Since the post about Capstick have some good and bad comments lets just have a poll.

Question:
Do you feel that you owe gratitute towards Capstick to bring you closer to Africa ? Yes or No ?

Choices:
Yes
No

 

I voted no, because I didn't discover his books until I got to know him in 1984 -- a year after my first African hunt.

J.A. Hunter and Jack O'Connor probably did more to build my desire to hunt in Africa than anyone else, but C.J. McElroy made it possible by hiring me to direct SCI's publications. That took me to the SCI conventions, where I met outfitters and discovered that my dreams were possible.

I think I was the first writer to compare Capstick's African material to Ruark's and Hemingway's. He had some warts, but damn he surely could write!

Bill

If nothing else..............Capstick was an excellent writer!!

I voted "no" because I had already been living in Africa for many years before I knew of his books, so I could hardly say he got me there. This said, I have all of his books and find him one of the most enjoyable authors to read when it comes to hunting.

I voted no as well. I was reading Ruark, Hemmingway, O'Conner and others long before PHC. He was a wonderful writer and I truly enjoyed his works, but IMO he wrote nothing that ever compared to Ruark's Use Enough Gun.

I voted yes. I had read Poppa and that probably sparked it, but when my brother handed over a copy of Death in the Long Grass I was a completely sucked in. Then after meeting a few well respected PH's it wasn't even up to me anymore, fate had taken over. But PHC, he gets the nod.
"If you would rather be cold, wet and excited as opposed to warm, dry and bored, then this may just be for you..." - or something to that effect...

Brian

I voted yes, his story telling, along with others like Ruark and Burger, absolutely inspired my desire to go to Africa.

I voted yes ,he was a brave hunter and excellent writer.He was the first to call the dogos dogs- white angels- and loved to hunt wild boars with them.Juan

I had never heard of Capstick until I went to Africa, then his name was everywhere. I got my info via Boddington and hunters that have been there.

I voted 'yes' I have a bunch of his books and I love them. He was a fantastic writer and he brings me as close to Africa as I'll ever get. Capstick inspires me to dream as I can't afford to do the real thing.

I did not read Capstick until after I had gone to Africa. The PH on our first safari had some Capstick tales told to him by Joeff Broom who employed Capstick for a short time. I did subsequently read some Capstick but knowing that the stories were often not the truth made my interest not so keen. He did spin a good yarn and had a real influence on the popularity of modern safari hunting. A lot of safari operators are still thanking Capstick for that.

Mark

I was in high school when PHC was writing for American Hunter or one of the other mags that my dad subscribed to and hadn't ever thought of hunting anything bigger than a mule deer. His articles were entertaining and his books were even more so. He sparked my interest in Africa and I am forever grateful.

Though I like PHC's books, and those of Ruark, Brian Marsh and Taylor, none of them started my interest in Africa, or African hunting! Though all those writers are responsible for quieting the death knell of the Safari business in Africa, I lay the guilt of only one man for my absolute addiction to double rifles, and African hunting. As far as I know the man never wrote a book about anything, and I doubt any who has hunted Africa, who is still alive would know him from Adam.

This man was a local hardware store owner, in a little ranch town where we traded, back in the early 40s! Kelly's hardware store had mounted African game heads high on the walls,he had hunted back in the 20s and 30s, and those strange looking animals fascinated me, being six yrs old. Mr. Kelly, recognized the hunter in me quickly, and would tell me the stories about the animals I had thousands of questions about.

One day when I walked into his store, he said, "COME BACK HERE BOY!" He lifted a scratched, and gouged Oak & Leather case from under the counter, and opened it! Inside was an H&H S/S double rifle with all the do-dads that came in those cases. He put the rifle together
and handed it to me, cautioning me not to drop it. Damn that rifle was heavy, for a six yr old who only weighed about sixty pounds. He then handed me one of the cartridges for this cannon, and I picked a 22 lr out of my pocket, and compared the two. The cartridge was a 500/465NE, and at that moment I was hooked. Every jackrabbit I took after that with my Uncle's 410 ga double barrel shotgun was a Cape buffalo, and the little shotgun was an H&H double rifle, in my imagination!

......SO! Mr. Kelly, you sent me home that day with a taste for the two most expensive pursuits a poor Texas ranch kid could aim at, collecting double rifles, and hunting in Africa.

I voted yes, absolutely yes! While I read all the books pripr to PHC's his books were the ones that really lit the fire. jorge

I voted yes.

Mac, I liked your story. That sounds like Ross Seyfried's background too.

I grew up reading Hemingway and Ruark and worked in Africa off and on for many years before I ever hunted there. I voted yes simply because Capstick was a great yarn-spinner and accentuated my already extant fascination with Africa.

I read Capstick and Ruark in primary school and that really captured my imagination and early daydreams.

Later I feel I got a better picture of contemporary African hunting (the truth) from Boddington.

Kyler

Slightly off topic-Johnny Weissmuller and cheeta(cheeta was still alive at age 75 as of April 07!!) did it for me on those Saturday morning Tarzan films (I was too young to appreciate Jane but I do now! ). That Cheeta could throw the hell out of some coconuts!!

Back on topic-Willard Price was the first writer of Africana for me as a 5th grader. PHC came later in life and I certainly enjoy his work as well!

Originally posted by Mississippian:
"Slightly off topic-Johnny Weissmuller and cheeta(still alive at age 75 as of April 07!!) did it for me on those Saturday morning Tarzan films (I was too young to appreciate Jane but I do now! ). That Cheeta could throw the hell out of some coconuts!!"

