Just finished this, while waiting out the cold weather here in the Sooner Nation.

Very good, classic Ruark. A mix of his "the Old Man and the Boy" articles for Field and Stream, along with essays on his various safaris to Kenya and India. It also includes a few snippets he wrote about the death of Hemingway. He wrote another autobiographical piece about himself that is fairly revealing about how he viewed himself in relation to others and the world.

I have read 4 books by or about Ruark - I rank them as follows -

1. Horn of the Hunter - 10 out of 10
2. Robert Ruark's Africa - 9 out of 10
3. Use Enough Gun - 8 out of 10
4. The Lost Classics - 8 out of 10

I like his style and his word-smithing, but he is an errily dark writer and a bit forboding as you read his stuff in some sort of chronological order. He always seemed to want to be measuring up to some mythical standard, but felt inadequate at times. Makes for a good writer.

If anyone needs a cope of Use Enough Gun, I have a mint condition extra that I will sell for $22.50 shipped.

dogcat, You really MUST read "Something of Value" one of, if not my favorite Ruark work.

I agree about "Something of Value." I read it when it first came out and again just recently. It is a great book.

If you like Ruark, which I do, there there are at least two bios out there.

One is called "Someone of Value" and was published by Trophy Room Books. Terry Wieland did another -- with Briar Patch Press, I think -- but I've not seen it.

Bill Quimby

I liked the Wieland biography much better than the one Hugh Foster did.

I was in email contact with Jim Casada a couple of weeks ago, and he was telling me that he is editing a new Ruark biography that was written by Ruark's secretary Alan Ritchie. Can't wait for this one to come out. Harry Selby has written the forward for it!

quote:

Originally posted by oupa:
dogcat, You really MUST read "Something of Value" one of, if not my favorite Ruark work.

Oupa,
I hate to act unread, but what is it about?

"I hate to act unread, but what is it about?"

The Mau-Mau uprising in Kenya.

I am behind the times. I thought the Mau's Mau's were street gangs in Los Angeles.
I will order a copy asap.

Ruark also wrote another book about the Mau Mau revolt - Uhuru- I think is the name. Something of value was first published uder another name and I might be mixing up the two books. He wrote a semi- autobiographical book The Honey Badger, which deals thit his bitterness over his failed maggages. I think that there are several other novels out there but it might take a little digging to find them. Honey Badger is well written, but a hard read. I think I remember a scene where he is trying to shoot a cigerett out of his friends mouth after several drinks. He hits the friend in the ear.

Judge Sharpe

Old Man and The Boy is Ruarks best book.I have almost all of his books.I bought my English Setter because of this book.Old Mans boy grows older is awesome too.I have a bunch of Extra copies of alot of ruarks books that I am selling.