I just ordered "The Book Of The Lion" by Sir Alfred Pease. I had heard somewhere that it was one of the best books on lion hunting ever published. I'll see when it gets here.

You will like it. I have read it and may have posted a report here. It is interesting and a fun read.

Here is the review I did sometime ago -

In 1911, this was the definitive book on lion hunting. It is a mix of "how to" and a general overview of the understanding of lion hunting, habitat, habits, distribution and history. Pease mixes stories of his personal experience with stories he has heard and verified. He was one of the hosts for Teddy Roosevelt in the famous 1909 safari that lasted over a year. There are a couple in interesting observations about Pease' relationship with TR that seem to indicate the TR was not all that impressed with Pease.

This book is part of the St. Maartens Press collection of books put out under Peter Capstick in the 1980's. PHC writes an intro to each book and has written a good one for this book. Capstick did some interesting research on Pease that he included in the introduction.

The first 20 or so pages of the book are easily the most interesting. They are a summary of Pease' thoughts on civilization as he knew it comparing the lives of Londoners to the lives of native Africans. He is very opinionated on this and goes on about how the African is more civilized that the Londoners and how they have a better overall life. He also questions the perspective held by Europeans that Africans are savages and barely above primates in terms of intelligence. He offers numerous insights and examples to support his observations. I tend to agree with him.

The rest of the book "ok", good not great, interesting but not spellbinding, informative for the period but not as interesting as Selous or others. It is well written but with a false humility that I see in many other British authors of the time. He fancied himself as an adventurer and "expander of the empire" but I do not think he was a great example of it in the long run.

Overall, a fun, period book with the first chapter being the best essay on the African I have read recently. It is easy to find as many 2nd editions are out there. I would rate this a 7 on the dogcat scale and give it a soft recommendation to read. If Nickudu has it on the AR forum, read the first chapter and skip the rest unless you are a historian of this period.

Thanks Dogcat. It may have been Capstick that recommended the book so highly, not sure. It should be here in a day or two. Sounds like the comparison of Londoners to Africans will be good reading!

Now I see why PHC recommended it so highly, it's part of his library! Anyway, got through the first 20 pages and Pease does show his contempt for the London way of life as compared to the native's way of life. Still holds true I guess for the most part, but I imagine the native way of life has changed too in the last 75 years or so. Not for the good either.

I am seeing why TR may have felt a little disdain for Pease. Apparently he was one of the poorest marksmen around. He is always talking about shooting lions in the ribs, butt and missing completely and then states how hard they are to "put down". His choice of rifles leaves me scratching my head a bit too. A .256 Mannlicher and a 10 bore black powder double rifle?

Sir Alfred is credited with 135 lions bagged, and I dare say he could teach us a great deal about lions.

Page 93, second paragraph is interesting regarding lions with spots.

Makes one question the fallacy of aging lions with reference to "only young lions have spots"

Good read from early Africa hunting.