Just finished "Death in the long grass" by Peter Hathaway Capstick and found it amazing ....



Just curious ... can someone tell me if he is still alive and if he is living in the States (or where)?

Would really like to meet him someday !!!

No he passed a few years ago during open heart surgery.

He passed away in 1996 of heart related problems. He had just left the SCI convention. From my understanding his wife had his ashes spread in the Chobe area. D. Nelson

He passed away in 1996 at 56 yrs of age. He was, in my opinion, one of the best writers ever to pick up a pen.
Read his other books, 9 or so in total. All my copies are well worn from reading, and wish he had penned more, lamenting same since his passing.

Best wishes.

His books are availble on internet at several places.

Truly sad to hear that ...

how old was he ?



Post my reply before reading 476NE�s reply ...

I think just the same as you, 476 NE, and will follow your advice ...

What are the other books that he wrote that are worth a read?

I was lucky to have just purchased a set of his books and videos- 10 books 5 videos.
Absolutley fabulous reading.
You can also find some of his writing in old SAGA magazines and I think another but don't remember which.
Frank

Death in Silent Places, Death on the Dark Continent, Safari, Man-Eaters. Start with these in addition to Death in the Long Grass. He also wrote magazine articles now and then, for Guns and Ammo, American Hunter and possibly American Rifleman, Saga, some others. I like all his books, but I like the first ones mentioned a little better.



Best wishes

The five videos are great, he also wrote for Petersons Hunting.

Try reading some Corbett and then compare.

I have several of his books (no all.... yet). I'm in the middle of Warrior, his final work (completed by his wife in the year following his passing), its an amazing and quite different tale. I've not read his first work "Death in the Long Grass" but it is next on the list. The one I would reccommend everyone read is "The last Ivory Hunter" brilliant work in my opinion, on a subject he is very very very passionate about.

in all, great author, great writer, and a great ambassador of the sport.

As a side note, I ran into a complete autographed limited edition set of his books at the used book store last year.....I salivated, swooned, and then read the price tag-----$3600.00

I walked out fondling my credit card... muttering to myself like some homeless person....ah well, I have almost all of his "regular" books and will then start on his editorial library.

Heat wave in Fairbanks---its +10 degrees!
Troy J

Capstick was way too melodramatic. I'm surprised by the affection for him shown by those who've been there and done it.

He made everything--even the plane ride and sleeping in the tent at night--seem like an ultimate life and death encounter.

Only the strongest, toughest, hardest and boldest need apply. To walk abroad on the dark continent is to court death at every turn. Behind every bush, a wild beast is poised to strike and kill, and all that nonsense.

It's exciting enough as it is in real life. All of Capstick's added BS just detracts from the reality, IMO.

The old-timers were much better.

Thoroughly enjoy P.H. Capstick and very much doubt he'll be replaced.

To all the detectives who have discovered that Capstick was full of BS, it doesn't matter. Realizing it was mostly fiction, he still wrote exciting stories, which probably goosed a lot of armcahir types into action.

There are few books that the old-timers wrote that were worse or better, as most are excellent in their own way, including most of all John Taylor, Sutherland, Lyell, Foran, Kittenberger, Finaughty, etc.

And it is only due to the Capstick reprints that most of us would have ever been able to enjoy many of them.

Was Capstick a PH at any time?

For any Capstick fan that is interested, the Greater Dacotah Chapter, SCI, Rapid City, SD will be offering at their 2009 banquet on Feb 14,2009 a nine volume set of Capstick, leather bound, gold gilted edged, gold embossed all first editions or special editions, all hand signed and all volumes numbered the same in the series.

As posted above...."In my opinion, one of the best writers to pick up a pen."

Really?

I respect your opinion but I'm quite sure this is one with which no credible literary scholar would agree.

No matter what you think of his stories, Capstick was great because he linked people to Africa.

A while back I saw a cassette tape on ebay that I have never seen before. it was something like campfire tales, I can not remember the name. I think the cover had Capstick sitting by an African campfire. It would be interesting to hear. Does anyone have a copy of this?

Grafton

Yes -- "Capstick / African Campfires" talking with/to/at Ken Wilson. Reading is better, but if you've seen Sportsmen on Film videos with PHC holding court you're probably up to speed.

This is a thread from 2004 that was brought back up just to advise us of an SCI auction. No need to rehash the Capstick debate here -- we did that recently and probably many times since this thread last died.

Can't vouch for or against the veracity of his writings, and I've yet to hunt Africa. Nonetheless, I've read nearly all his books and will soon read the last two. Enjoyed each immensely. Very entertaining. I regret he didn't write more.

I've hunted for over thirty years and still appreciate a buddy's story telling ability to enhance the description of a hunt as opposed to the dry facts. Each to their own.

Bobby B.

I just read my post on this thread from four years ago and, although it is true, it seems a bit harsh to me now.

Let me soften it a bit. I have read Capstick and he is fun to read. I hope the bound set of his works brings a good price.

The winning bidder just has to remember to take everything written with a few grains of salt.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Capstick was way too melodramatic. I'm surprised by the affection for him shown by those who've been there and done it.<<<SNIP>>>


"To walk abroad on the dark continent is to court death at every turn. Behind every bush, a wild beast is poised to strike and kill", and all that nonsense.

<br /><br />It's exciting enough as it is in real life. All of Capstick's added BS just detracts from the reality, IMO.<br /><br />The old-timers were much better.

