How many have been because of Capstick or want to go to Africa because of Capstick or know someone that went to Africa because of capstick?

I have not been to Africa but I do know that I still plan to go and reading Capstick's "Death In The Long Grass" definately got me to wanting to go.

Not me, went several times before I ever heard of the guy.

My desire to hunt Africa pre-dates Capstick, I'd have to blame Carl Akeley for lighting the fire, but Capstick fanned the flames, as did Ruark and others

My inspriration to go to Africa came from a grandmother, who really didn't want me underfoot. She gave me an old leatherbound copy of African Game Trails by TR when I was 8 years old. It kept me occupied -- for years. I still have what is left of that book, but now have a replacement copy that you can actually read. I knew I would hunt in Africa at that point.

My African library expanded over the years to include everything PHC ever wrote, as well Bell, Hunter, Mellon, Boddington, Harland, Flack, Foran, Blixen, Sullivan, etc. Long story short, my African library is extensive and still expanding. It covers not just hunting but birds, trees, politics, etc.

Was Capstick an influence? Definitely, but the die was cast. Death in the Long Grass was probably the best.

Capstick was the one who got me going to Africa.

I only TRIED to read Capstick after I had my second African hunt scheduled. Note the use of the word "tried", I read constantly and found "Death in the Long Grass" to be all but unreadable. I never got more than halfway through it. Obviously my reactions to it are different than many of the Afro-philes, but nonetheless they are mine.

Capstick was one of them, along with Ruark, Roosevelt, Hunter, Hemingway, etc. Thank you PHC: Look what you did for Saeed and for AR!

Reading him didn't help stop the itch. That's for sure.

I have wanted to go to Africa since I was a kid after seeing the John Wayne movie "Hatari".

I discovered "Death in the Long Grass" at the libary when I was doing a college report on an African monkey for my anthropology class. I checked out the Capstick book and couldn't put it down until I finished it.

I say "YES"! Capstick is responsible for me going on safari.

I blame Robert Ruark...

Capstick, I have to take in small doses.

And Hemingway in even smaller sips.

I blame Capstick and Ruark.

I live in Africa and reading Capstick and Ruark brought the thrill of the hunt to a whole bunch of us at boarding school. Me and a number of friends went on to become full time PH's and i strongly believe that Capstick helped fan the desire that led us into becomeing PH's. Fraud or not he has done a lot of good in publisizing DG hunting in Africa and for that we are grateful.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Capstick was the one who got me going to Africa.

Ditto!

Capstick was the inspiration for My interest in African hunting and all other things involving the dark continent. I always hoist a cool one to PHC at least once on every safari.

i have not gone yet but hope to soon. it was his writing and others that fueled my african dreams.

For me it began with Wilbur Smith, then Ruark and PHC.

Me! I had no desire to go to Africa until I read Death in the Long Grass. I had read Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa in high school and it did nothing for me. I have since bought so many books on African hunting, including almost everything PHC wrote, my wife has labeled me OCD. Haven't been yet, but my trip is booked for 2010.

Thank you Mr. Capstick, may you rest in peace!

I don't come from a hunting/shooting family so I didn't even know who Chapstick was. I grew up reading Wilbur Smith books and that is what has fueled my desire to go to Africa.

"eyedoc" who posts here got me interested in going to Africa, and he did give me my first copy of Death in the Long Grass, and introduced me to other African authors previously mentioned. His books definitely fanned my internal fires for Africa and I am as addicted to Africa as a junkie is to dope.

I was always interested in nature and the wilderness, and to me Africa was the ultimate wilderness.

If any "reading" got me interested in Africa, it was reading Tarzan comic books from when I was about six years old.

I also think some of Capstick's books are great.

Capstick opened the door and many more have followed.

Brett

Death in the Long Grass and Horn of the Hunter did it for me. MMP

Robert Ruark's "Something of Value," John Wayne's "Hatari" and one of Stewart Granger's films did it for me, and C.J. McElroy showed me how to get there.

