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