Any book recommendations

[perttime]

If firearms and their use is of any interest, one should really read Jeff Cooper's 'To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth". There's a section on his safari impressions in it too.

 

[wesheltonj]

(1) Green Hills of Africa
(2) African Game Trails
(3) The Perfect Shot, Mini Ed.

 

[Firebird]

Donarskis' book is still one of my modern favorites, glad it got mentioned. And thanks "Kouprey" I just ordered myself a copy of "The Hunter is Death" on Amazon. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Donarskis' book is still one of my modern favorites, glad it got mentioned. And thanks "Kouprey" I just ordered myself a copy of "The Hunter is Death" on Amazon. Thanks for the tip!

I ordered one this morning also.

 

[Kouprey]

Donarskis' book is still one of my modern favorites, glad it got mentioned. And thanks "Kouprey" I just ordered myself a copy of "The Hunter is Death" on Amazon. Thanks for the tip!

You're welcome, firebird.
You won't be disappointed, Bulpin did a great job with this biography. The book is nicely illustrated with many sketches by Astley-Maberly. Also a lot of information about the legendary ivory hunter Jim Sutherland (who was one of Ruhsby's best friends).

If you are further interested in George Rushby, there's some information about the man in Tony Sanchez-Arino's book "Elephant Hunters, Men of Legend". Sanchez was a friend of Rushby.

Best wishes: Kouprey

 

[tigris115]

Are there any good readings about the South Asian diaspora of East Africa? As someone of Indian heritage, I'd like to know more about this, especially the numerous business owners like Achmed.

 

[Kouprey]

Are there any good readings about the South Asian diaspora of East Africa? As someone of Indian heritage, I'd like to know more about this, especially the numerous business owners like Achmed.

Very interesting question!
If you mean the hunting-related asian diaspora i think i can help a little bit.
As far as i know, no East African Professional Hunter of asian descent has written his memoirs, unfortunately. I think they must have been very private and modest persons.

But there were some famous shikar-guides who are frequently mentioned in other hunter‘s books. Among those very popular PHs were Ikram Hassan, Bali Mauladad (i think he was of pakistani descent) or Mohammed Akbar.

Jan Hemsing wrote a chapter called „Asians, Africans and Whites“ about those asian guides in her book „Encounters with Lions“, maybe you can get this one. Very good historical overview, strictly about lion hunting in British East Africa, many many good photos.

The very same goes for Brian Herne‘s book „White Hunters“. There's a chapter named „The Hassans of Mombasa“ of those hunters of asian descent. Highly recommended history book.

And check out the books by Anthony Dyer like „Men for all seasons“. If i remember correctly, Dyer also writes about men like Bali Mauladad.

Mohammed Akbar shot one of the very biggest Kenya elephants ever - 164 / 174 pounds! A picture of this elephant can be seen in the books by Tony Sanchez-Arino „Elephants, Ivory and Hunters“ and „Ivory“. A short chapter about this elephant is in „Africa‘s Greates Tuskers“, also written by Sanchez (also a chapter about Iqbal Mauladad in it).

Ikram Hassan guided Gary Ingersoll in Kenya in the 1970s - photos and a chapter about this in Ingersoll‘s memoirs „Born to Hunt“.

The book by Leo Roethe „Leo the Lion“ is a good one as well. Roethe and his son were guided by Hassan in the 1950s, also many photos and infos about him in this one.

Not East Africa and not India, but interesting is the life of Pierre-Henri Chanjou. I think his father was french, his mother vietnamese. Grew up in Vietnam, hunted tigers there and later became a professional hunter in French Equatorial Africa (Tchad and Gabon). He was quite successful on lions and leopards because of his tiger hunting experiences. Chanjou wrote his memoirs only in french, a book named „Feu Sacre“. I had this book but sold it, my french is too bad... I think Chanjou is still among the living, but i‘m not sure.

There might be some other books with references to those asian hunters, if i‘m in my library i could check this out. Meanwhile i post some pictures of those books.

Best regards: Kouprey

 

[tigris115]

I was just talking about diaspora in general but thanks for the recommendations.

