If you are a history buff, especially a fan of early South Africa/Zimbabwe history, this book should open your eyes to how it once was in those countries. Baldwin started on a 7 year hunt from 1853 to 1860 by himself with the aid of whichever local natives he could recruit. He was arrested by Dutch Boers on the charge of selling guns to the locals, was witness to a couple of massive slaughters of natives during inter-tribal wars, met Dr. Livingston at Vic Falls (he was the second European to see the Falls), owned a few slaves, killed 61 elephants with muskets and travelled 15,000 or so miles by wagon.

The book is his edited diary of the times. You read his highs and lows, his anguish over losing a favorite horse, the trials of three day of thirst in very dry country, the hunting of quaggas (which are now extinct), his impressions of the various tribes he meets and how he interacts with them.

He was a remarkable man and tells a good story. The writing style is good as he was an educated man, but the story holds huge gaps which are actually gaps in the diary as he was struggling at times with supplies, weather, people, animals, whatever.

It is not as good of a read as Selous best book, but rivals any of the early writers. It starts slow but builds to the point where you feel like you are walking with him, parched and bone tired.

I rate this a 7 for the casual reader and a 8.5 out of 10 for the serious student of African history and hunting.