Where to start on this one? I just finished it on reading it virtually straight through. Congrats to Ludo and Safari Press folks for publishing a super book in a very elegant format.

In summary, it is part of the life story of Ian Nyschens from about 1952 to 1960 or so. It jumps around a bit but focuses on his poaching days as well as his change over to being a game warden (of sorts). He is an amazing character in his own right, but a terribly self centered and isolationist. He seems to be a man of incredible ability and drive, yet spent the years described in this book as a poacher and a judge of all people different from himself. His exploits rival Selous and Bell. His knowledge of elephants is on par with Harland and others. He strikes me as a man born in the wrong century - an adventurer in search of an adventure. He seems to wreck his family (or at least his wife), has no close relationships except with two guys (one ends up a suicide and the other is possible a suicide as well). He sees all of the problems with game management and sport hunting but offers no real solution other than move the white folks out and let nature take its course.
He struck me as one with the ability to facilitate change in Rhodesia/Zim, yet sat on the fence and critized the officials without working to sell his ideas as hard as he worked at killing elephants for the ivory.

I have not read his second book and may not - I have not yet landed on what I think of this book other than it is an eye opener to a most unusual guy. I would recommend reading it to anyone seriously interested in Zimbabwe. I will likely read it again to see how it strikes me a second time - but later - I need to get past it this first time.

I have read both the Nyschens books. The second book fills in a lot of the gaps in the first and takes a little more of a step back in perspective from the first. Nyschens definitely had a serious problem with "civilization" and with bureaucrats, his day to day enemies. He wasn't really in touch with his sensitive side.

Wink,
Do you recommend the second book?
thanks

Dogcat, yes, I do. Footsteps of an Ivory Hunter is mostly about the period after he gave up poaching. It is a little more varied in the topics covered, has some chapters by contributing authors and is in general a retrospective. There is still his disdain for the incompetence of almost everyone who messes up by the numbers when in the bush, but that is Nyschens.

I read his first book a few years ago. I liked it a lot.

When I heard he had written a second book, I had a friend in Zim look him up and arrange for me to meet him

On my last trip to Harare I went to his house and had a visit.

He was still sharp and full of wit. When we talked of hunting elephants he got a gleem in his eye that only another confirmed elephant hunter will appreciate.

I feel honered to have met him.

He died a few weeks after our visit.

A great read. This was one of the best books I've read from Safari Press. Dogcat, how do you get the time to read so many of these books?

Donato,
I tend to be a bit compulsive and am a fast reader.
I enjoyed Months of the Sun and digested it rather than read it. You would like Heat, Thirst and Ivory as well.