In about 9 days, I'm leaving for an elephant hunt in the Caprivi, and I'm looking for reading material for the plane rides. I was thinking about buying the Kindle version of Ian Nychens' book "Months of the Sun: Forty Years of Elephant Hunting in the Zambezi Valley".

Is it worth the read?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:
In about 9 days, I'm leaving for an elephant hunt in the Caprivi, and I'm looking for reading material for the plane rides. I was thinking about buying the Kindle version of Ian Nychens' book "Months of the Sun: Forty Years of Elephant Hunting in the Zambezi Valley".

He wrote two books. I thought the first was the better. Without going and finding them I am not sure if the one you refer to is the first one or the second

I looked, you are thinking of the better one, it's a good read

Months of the Sun is one of the best Elephant hunting books I have ever read.

Before my last trip to Zim I learned that Ian had written a second book, "FOOTSTEPS of an IVORY HUNTER. I contacted my camera man, who lived in Zim and asked him to get me a copy of that book.

As I hunted with a 450 No2, which was also Ians favorite calibre, my camera man was able not only to get me a copy of the book but also to get me a meeting with Ian.

I was able to spend several hours talking to him. It was one of the Highlights of my life. He was very frail, but still sharp as a tac.
I learned a lot from him.

He was one of the last Great Elephant Ivory Hunters.

My Library contains several of the "back in the day" books on Elephant hunting. Ian Nyschens two books, are two of the best.

Durring our meeting, he stated he wished we could have hunted together, both with our 450 No2's...

IF only it could have been so...

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil: Ian Nychens' book "Months of the Sun: Forty Years of Elephant Hunting in the Zambezi Valley".

Is it worth the read?

Just read it and then come back and re-read this question you posted again

As NE 450 said - for me it is the best Africana I have come across. I have read it 5 times I guess and I know there will be time when I'll read it the 6th time

One of my favourite books.

Months of the Sun is my absolute favorite book on Africana. I've read it 3 times now and never fail to pick up something new each time. I've stood on that spot in Makuti where Iyan describes looking down into the Zambezi Valley floor. It's where his ashes were scattered to the wind. I can only imagine what adventures the valley held for him back in those days.

Yes, it's a good book!

One of my favorite books about Africa.

As a side note have you seen the current price on the hardcover books?


They are starting at over $800 on Amazon.

Without doubt my favourite African hunting book, I must have read it three or four times.
Second choice would be The Hunting Imperative by Richard Harland.

Great book, well worth reading.

I will echo what everyone else has said...its a wonderful book...one of the ones that sparked my fire on hunting elephant!

Ed

Very good book. You will like it.

It was a great read, but I don't think we should idolize poachers. Ian illegally killed lots of elephants just so he could make money selling the ivory. He did it without the least regard to good conservation practices. He still died broke.

Great read.

My favorite ele hunting book by quite a margin! I would however say that his second is not worth reading.

I just went looking for it and at almost the price of a kudu tag, I'll pass!

Also, my favorite ele book. When I hunt the Zambezi valley I can picture where he was.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by GunsCore:
It was a great read, but I don't think we should idolize poachers. Ian illegally killed lots of elephants just so he could make money selling the ivory. He did it without the least regard to good conservation practices. He still died broke.

We shouldn't idolize anybody. I enjoy the book, but the poaching does put me off some. Same thing with Jack O'Connor's desert sheep poaching and that is why I am reluctant to buy more of Ron Thomson's stuff.

Dean

A hell of a read. I was able to spend sometime interviewing Ian on camera ( not an easy task) shortly before he died, A honor to shake his hand and be in his shadow for a few magic hours I can tell you! A classic read.

Having turned up my nose at Nychens one post above, I have to say that I've seen what I suspect is the interview you mentioned. The interview is magic, being there must have been a life experience.

Dean

Great read!


.

quote:

Originally posted by maki:

quote:

Originally posted by GunsCore:
It was a great read, but I don't think we should idolize poachers. Ian illegally killed lots of elephants just so he could make money selling the ivory. He did it without the least regard to good conservation practices. He still died broke.

Same thing with Jack O'Connor's desert sheep poaching and that is why I am reluctant to buy more of Ron Thomson's stuff.

What are you alluding to or insinuating? Ron Thomson was no poacher. He spent the better part of his life battling poachers, trying to save the black rhino, etc.

The book was good because Nychens took you in the bush with him forever and it was all full time and the petal was to the metal the whole time through.
This was not someone recounting bits of pieces of time spent in the bush as a professional.It was about someone who lived and breathed it to the point that he became part of it almost like the animals that live in it.He had an adventurous soul above everything,.

Mike-

It's the internet and idiots can insinuate and allude to anything they wish, even when they're 100% wrong. maki obviously knows nothing about Ron's life or profession and clearly he has not read Mahohboh. Perhaps if he did he would actually learn something.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by maki:

quote:

Originally posted by GunsCore:
It was a great read, but I don't think we should idolize poachers. Ian illegally killed lots of elephants just so he could make money selling the ivory. He did it without the least regard to good conservation practices. He still died broke.