I had never heard of Death in the Long Grass or Peter Capstick until a week or so before I met him the first time.

Bill Quimby

Capstick was the reason I went.

Capstick is the reason I want to go. I love reading his books.

I read Raurk and Hemmingway but found them a bit repetitive. Then I read Capstick and it was inspiring. His writings will be the basis of my going.

Robert Ruark, Hemmingway and, yes, Chapstick are amoungst those who got me dreaming of Africa.

JPK

I have asked every PH I've hunted with in Africa what they think of PHC. Without exception, everyone said he was full of crap. Take into account NONE of them had every met PHC, only some hearsay. Obviously clear, all those PH's I asked were jealous of his fame. I told them in no uncertain words, they need to thank him for all the business he sent to Africa due to his writings.
Count me in with Saeed, Rusty and the rest of you guys on this site that thank PHC for what he did for us and that love of our life, "Safari".

My illness didn't start with a book by anyone!

My passion started before I can remember, to hunt Africa, and all the exotic places of the world before my memory can tell! However, my passion for double rifles that were used there, was fired by a man in a little town in the North end of the Texas hill country at the age of six yrs.back in the early 40s durring WWII.

This man had hunted Africa in the roaring 20s, and 30s, and he owned a little hardware store in the town where my grandfather
traded. He had mounted heads of all sorts of animals in his store, and one day showed me a tatered oak&leather case holding a big double rifle, put it together, and let me hold it, warning me not to drop it, because it was heavy. I was already hooked on hunting the world, but that day was my undoing, sending me ona quest to own a double rifle, and use it on the big animals Mr. Kelly had on his wall!

I never read PHC, or Ruark till after I'd already hunted Africa!

If Capstick didn't make you want to go to Africa, it's because someone else got to you first. How could you read "Death In The Long Grass" and/or "Death In Silent Places" and not want to go.

To Peter Hathaway Capstick, CHEERS

Capstick sure helped me realize my true desires.
His early stuff was, exicting, entertaning and just fabulous.

Capstick and Pondoro are to blame.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Capstick was the one who got me going to Africa.

Me too, and met him personally a couple years later.

Also his wife Fiona is a real gem.

Capstick stoked my hunger for Africa, so I went, lived there for 5-1/2 years.

Looks like the inspiration pot stirred by PHC might be related to how old you are, but I very much agree with jwp475. How could you read his great and entertaining stories and NOT want to go into the Heart of Darkness.

For me I think it actually started after watching Howard Hill's feature length color movie. Remember? When he killed elephant, python, and a cheetah on the run with a long bow. Holy Crap! I still love to watch the original Tarzan movies with Johnny Weismiller, and I'm 61 years old. Hunter, Bell, and Ruark in high school. There was no turning back after that. PHC just resurrected the latent desires.

I think the desire for tramping primevil Africa is just that. All true hunters eventually gravitate, either for real or in their dreams to Africa. For all her disease, violence, poverty, over population, political intrigue, she is after all............AFRICA!! Majestic, starkly beautiful, wild, enveloping, full of the diversity of human lives and cultures, diversity and variety in plants and animals, basic. Wish I was there now.

My Brother, who had several safaries under his belt, lit the flame, but Capstick stoked the fire.

Capstick infected me with his writing in American Hunter. After that, I bought most of his books. Since then it's been two safaris and counting...

I have not made it to Africa.....yet.

If I make it there, it will be because of Hemingway, Tarzan, George of the Jungle, and a little Capstick, but mostly because of AccurateReloading.com.

I really want to kill a Leopard, a Giraffe, a Zebras, Buffalo (american and african).

President Roosevelt sparks me to want to get
there too. Capstick and all the other good writers
make a guy really strive to put a trip together.

I haven't been to Africa, yet. When I do, it will be because reading PHC created an excitement for hunting that reminds me of how I felt before my first deer hunt. The seeds of wanting to hunt Africa go way back, but reading PHC clearly brought the desire back to the surface.