Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa What is your favorite African book?

Quotes from "Practical Tracking", by Louis Liebenberg et. al.

"Lions that are scared of humans during the day, lose their fear when the sun sets."

"Lions sometimes lie with their heads on the ground to pick up vibration. Thread softly when hunting lions."

"A bullet to the brain is the only way to stop a charge from a determined elephant."

BH63

"Last of the Few" - Tony Sanchez-Arino
"African Hunter" - Bror Blixen

Capstick is entertaining, but most of the stuff he wrote about, if it happened at all, apparently happened to other people. Good reading, but not to be taken as factual.

Ruark's stuff is my favorite, but the writings of people like Selous and Baker illustrate just how difficult and dangerous it was in the bad old days. It's amazing to me that those guys lived to write anything.

"Hunter" for me. I read it cover to cover a couple times in high school. Have a copy here now. It and Ruark's writings lit a fire in my belly for Africa. Unfortunately,life and living somehow got in the way. My daughter tells me when she gets her Dr. degree she's taking me to Africa. Bless her heart.

Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa by Arthur Neumann
Hunter by JA Hunter
The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter by WDM Bell.

I can't pick between these three.

Any of Peter Flacks books.

Shadows in an African twilight- Kevin Thomas

Interesting, John F. Burger [Horned Death, plus several others] started my writing career by commissioning me to write several articles for his Durban based magazine "Field & Tide".
I love Peter Capstick's books & what raconteur does not embellish the truth somewhat in the telling ? Incidentally, he was my Best Man, some 31 years ago.
I think you have all overlooked Gordon Cundill's three books "A Hunters Africa", "Some Lions I have met" and "Fragments of Africa".

I've been collecting his Spiral Horn antelope series since its inception a few years ago. One more to go: Bongo. Good reading, all; although perhaps not the most thrilling prose I've ever come across, it's quite readable. Wonderful photos throughout, I must say. And the articles by "guest" authors are particularly interesting.

"Kudu" was the first of the series, and in my estimation, the best of them.

Gerry Gore, thanks for weighing in. I'll look for those volumes.

This could be a costly thread with all the books recommended and the adventures to be dreamed... Last year knowing little of the subject matter I did a reading swap with Rattler whom posted early in this thread. He loaned me his copy of this book and I can't imagine anyone failing to enjoy the adventures.
The Last Ivory Hunter: Saga of Wally Johnson by Peter Capstick.

Hope he's cool with it, here's a partial list of his library he'd sent along, minus the rare stuff... Included here for the potential interest.

Hunting Africa
After Big Game In Central Africa by Edourd Foa
African Hunter by Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Lt. Col. J.H. Patterson
The Book of the Lion by Sir Alfred E. Pease
Big Game Hunting in North-Eastern Rhodesia by Owen Letcher
Memories of an African Hunter by Denis D. Lyell
African Adventurers by Denis D. Lyell
Big Game Hunting in Central Africa by William Buckley
The Recollections of William Finaughty: Elephant Hunter 1864-1875 by William Finaughty
Lion Hunting in Somaliland by Captain C.J. Mellis
Snake Man: The Story of C.J.P. Ionides by Alan Wykes
Warrior: The Legend of Col. Richard Meinertzhagen by Peter H. Capstick
Death in Silent Places by Peter Capstick
The Last Ivory Hunter: Saga of Wally Johnson by Peter Capstick
Safari: The Last Adventure by Peter Capstick
The African Adventurers by Peter Capstick
The Winds of Havoc by Adelino Serras Pires as told by Fiona Claire Capstick
Safari Guide by Richard Conrad
Safari Guide 2007-2008 edited by Peter Flack
Hunter by J.A. Hunter
Hunters Tracks by J.A. Hunter
Tales of the African Frontier by J.A. Hunter
The Wanderings of An Elephant Hunter by W.D.M. Bell
Jungle Man by Major P.J. Pretorias
Bula Matari: Stanley Conqueror of a Continent translated by Eden and Cedar Paul
African Hunting from Natal to Zambesi 1852-1860 by Wm. Charles Baldwin
Lion by Martin Johnson
Eyelids of Morning by Alistair Graham and Peter Beard
The End of the Game by Peter Beard
Zara's Tales by Peter Beard
Bwana Babu by Dr. Joseph Greenfield
The Wonderland of Big Game: An Account of Two Trips Through Tanganyika and Kenya by Major A. Radclyffe Dugmore
Zanzabuku by Lewis Cotlow
The Greatest Tropy by Herb Neils(fiction)
From Mt. Kenya to the Cape by Craig Boddington
Where Lions Roar by Craig Boddington
Horned Death by John Burger
African Jungle Memories by John Burger
African Campfire Nights by John Burger
Buffalo, Elephant and Bongo by Reinald von Meurers
Safari by Bartle Bull
Pondoro by John Taylor
African Rifles and Cartridges by John Taylor*
Big Game and Big Game Rifles by John Taylor
Use Enough Gun by Robert Ruark
Shoot Straight and Stay Alive by Fred Bartlett
Hunting Adventures in South Africa by Gordon Cumming
Travel and Adventure in South-East Africa by Frederick Selous
A Hunters Wanderings in Africa by Frederick Selous
A Far From Ordinary Life by Fred Duckworth
The Last of the Few by Tony Sanchez-Arino
East Africa and its Big Game by Capt. Sir John Willoughby
The Best of African Hunting Gazette

