I had a friend over the weekend come + stay with us. His girlfriend does Mission work in Africa,+ is also taken with the "Out Of Africa" movie.So I dug out my copy of Blixon's "African Hunter" as well as the copies of Beryl Markhams life. Her autobiography "West Into The Night",her book of short stories "The Splendid Outcast", + her biography "Straight On Till Morning." Also the biography of Denis Fynch-Hatten "Too Close To The Sun." Good reading all.

That is a stellar collection of books to read. Especially Bror's book and West Into the Night. You did the girlfriend right (book wise that is).

Agree on all points above. I find Markham's West with the Night a lyrical love letter; I thought it remarkable. The audio book is also very good for trips - well read.

Bror's book is great because as Markham stated, he makes, "Molehills out of mountains." he never seems to be aware of what he is accomplishing while he is doing it. he would have been a great guy to go on safari with.

Even Karin said the same;even after the seperation she said she would always want to go on another safari with Bror.Another little anecdote;the phrase that Hemingway uses was 1st quoted by Bror Blixen;"Love is love + fun is fun but it's oh so quiet when the goldfish dies."

What a great batch of books to read. I've always been fascinated by Beryl and her books. What is also fascinating is the relationships among people at the time. I have books that give a short biography, obituary if you will, that shows where and when they lived. I think you can presume that Europeans who lived in the same place and the same time knew each other and interacted.

Can't cite to authority, but if I recall John Hunter witnessed the crash that claimed Finch-Hatton's life. And, if you watch closely, at the end of the movie Out of Africa, Karen asks that her things be sent to Hunter's company.

Some say that Penelope in Out of Africa was in fact Beryl Markham. Seems to fit.

Would have loved to hunt at that time, with any of these gentlemen.

lavaca - Hunter's account of the crash was in his book, HUnters Tracks. It is also recounted in Errol Trzebinski's book on Denys, Silence Will Speak.


Kenya/Tanganyika at the time was full of unique people. There are many books on the "Happy Valley Set." I just ran across a first American edition of White Mischief, which is about the murder of Lord Erroll, the other day and grabbed it. The so-so movie of the same name is based on that book. Other books such as The Bolter and The Temptress are worth reading if a bit salacious. It is astounding to me to see how often the same names pop up in different accounts of the time. Huxley, HUnter, Finch Hatton, de Janze, Sackville etc. Quite a time indeed.

I have the book. Knew I read it somewhere.

"... if I recall John Hunter witnessed the crash that claimed Finch-Hatton's life."

I don't have my copy of Hunter's Tracks available at present, but as I recall it John Hunter didn't actually witness the crash.

In the days just prior to the accident, Hunter and Finch-Hatton had been hunting together, kind of a bus driver's holiday from guiding clients.

As I recall, Hunter enjoyed Finch-Hatton's company and clearly held him in high regard.

I'll have to dig out my copy and read it again, it is a good book. As BaxterB notes, a lot of good stories came out of the British East Africa era, as many of the Brits were well educated and highly literate.

This gives me a great reason to pull out my copy of Hunter's Tracks + read it again. It's been years. Thanks.

Just got the current New Yorker mag. + in the back cover is a full page ad of a new novel about Beryl titled "Circling The Sun" by Paula McLain;the same woman who wrote "The Paris Wife",about Hadley Richardson/ Hemingway. I'm going to buy a copy.