Same thing with Jack O'Connor's desert sheep poaching and that is why I am reluctant to buy more of Ron Thomson's stuff.

What are you alluding to or insinuating? Ron Thomson was no poacher. He spent the better part of his life battling poachers, trying to save the black rhino, etc.

Yes, what is up with that? In no way was Ron Thomson ever a poacher. He is one of the top hunter/conservationists in Africa today.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by maki:

quote:

Originally posted by GunsCore:
It was a great read, but I don't think we should idolize poachers. Ian illegally killed lots of elephants just so he could make money selling the ivory. He did it without the least regard to good conservation practices. He still died broke.

Same thing with Jack O'Connor's desert sheep poaching and that is why I am reluctant to buy more of Ron Thomson's stuff.

What are you alluding to or insinuating? Ron Thomson was no poacher. He spent the better part of his life battling poachers, trying to save the black rhino, etc.

Yes he did spend much of his life fighting poachers. It was his egg collection led him to do some things he is likely ashamed of. FWIW, one of the Zimbos on AR brought up the illegal egg collecting here on AR 4 or 5 years ago. Hey, we all do dumb things at times. But for some one with his background to do that just rubs me the wrong way. Whenever I get close to buying another of his works, I remember the incident and find a reason not to.

As for Mahohboh, it should be required reading in school biology classes. I used one of his population charts in a lunch time talk on safaris/hunting I did for some coworkers a few years ago.

Dean

I would be ashamed of collecting eggs alone unless I was a still a kid in school.

I've never read either one of his books. Sounds as if they are must reads! I'll look into buy them.

Safari press carry them?

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
One of my favorite books about Africa.

As a side note have you seen the current price on the hardcover books?


They are starting at over $800 on Amazon.

Sounds like I need to get my copy back from a friend of mine!!

Nyschen's Months of the Sun is sold out at Safari Press. Only the e-book is for sale. Nyschens was quite a character.

Oh, I understand. Those damn egg poachers. He might have even collected an insect or two over his career. Bastard.

Sounds like I'd better burn everything I own by Bell, Taylor, and Foran then.

Safari Press is accepting orders for the hardback book at $60. Your credit card is not charged until the book is shipped. If enough of us order it, they will have a reason to have another printing made.

Amazon.com books has one used copy available at $1781!

quote:

Originally posted by blanco county:
Amazon.com books has one used copy available at $1781!

My copy is for sale for $1500.

I can't even imagine what my first edition would be worth, along with 'Footsteps' ....

Anyone want to invest in it, along with a bunch of like items? It's time to clean out the bookshelf for retirement.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
Sounds like I'd better burn everything I own by Bell, Taylor, and Foran then.

Not at all what I meant. In fact, instead of burning those books, send them to me! The tone I was looking for wasn't holier than thou righteous indignation. In Thomson's case it is more like disappointment that a guy who spent his life working for conservation could get so caught up in a self made competition that that he would feel compelled to start breaking conservation laws. Not in the same league as commercial rhino poaching, but he has to be embarrassed.

Nychens was a different and interesting dude who left excellent accounts of an unique life. The books are worth owning, reading and enjoying. Still, if they had never been written because somebody on an anti poaching patrol shot him in the back and left him for the hyenas, many people (like me) would say "Good, he had it coming." And no, I wouldn't have said that to his face for a variety of reasons.

I do get a bit righteous about O'Connor even though I like his writing and respect his experience. He spilled a lot of eloquent ink in Game in the Desert Revisited expounding on sheep conservation and the role of hunting in it. Mostly it seems to make up for the fact that he used a letter from a corrupt Mexican general to help him hunt desert bighorn at a time when there was no legal season. The illegal hunts in Zim parks a few years back come to mind as a current analogue. His excuse was that everyone was doing it.

Dean

quote:

Originally posted by maki:
... In Thomson's case it is more like disappointment that a guy who spent his life working for conservation could get so caught up in a self made competition that that he would feel compelled to start breaking conservation laws. Not in the same league as commercial rhino poaching, but he has to be embarrassed.

Now you gotta spill the details; where, when, etc...

.

Ron skipped the country with a warrant out for his arrest steming from allegations he was collecting falcon eggs for sale in the middle east. Couple of other people were implicated but only one was convicted.

I was an ecologist and have no idea as to the truth behind the allegations. At the time there was a big drive to get rid of white officers and 'minor infringements' that had been going on for years were suddenly dragged into the open. The fact that he ran whereas at least one other fought off the allegations....

I don't know, however it appears we are applying modern ethics to a time where the ethics as well as availability of game where very different: rather like comparing colonial attitudes towards the natives to today's attitudes.

I agree that "Months of the Sun" is a great read. I was aware that Ian had written another book, but had been unable to find it. My sincere thanks to 450 No. 2 for posting the correct title. I was able to find a 1st edition copy just minutes ago through my favorite book source, Abe Books, <abebooks.com>. Sorry to report that there was only one copy available.
Cheers,
Tim
"I was taught as a youngster that faith moved mountains, but in my later years I came to believe more in a faith in explosives for that purpose." Ian Nyschens