Hunting Asia
The Hunt of the White Elephant by Edward S. Ellis
Trailing the Giant Panda by Kermit and Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
Hunting Trips in the Land of the Dragon edited by Dr. Kenneth Czech
Hunters of Man by Capt. John Brandt
Jim Corbet's India by Jim Corbett
Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett
Temple Tiger by Jim Corbett
I Killed for a Living by Etienne Oggeri(Hunting in Vietnam, pre-US involvement)
On the Trail of the Indian Tiger edited by Tobias J. Lanz, Ph.D.
Hunting in the Mountains and Jungles of Nepal by Peter Byrne

Hunting North America
Texas Safari by A.M. Micallef
Hunting the American West: The Pursuit of Big Game for Life, Profit and Sport, 1800-1900 by Richard C. Rattenbury
American Buffalo by Steven Rinella
Alaskan Adventures by Russel Annabel
Adventure is My Business by Russel Annabel
Adventure in My Blood by Russel Annabel
The High Road to Adventure by Russel Annabel
The Way We Were by Russel Annabel
Return to Toonaklut : The Russel Annabel Story by Jeff Davis
Hunting Trips in North America by Frederick Selous*
Woodchucks and Woodchuck Rifles by C. S. Landis*
Wilderness Hunting & Woodcraft by Townsend Whelen*
Alaskan Trophies Wone and Lost by G. O. Young*
Hunting the Alaskan Brown Bear by John Eddy*
The Wilderness Hunter by Theodore Roosevelt*
Return to Royalty: Wild Sheep of North America
The Desert Bighorn

Hunting South America
Jaguar Hunting on the Mato Grosso and Bolivia by Tony de Almeida
The Jungle Hunter by Joe Cavanaugh

World Wide Hunting
Last Horizons by Peter Capstick
Death in a Lonely Land by Peter Capstick
Wild Sports of the World by James Greenwood(1870, in bad shape)
The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told edited by Jay Cassel
Hemingway on Hunting by Ernest Hemingway
Kingdom Under Glass by Jay Kirk(about Carl Ackley)
Big Game Hunting by Sancha de Montebel
Dangerous Game by Walt Prothero
Sport Hunting on Six Continents by Ken Wilson
Look to the Wilderness by W. Douglas Burden
The Great Arc of Wild Sheep by James Clark
Gamemasters of the World by Chris Klineburger
The Big Game Hunters by Michael Brander
Hunting Big Game: Vol. 1 & 2 by Townsend Whelen*
Great Hunters: Their Trophy Rooms & Collections
Great Hunters: Their Trophy Rooms & Collections Vol. 2

Rifles/Shooting
Guns of the Old West by Jeff Cooper(booklet)
Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders by P.O. Ackley
The Hunting Rifle by Col. Townsend Whelen*
Mister Rifleman by Townsend Whelen
Guns of the Old West byCharles Edward Chapel
Safari Rifles by Craig Boddington
Rifle Trouble-Shooting and Handloading by John Barsness
Dangerous Game Rifles 2nd Edition by Terry Wieland
Varmint and Small Game Rifles and Cartridges by Wolfe Publishing
Hunting Rifles and Cartridges by Finn Aagaard
Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West by Mike Venturino
Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West by Mike Venturino
The Rifle: Its Development for Big Game Hunting by S. R. Truesdell
Accurizing the Factory Rifle by Mic McPherson
Metalic Cartridge Handloading: Pursuit of the Perfect Cartridge by Mic McPherson
Keith's Rifles for Large Game by Elmer Keith*
Big Game Rifles and Cartridges by Elmer Keith*
Shotguns by Elmer Keith*
Military & Sporting Rifle Shooting by Capt. Edward Crossman*
Small Arms Design: Vol. 1 & 2 by Townsend Whelen*
Ultimate in Rifle Precision by Townsend Whelen *
Modern Sportsman's Gun and Rifle: Vol. 1 & 2 by J. H. Walsh*
Advanced Gunsmithing by W. F. Vickery*
Textbook of Automatic Pistols by R. K. Wilson*
Handloading Ammunition by J. R. Mattern*
Book of the Springfield by Edward Crossman*
Modern American Pistols & Revolvers by A. C. Gould*
Guns of the Civil War by Dennis Alder
Guns of the American West by Dennis Alder
Steel Canvas by R. L. Wilson
Silk and Steel by R. L. Wilson
Giancarlo & Stenfano Pedretti: Master Engravers
The Rifle in America by Phillip Sharpe*
Complete Guide to Handloading by Phillip Sharpe*
Experiments of a Handgunner by Walter Roper*
The Book of the Rifle by T. F. Freemantle*
The American Shotgun by Charles Askins*
Field Cover and Trap Shooting by Adam Bogardus*
Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers by Major Julian Hatcher*
Practical Dope on the .22 by F. C. Ness*
Practical Dope on the Big Bores by F. C. Ness*
Identification of Firearms and Forensic Ballistics by Gerald Burrard*

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Rattler's hunting library is truly impressive.

Bruce Kinlock's book "The Shamba Raiders" and there are another two by him is well worth the read. He was a decorated soldier and the epitome of a professional Game Warden.