing hunting in Africa was ending instead of just beginning.

Bill Quimby

Bill,

I'm not sure how the conclusion can be drawn as that some books wrote of African hunting that never existed. Hardly could any group of writers be classified as any more humble or non-effacing than the English hunters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Neumann's book is a classic, for example.

Your reference to "modern hunting," such as the works of Marsh, Nyschens and Thomson, while exciting can hardly be duplicated in today's environment, as a poacher or otherwise. Though I liked Capstick's early books, it is generally acknowledged that much of his work contained much exaggerated tales.

Though "The Hunting Imperative" eventually gets a little tedious, I admire Richard Harland for what he did and his passion for hunting, not that his adventures could never be duplicated in your modern times.

Guys like that have what appears to be a genuine love of the sport, and that is what counts, not the baloney that takes seven sunsets, forty-two close calls, three near starvations, and six throat scorching treks to finally kill a charging duiker.

My little tidbit was to get my experiences down on paper, not to make a living on or retire on as many of the past writers did and present writers do. I think it added something especially for elephant hunters. But if I have to burn the unsold copies at least my kids and grand kids will have something that I was passionate about.

I like African Hunter's "Guide to Nyati"

"Horned Death" by John Burger

"Where Lions Roar" by Boddington

"Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" by Bill Steward is a good read as well.

I also really like

For those wanting straight contemporary practical advice instead of romance, we have just received into inventory copies of "Hunting Africa - A Practical Guide" by three African authors, Swan, Botes and Smit. For those who like to load and shoot heavy calibers, we also have "Big Bore Cartridge Load Data Collection" by van der Walt, also an African author. Both books available on our website bigfivehq.com. Not to slight Boddington, Ruark et al but it seems to me that a part-time Africa hand is no substitute for the real thing.

I have had the "Hunting Africa-A Practical Guide" by the three African authors for a number of years now. I purchased it in Kimberly, South Africa at a book store as based upon a recommendation of one of my PH's, and it is a very good reference book. I would highly recommend it, and the fact that Russ now has it in stock makes it easier for those here in the U.S. to obtain.

quote:

"Horned Death" by John Burger

Just read it and thought it was pretty good.

There are many, and I believe much better than Capstick.

In no particular order:

Hunter, by JA Hunter
Hunters Tracks, JA Hunter
African Bush Adventures, JA Hunter
White Hunter, JA Hunter
Maneaters and Marauders, Taylor
African Nature Notes and Reminiscences, Selous
A Hunters Wanderings in Africa, Selous
Jungle Man, Pretorious
The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter, Bell
Horned Death, Burger
Wild Beasts and their Ways, Baker
The Book of Lion, Pease
African Game Trails, Roosevelt
Pondoro, Taylor
The Maneaters of Tsavo, Patterson
African Hunter, Mellon
African Hunter II, Boddington
Safari, Elmer Keith
Horn of the Hunter, Ruark
Something of Value, Ruark
Uhuru, Ruark
Death and Double Rifles, Sullivan
The African Frontier, Hunter
African Rifles and Cartridges, Taylor
Winds of Havoc, Pires and Fiona Capstick
End of the Game, Beard
Adventures of an Elephant Hunter, Sutherland
Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game, Stewart

There is also one out by Gordon Cundill with Africa in the title but the name escapes me.

There are also a few other books by Burger which are come highly recommended.

Also check out the Literature forum here which has a wealth of information. I think you will find additional sources referenced in the books you read.

And while not Africa, Jim Corbettt's books on hunting in India are great reads.

And the list goes on and on.

quote:

"Hunting Africa - A Practical Guide" by three African authors, Swan, Botes and Smit

Excellent book. I purchased a copy of this at Joberg International about 5 years ago. It contains some of the best discussion on ballistics that I have ever read as well as a ton of other useful info. For its size, I think it is one of the most complete books that I have seen. This book along with African Hunter 1 & 2 are probably the most useful books that I have on Africa.