 

[Firebird]

I appreciate the recommendations from you all-I have a large collection of my own but have found several I was unaware of from all your suggestions. I have now read and enjoyed “The Hunter is Death.”
Yesterday my copy of “Uganda Safaris” arrived from amazon and I have just started it-thanks Timbo and others for your thoughts

 

[MT Griz]

1.) Horn of the Hunter By Robert Ruark.---- Classic, should be required reading before you are allowed to hunt in Africa!

2.) Months of the Sun By Ian Nyschens -----Old Africa, another classic, one of a kind adventures!

3.) Buffalo! By Craig Boddington------If you are hunting Buffalo ---- a must read.

4.) The Perfect Shot By Kevin Robertson----Good info on where and how to place your bullet.

5.) Under the African Sun By Frank Hibben----Great stories and plenty of humor to go along with them.

Plenty More----But that should be a good start! Good luck tigris115.

 

[Timbo]

My suggestions are:

Hunter - by J A Hunter - a truly magnificent book on African hunting!! (Anything by JA Hunter is superb reading.)

Uganda Safaris - by Brian Herne - very funny in places and a photo of a 3-tusked elephant!! His books are wonderful reads.

Legends of the field,
Elephant Hunters of the Lado - both by W R Foran

Safari - by Battle Bull - a great synopsis of African hunting over the last 200yrs.

Enjoy!!

 

[Dinosaur]

Somebody above mentioned Rushby's "No more the Tusker" - i agree, it's one of the best elephant hunting books ever! Unfortunately it's very expensive...
A lot cheaper and also very good is T. V. Bulpins book "The Hunter is Death". It's a biography of George Rushby and has many, many stories that ain't in "No more the Tusker". Bulpin interviewed Rushby and then wrote the book about him. It's a piece of first-class Africana: the Maneating Lions of Njombe, Rushby's elephant hunts in the French Congo, Witchcraft, Cannibals...
Rushby must have been a really tough guy!

G'day Kouprey

Quality reading for sure, I really enjoyed 'The Hunter is Death", and also have enjoyed a couple of other books written by TV Bulpin. The first hunting book that I ever read, which inspired me to get hooked on African Hunting was 'The Ivory Trail' which is about an ivory hunter by the name of 'Bvekenya'. Bulpin also wrote a book called 'Lost Trails of the Transvaal' , although not hunting, it tells a really interesting historical stories about the pioneers of the Transvaal.



Regards
Rob

 

[Major Khan]

My personal favorites are :
1) African Fury
2) Ballistics In Perspective
3) Ndlovu : The Art Of Hunting The African Elephant
4) Horned Death

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I don’t know if it’s been said, but IMO “Karamojo Safari” is a much better book than “The wanderings of an Elephant Hunter”
It may be one of my favorite books.

 

[Bruce]

I have most of the above mentioned books and others... All excellent reads.
Of the newer characters, I highly recommend Kevin Thomas' books.
He has retired and now lives in England.. Enjoy whatever you are reading!!!!

 

[Scholar]

The old guys ... the originals ... guys like ...

... Selous … Karamojo Bell … Gordon-Cumming … Cornwallis Harris ... Baldwin ... Finaughty ...

... (but start with Selous) ... (A Hunter's Wanderings) ...

...

 

[Nhoro]

The Ivory Trail by TV Bulpin
African Fury by George Michael
A Hunters Wanderings and Big Game Hunting by Fredrick Courtney Selous
Anything by Ruark and Jim Corbett
Memories of a Game Ranger by Henry Wolhuter- Early Kruger National Park
Wankie by Ted Davison- First warden of Hwange National Park

 

[Zambezi]

The various books by Ron Thompson (member here). Details his very interesting life in Southern Africa (mainly Zimbabwe). In my opinion just as good a read as anything mentioned, if not better.

 

[The_red_Boe]

J.H Patterson and Jim Corbett are where I got my first taste. If you open to good adventure tales that aren't just Africa, try Peter Freuchen's Arctic adventure.

 

[MS 9x56]

I'm on the lookout for a good first edition of Wanderings of An Elephant Hunter. That'll be an interesting read I feel.

It most certainly is. I also recommend Karamojo safari.