Kwaheri! by Robert von Reitnauer

An unusual by very well written book about a Kenyan born of German heritage, whose family was on the end of two losing wars and having to live in British East Africa. He learned to hunt with the help of his dad and locals, he made his way in life after mandatory schooling as an elephant hunter then a PH guiding 30 to 90 day safaris. His story is similar to many PH - turned-writer types, but his story focuses heavily on the Africans that he hunted with. He tells the life story of two of them and they were amazing people. Usually, the PH-turned-writer tells stories of his clients, of stopping elephant charges, of escaping or succuming to the advances of female clients. Von Reitnauer tells the stories from the view of a regular guy, wanting to make a living hunting, dealing with being a white minority first as a German in a British controlled place, then as white man in East Africa that is in turmoil. He finally leaves in 1972 for the US and settled here.

The timeline of events in his life is very similar to that of other PH/writers - grew up in rural Africa, learned to hunt from the locals, went to school, did not fit in, left home to hunt elephants, started guiding, married, got divorced because the wife did not handle the long times in the bush, never made any money, ulitmately retired fairly broke but with a lifetime of memories. Some of the PH types made it but most do not seem to have saved for the later years of life.

Overall, this is a good book, very well written, presented well by Safari Press. I rate this a very solid 7 out of 10 and recommend it to better your understanding of Africa in the 1950's to 1970's.