MRLEXMA, is not a fan of Capstick, as is evidenced by his Jan 2004 post above, and many others since! That is fine, because just like everyone else, he is free to express his opinion, and he is not shy about doing just that. Like mrlexma, I'm not shy about expressing mine either.

His posts cussing PHC always strike me as a little envious, and my suspicion is that mrlexma would have liked to have done exactly what PHC did, go to Africa, and leave the city behind. It is evident that melexma has loads of hunting experience in Africa, but he chose to live here, and make money,live the good life, and hunt Africa, like most of us, as an import. PHC,OTOH, chose to live in the country that he had dreamed about from early childhood. Not to make money, but to wake up every day smelling the smoke of Africa, instead of exaust fumes from city buses. I too would have loved to have done so myself, but I don't begruge PHC his making it happen for him! It really doesn't make any difference if everything he wrote was exactly how it happened, but who can say he didn't think it was the way it happened.

I wounder if any of the detractors of PHC's writings, ever thought that maybe the way PHC discribed walking in the African bush Africa, was the way he felt it was. My first night in an open fronted thatched hut, and haveing what I thought was a lion walk right up to the end of my bed, so close I could hear him breath. I can tell you, anyone with an iota of brains, would have thought the same thing. That is because before we turned out the lights for the night, we heard a lion roar not 100 yds from our sleeping quarters. I soon lost my concern for sleeping in Africa, but maybe PHC never did! Those of us who love hunting dangerous game wish it could stay "NEW" like that for all our lives, and maybe it did for Peter.

In any event, his writeings may have been his true description of the way the African bush effected him, and he wanted to convey that to his readers, and in my opinion whather he believed it or not, it made good reading, and spurred many to hunt Africa, who would have never gone there, if not for his writings!

Who is to say the old timers were telling it the way it was, or imbelishing their dareing-do? There was nobody with them but black trackers, and porters to say otherwise, yet everyone seems to believe everything they wrote as if it were the bible!

I say enjoy his books, for the intertainment they offer, and quit worrying about picking them apart!

................................... .............

I never met the man. I did see him in Reno shortly before he died. I remember commenting to my wife that his skin looked gray to me. He was clearly ill. He was dead shortly thereafter.

Regarding MacD37's post i say "Amen brother".

Capstick was, on a good day, a bad writer, but I have absolutley devoured everything he has ever written, and was left wanting more!

Hey, at the end of the day we only have so much published about what we love, so even the less than perfect prose is welome!

IMO writing is like art and wine. If you like it that is all that matters. There are wine and art snobs and as well as literary snobs. Mr. Capstick hung the moon that shines when the mopane fires are flickering and the mystery that is the african night is upon the land. For me at least.

MacD37, you gotta further develop your critical instincts, brother!

I envy no man on this earth.

And that is the secret of my happiness.

quote:

Mr. Capstick hung the moon that shines when the mopane fires are flickering and the mystery that is the african night is upon the land.

Capstick was at his best when writing about others, I found those books the most enjoyable.

Personally I prefer the works of JA Hunter overall as well as Ruark but I read and enjoyed everything that Capstick has written.

My PH told me that most of Capstick's tales were the deeds of others, many being the deeds of Jeff Broom.

But my PH praises Capstick for writing them down. Without Capstick, they would be lost, and a whole generation of us might never have been induced to go to Africa. I agree.

Seems to me that there is no middle ground with PHC. You either love him or hate him.

Me? I love him. So does everyone that I know who has either met him or read his books, of which I own every one and have read multiple times.

RIP Peter.

Mrlexma,
Go visit Pater Hankins gravesite in the luangwa valley then REREAD the first chapter in "Death In The Long Grass" you will have a change of heart. Walk on that same soil it IS magic.
not melodramatic.

I've heard many disparage Capstick. Liar, boozer, who cares? His writings entertain me. They lit the fire that took me and my family to Tanzania. I just hope that when I'm gone I've brought a similar amount of happiness to a complete stranger's life!

quote:

. . . His writings entertain me. They lit the fire that took me and my family to Tanzania. I just hope that when I'm gone I've brought a similar amount of happiness to a complete stranger's life!

WOW! Well said!

quote:

Walk on that same soil it IS magic.
not melodramatic.

Yes, it is magic! Nothing compares!

PHC & RCR were the guys who got me off my ass and led my wife and I to follow Claude Kleynhans through the "Long Grass"!
The adventures, the friends, the fellowships, I would have not experienced, had I not read PHC.
I am indeed a richer man!

In my opine PHC is almost single handedly responsible for the resurgence in the African Safari business.

For those of you who trudge through the dark night of African Hunting Prose, hold your laterns high! As for me, PHC and RCR have and will continue to serve me well!

I own and have read all of Capsticks's books many times,,, and will read them by the fire again probably this winter. I find them enjoyable to read, that's it,, nothing more magical other than to let me excape into a book and remember my past experiences in Africa and dream about my next trip over. Africa was addictive to me, I can not explain it. Reading about other peoples addiction to it through Capstick and other authors I find enjoyable. If he exagerates a little to much for some peoples liking,,, you wouldn't like my fish stories,,,,

quote:

you wouldn't like my fish stories,,,,

Understand

quote:

In my opine PHC is almost single handedly responsible for the resurgence in the African Safari business.

Many disagee with you, but, then, they are wrong...