Another book from the St. Martins's Press Peter Capstick Collection. This is my last book in this collection and one of the best. This is not your ordinary - "I shot, I stalked, I survived" - type of African hunting/adventure book. Killenberger is a Hungarian, originally on a mission to collect animals (dead and alive) for the Hungarian National Museum and Zoo. He made 4 trips to Africa to do so on a next to nothing budget. In between a couple of the trips, he was interred in a British POW camp in India during WWI. He was summoned to the British offices in East Africa via native runner, not knowing that WWI had started. He was "captured" and detained, losing his collection of animals, all his earthly assets and 6 years of his life.

Yet he remained friendly to the British and even had a British military officer write the forward to this book.

This guy is an unassuming, humble individual and a very keen observers along the lines of Selous. He writes very matter of factly and without a condescending tone or a "know it all" tone. He discusses myths and realities of elephant and lion hunting - refuting the tales of danger and destruction of earlier adventure writers. He speaks well of the natives he encounters and hires. He tells details of collecting hundreds of various animals and how they were shipped to Hungary - no small accomplishment.

The best tale is when he was attacked by a wounded lion being mauled badly. He tells the tale as if he were a third party observer. He is injured and yet kills the lion. He has to amputate his own finger due to injuries, then puts it in a jar of alcohol and ships it to Hungary with his specimens.

He also amasses quite a collection of birds that he discusses in good detail.

Capstick says he read this book 6 times. I can see why. It is refreshing, a great read through the eyes of a guy who has been there and done it - without having to boast of his skills.

I give this a solid 8.5 out of 10 on the dogcat scale. It is a "want to read" not a "must read". You will be enriched by reading it.

Enjoy....