Safari books?

[wildfowler.250]

Apologies if this isn’t the best section.

Can anyone recommend some good African safari hunting books - I’ve read none? Probably looking for something with a bit more of a story / write up to it than a log book of numbers if that makes sense.


Thanks!

 

[Northern Shooter]

African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt.

Horn of the Hunter - Robert Ruark

Death in the Long Grass - Capstick

 

[wildfowler.250]

African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt.

Horn of the Hunter - Robert Ruark

Death in the Long Grass - Capstick

Thanks bud! Any one better than the other?

 

[Northern Shooter]

Thanks bud! Any one better than the other?

I’d start with Death in the Long Grass. It’s a great read and if you enjoy it there are 2 more in the trilogy.

Horn of the Hunter is also a must read, especially if you own a 416 Rigby.

The Roosevelt book is pretty dry imo but it’s one of the earliest documented safaris.

Green Hills of Africa by Hemingway is another classic.

 

[baxterb]

Horn of the Hunter is probably the most “fun” Safari book out there.

My favorite Capstick books are Sands of Silence and Peter Capstick’s Africa, about elephant and lion respectively.

I have just published Bror Blixen’s African Hunter in ebook for the first time (Amazon/Applebooks). That’s a pretty good one as well.

J A Hunter ‘s books are always worth a read.

Early next year I will publish on ebook Carl Akeley’s Africa, by Mary Akeley. That is a very enjoyable book in that it shows Africa from a newcomer’s perspective (it was her first trip), but also offers a behind the scenes look at the Akeley expedition. This is the trip when Akeley himself died and Mary decided to carry on with the scientific expedition in his honor. I enjoyed it a lot. It is also profusely illustrated.

 

[Kalthoff]

Which time frame do you prefer?

1830'ties: William Cornwallis Harris: "Wild Sports of South Africa"

1870'ties: Frederick Courteney Selous: "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa"

1920'ties and 30'ties: Bror Blixen: "Nyama"

1950'ties: Jim Corbett: "Tree Tops"

 

[wildfowler.250]

Thanks folks, I don’t know too much about timeframe . But something that has a good bit of narrative or setting description maybe.

We have books here written by BB , classic fieldsports type and they were always very good but I don’t know what the equivalent would be.


I’ve bought horn of the hunter since this post - easy sell. But will add to it if there’s ones folk tend to recommend.


Cheers!

 

[baxterb]

Which time frame do you prefer?

1830'ties: William Cornwallis Harris: "Wild Sports of South Africa"

1870'ties: Frederick Courteney Selous: "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa"

1920'ties and 30'ties: Bror Blixen: "Nyama"

1950'ties: Jim Corbett: "Tree Tops"

A great question to consider. I will add Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa by Neumann to your 1870s era book. The stuff those guys did out in the back of beyond with no help was phenomenal.

 

[Sika98k]

Ron Thompson has written a number of books of his experiences as a Game Ranger in Rhodesia. They are available on Kindle and won’t break the bank.

 

[Kalthoff]

Ron Thompson has written a number of books of his experiences as a Game Ranger in Rhodesia. They are available on Kindle and won’t break the bank.

If one wants to delve into "hunting in Sub-Saharan Africa since the mid 1960'ties" then one is forced to either:

1. Stick to the "I arrived by plane from Europe or the USA, I was taken strait to the hunting grounds by the PH, had a wonderful week out in the bush with the PH and his marvelous staff, at the end of it I was driven strait back to the airport"-type of stories. These are plenty-full online.
2. Delve into the history of Rhodesia, the departure of Portugal, the South African departure from Namibia, the Bantustans, the foreign controlled mining operations, the Chinese and Sovjet involvement in all this etc. etc. etc.

If someone has the stomach for path nr. 2, this can serve as an introduction:

• Kevin D. Thomas: "Shadows in an African Twilight" https://www.kevindthomas.com/shadows-in-an-african-twilight

 

[wildfowler.250]

That’s a fair point @Kalthoff . I’d like to think I could still write something for a South African hunt that folk would want to read . Sunrises, wildlife seen etc. But you’re correct, most write ups now are quite factual

 

[Russ16]

African Rifles & Cartridges by Taylor
White Hunters by Brian Herne
Anything by Ruark
Karamojo Safari by Bell

 

[Colt Henderson]

I enjoyed The Last Ivory Hunter by Wally Johnson. It was one of my gateways into wanting to hunt in Africa

 

[homeless]

 

[Rare Breed]

African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt.

Horn of the Hunter - Robert Ruark

Death in the Long Grass - Capstick

I would say these are my top 3. However I would read them in this order; Ruark, Capstick, Roosevelt last…Unless you love Victorian speech old Teddy can be somewhat wordy

 

[towserthemouser]

Plus one for Hemingway and Green Hills of Africa. When I was in college I loved Hemingway and decided to read everything he wrote.

Green Hills of Africa was not on the college reading list..... too much about hunting I guess. But when I found it and read it I was transported. That book more than anything else inspired me to pursue an African safari, so you could legitimately say that it changed my life.

Here you have a Nobel and Pulitzer winning author describing his own 1935 safari and in particular his obsession with hunting kudu. Tough to beat in my opinion. Hemingway himself described it as his attempt to write "an absolutely true book." (after becoming renowned for his works of fiction)

If you are a lover of kudu and the hunting of them, even better. Kudu hunters most of all will appreciate this book.

There are many wonderful books about Africa and African safari hunting, and I never tire of reading them. But I'm not sure there are ANY other authors of the towering stature and immense literary talent of Ernest Hemingway who wrote on the subject.

 

[Russ16]

This probably gad mixed opinions but I also love True at First Light. It was written by Hemmingway and unfinished. Later published in two versions Tue at First Light and Under Kilimanjaro. TFL is more heavily edited and concise. Both are good reads.

 

[Josh P]

The reprinted books in the Capstick series are great. Old muzzleloader adventures up into center fire. Easy enough to find at affordable prices used.