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Re reading Rob Ruark's "Use Enough Gun" for the umteenth time, and still enjoy his writing...one of the greats! | ||
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All of his books were great, with the possible exceptions of Grenadine Etching, + The Honey Badger. They were not bad, but not up to the quality of writing matter IMO. | |||
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I just got done reading it myself, it is a good book. Now I need to fill in a couple empty spots in my Ruark collect to read the full story. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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Bear in mind in the intro of "The Honey Badger", that his comment about that creature always went for your balls, that at that time, he was going through his divorce with Virginia, + as history has proved,( justified or not) she was a spiteful woman. | |||
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You wouldn’t happen to know why they got divorced considering they had been together for so long? Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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As to the divorce I will take a stab and report back later. I am about half way through an excellent book titled - A View from a Tall Hill, Robert Ruark in Africa by Terry Wieland with a Forward by the late Thomas McIntyre .Both excellent gun writers . Bob's Dad was an alcoholic and his mother a drug addict, thus the attraction to his grandfather in his early life.Once Bob gets a good job as a journalist in NY city , he hangs in the fast lane, out drinking most nights and several affairs. She drank heavy also.They both spent money much faster than it came in. I am just thru the publishing of his book Something of Value which became a big seller .As he struggled with missing the manuscript timeline he got from the IRS notification that he was $5,600 behind on his taxes, he was also $6,000 in debt. The book is a big seller , he buys a news Rolls Royce and heads home to Wilmington , NC for a homecoming reunion only to get a mostly cold shoulder. Virginia did not make the trip with him. He is 40 years old and already worried about his liver. Again, half way thru this excellent book. Wieland is a very good writer IMO. I have read Horn of the Hunter twice and also Something of Value . Can't seem to find a copy of Use Enough Gun . More later. | |||
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Virginia Ruark is to Bob what Hadley was to Hemingway - and they both knew it. Bob's problem was that he tried to live up to what he thought he was. I also think Ginny resented Bob for being sterile. Bob went through a spate of time when he proposed to about anyone he met - including Ginny again. He knew he made a mistake and was trying to rectify it. His bravado ultimately caught up with him. Still - I love the guy | |||
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That is a good book. I am mentioned in it as Terry missed some very obvious research (which I corrected), which surprised me. | |||
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Thanks for the background info. I always wondered but never followed it up. One thing I always appreciated about Ruark’s hunting stories is he never pretended to be anything other than what he was. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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Tragic life choices and life path. We love his writing but he was a lost soul, no anchor, no faith, no firm rock to stand on. A good example of why success/money does not equate to joy or fulfillment. He seemed to be a Hemingway want-to-be, but, in his own estimation fell short. Jack O'Connor was a bit similar. Humble beginnings, a literature teacher, then magazine writer but wanted to write novels, yet could not get the success he wanted writing novels. He spends his life hunting and writing about hunting. Reading biography, he seemed unhappy, had a disfunctional family, alcoholic wife and was likely an alcoholic himself, and died chasing whatever he was chasing. I have seen a lot of pictures of O'Connor, never one where he is smiling. Celebrity status, being the "expert" in your chosen field, constanting striving to "win" - does not bring joy to life. I admire their talents but not their lives. | |||
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Good reply dogcat ,. totally agree . Ruark's drinking effected Harry Selby, making him an alcoholic also according to Terry Wieland . That was the first time I heard or read that info regarding Harry. Ruark went to British East Africa roughly 7 years in a row with Selby always along. | |||
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Finished Wieland's book. Tried twice to post a recap but having computer issues, maybe tomorrow. | |||
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I got my copy of "Use Enough Gun" by failing to return it in time -- as a member of the Outdoor Life Book Club, late 1960s. (Anyone remember the book clubs of those days, that sent you books on approval and you had to send them back in a few days -- or buy them?  )Ruark's book was the very first I read about African hunting, followed by Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa." I thought I was a pretty sophisticated 18-year-old having those two wonderful books under my belt, but I didn't know anyone else my age who was even vaguely interested in hunting Africa at the time, so I didn't have anyone to show off my intimate knowledge of the Dark Continent to.  There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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Bill, I was in that book club as well in the 60s. I bought Carl Ackley's book, I recall. I rejoined in the early 80s + bought Jim Carmichael's book on do it yourself gunsmithing. | |||
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I visit second hand book stores regularly, and have purchased a number of interesting books, and always purchase Rob Ruark and J.A Hunter books to give to hunting buddies as gifts. | |||
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My understanding is that Use Enough Gun was intended to be a sequel to Something of Value but Ruark's contract with his publisher fell through so he changed the names, but it's really about the same people. Don't know if that's true. I like most of Ruark's stuff. | |||
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Aren't you thinking of Uhuru as the sort-of-sequel to Something of Value? It's been awhile since I've read either one. Leopard, Hippo, Croc - Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe, 2024 Reindeer & Geese, Iceland, 2023 Plains Game, Eastern Cape, 2023 Buff - Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe, 2022 Muskox-Greenland, 2020 Roe buck and muntjac in England, 2019 Unkomaas Valley, RSA, 2019 Kaokoland, Namibia, 2017 Wild boar hunting in Sweden, 2016 Moose hunting in Sweden, 2014 How to post photos on AR | |||
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Yes. Uhuru is the follow-up to SOV. The Use Enough Gun collection came out after he died and I think it was an attempt to squeeze as much out of Ruark as was possible at the time. | |||
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True. | |||
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I have all of his books. My very first was: "Use Enough Gun". (thus my AR name) My dad had purchased it in the 60's and I read it as a young teen. It sparked my later obsession with hunting Africa. I still have my dad's original, in its dust cover, in my library back in the States. I've added a few more African books that I will be taking home when I return from South Africa in March of 2025. | |||
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I have all of his as well. My 1st introduction to him was "The Old Man + the Boy". I did manage to pick up a 1st edition "Uhuru" at the DSC a few years ago for $30.00,I couldn't pass it up at that price. | |||
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Did you get visit from Library detective? | |||
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That was my first hunting book I read…Green hills Sure got me going | |||
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The controversial Peter Capstick put African HUnting back on course, and man could he write!! His doubters should keep that in mind..Ive read every book on Africa I could get my hands on..All of us on AR probably have as well. I knew Peter and his wife and they were a class act. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I never had the privilege of meeting Peter, but my wife took it upon herself to go to Abercrombie & Fitch, back when it was a sporting goods store when he was doing a book signing and got my copy of "Death in the Long Grass" signed by the man himself. I've met Fiona a few times and agree that she's good people. Best Capstick quote, that I'll try to paraphrase as close as possible: The good news, is it takes a lion 4.3 seconds to cover 100 yards. The bad news, is lions don't charge from 100 yards. Ain't that the truth? | |||
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"Something Of Value" got Ruark placed on the persona non grata list in Kenya. British East Africa's new former Mau Mau leadership felt his novel was too critical (and too accurate). He even commented on his travel difficulties entering the country. Avatar | |||
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I remember the book clubs as well. Hard to find good hunting books I like to read. Peter Capstick I remember. He had a tracker named Silent and another person named Invisible in his stories who was the gunbearer. May have them reversed! I was just out of high school and bought my first registered retriever, A male yellow lab, I named him Silent Invisible Gold; He turned out to be a really good partner on duck and dove hunts for several years! Keep yer powder dry and yer knife sharp. | |||
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