_____________________________________

Johnny Weissmuller (June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984)

Nickudu, I was referring to cheeta

http://cheetathechimp.org/

Even though I am a South African i voted yes as I feel that his writing had universal appeal

Allan

I voted yes. I have read nearly all of PHC's books, as well as Hemingway, Ruark, Roosevelt, etc. All are good, and take me on safari in Africa, but none put me on the edge of my seat like Capstick. He may not be the most literary, but he is the most exciting.

I read several popular books on Africa but it was Capsticks Death in the Long Grass that sent me over the edge. I began saving, selling, planning, and a year and a half later was in Zimbabwe.

I voted No since the first time I have ever heard of PHC was here on AR - no matter what - anything put down about Africa in written word by him or anybody (even here on AR ) just adds to some wealth and depth of immence "pitch and yaw" Africa has to offer. RIP

You guys are showing your ages.

Old farts are pre-Capstick and vote "no."

The kids know no better and vote "yes."

Hemingway's "the Green Hills of Africa were the spark, Theodore Roosevelt's "African Game Trails" were the fuel, and Capstick's "Death in the Long Grass" fanned the flames into reality.

Dave

Capstick might've been a good writer of hunting fiction, I don't know having never read "Death In the Long Grass". But I do know that as a military historian he was a dullard and couldn't write worth a pisshole in snowbank. He completely screwed up -- and I mean it's unreadable -- a biography of one of the major lights of Africa and African military history, Richard Meinerzhagen. The "book" is titled "Warrior" and it's awful. As far as Africa itself goes, I dunno about that either, seeing Robert Ruark as a primary incentive.

I'm sure he was a writer because so many on here say so but I have never read anything he wrote or basically anything about him other than what is published on this forum, so I don't feel I owe anything to him.

"Warrior" was completed by Fiona Capstick after Peter Capstick died. "Pisshole in a snowbank" is a harsh description for such a grand lady's efforts to complete her dead husband's contract.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:
"Warrior" was completed by Fiona Capstick after Peter Capstick died. "Pisshole in a snowbank" is a harsh description for such a grand lady's efforts to complete her dead husband's contract.

Bill Quimby

I second that. To say she is a great and classy lady is a terrible understatement. Besides, I thought Warrior was decent...JMHO
Brian

I agree with billrquimby. "Warrior" was the last book written before he died, and obviously was not his best work. It was not completed by himself, and it clearly did not receive the same attention to editing that his earlier books received.

It is a poor example to judge his overall life's work on.

I enjoyed Capstick's first two books. he was a very descriptive entertaining writer. I must admit that he was part of what sparked my interest in Africa.

However he is what he is. A great fiction writer.

It really bothers me when I see people quote Capstick in regards to real life hunting advice.

That is much like quoting Spielberg in regards to real life space travel.

I think the poll speaks for itself.
Yes his stuff had some fiction but I suppose he was smart enough to write it in such a way that no-one could put a finger on him that it was their story. Changing the story from the original and put in some extra and it could be someone elses story. No harm was done to anyone.

But what ever he did he did bring hunting back to life in Africa and no-one can take that away from him.

RIP, PHC and may that imagination run true where ever you are.

I voted yes. When I was a freshman in high school. My science teacher he knew some of the family already, gave me his copy of Death in The Long Grass. I was instantly hooked on Africa. Although till this day (will be 29 next month) still haven't been to Africa I plan to change that in the next couple years.

A big yes from me. Capstick, Corbett and Boddington really fanned a fire under my butt. Played a significant role in a lot more than just getting to Africa for me.

Dean

"...But what ever he did he did bring hunting back to life in Africa and no-one can take that away from him."

I knew Capstick well enough to know that he would not take full credit for bringing "hunting back to life in Africa."

To be sure, hiis African adventure hunting books helped create a desire for thousands of readers to hunt in Africa, but as this poll shows, other authors were doing that before him.

Without SCI's conventions (and later also those of the Houston and Dallas safari clubs) readers of Africana hunting literature could not have found their way to that continent in the numbers that now are going there.

C.J. McElroy was a controversial figure (as was Capstick, obviously), but he also deserves credit for his role in creating a marketplace for outfitters and professional hunters to sell their wares.

Bill Quimby

Bill, thanks for calling me a kid... a definite ego booster! I agree with Jorge and can emphatically say "yes"! Fiction or fact, Capstick wrote very entertaining books and I have several signed editions I bought from him in Houston years ago that are treasured editions in my library!

I can still remember reading the line "The man who was about to die..." Good stuff, that.

Capstick was the last of the great storytellers. To many hunting pieces today only detail the actual hunt. They don’t detail the story surrounding the hunt. I, for one, believe the story’s in the whole journey—not just in the kill. Unfortunately, most hunting writing today leans that way. As a writer I try to have fun with my work but too often editors want you to “get to the kill.â€

I also think that TV, DVD, movies, video games, and the internet have led us all to have a short attention span. That just leads to,….what was I writing about? Oh yeah. There seems to be fewer and fewer real readers out there. I’d be interested to see how Boddington’s (for example) DVD sales are compared to his book sales. I bet the DVDs sell much better.

As for me though, I’ll take a cigar and a good book any day over a DVD.

If Clower had said in casual conversation that Hillary Clinton was a "pisshole in the snow", I would have agreed. To put those words in writing about Capstick tells me "class" is not behind his name in the dictionary. Mr. Clower, you may be a military historian and I agree "Warrior" was not his best piece but to state it the way you did was not called for! PHC, rest in peace, my friend!

Years back, I once watched as the Mrs. lifted and briefly examined a book from my end table. "Why are you smiling so", I asked.
"Oh, just confirming my suspicions that you were into that Capstick guy again ... it's so seldom I hear you laugh aloud, while reading".

I admired him and enjoyed all his writings.