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hatari Offline OP
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What are your best non-obvious safari reads? By obvious I'm talking Hemingway, TR, Capstick, and Ruark which are in the superstar class by themselves.

I have a collection, and re-read many of them every so often with great enjoyment.

Medium - well known

Horned Death - John Burger

Hunter's Choice - J.A. Hunter

African Rifles and Carteidges - John "Pondoro" Taylor

Bell of Africa - WDM Bell



Lesser known -

Killers in Africa - Alexader Lake

Months of the Sun - Ian Nyschens

Wheel of Life - Bunny Allen


Sorry that Harry Selby never got his stories down. I would have loved to have read them.


"The Democrat Party looks like Titanic survivors. Partying and celebrating one moment, and huddled in lifeboats freezing the next". Hatari 2017

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One of my favorites: Trophy Hunting In Africa by Elgin Gates.


A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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Our own Bill Quimby might be a wealth of knowledge on this subject.


"The Democrat Party looks like Titanic survivors. Partying and celebrating one moment, and huddled in lifeboats freezing the next". Hatari 2017

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MAHOHBOH, Ron Thomson
MEMORIES OF AN AFRICAN HUNTER, Terry Irwin
HUNTING THE DANGEROUS GAME OF AFRICA, John Kingsley-Heath
THE BOOK OF THE LION, Sir Alfred E. Pease
THE BIG FIVE, Anthony Dyer
MEN FOR ALL SEASONS, Anthony Dyer
ENCOUNTERS WITH LIONS, Jan Hemsing
FOURTEEN YEARS IN THE AFRICAN BUSH, Tony Marsh

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Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa by Arthur Neumann.

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both Steve Christenson's books are good reads, especially 'From the Congo Basin to the Highlands of Ethiopia' is a hell of a good read for those thinking a safari is just someone driving around pointing out which animals you should shoot...

'Buffalo, Elephant and Bongo' by Reinald von Meurers is a favorite...DIY hunts into the jungles of Cameroon, couple dozen trips....

anything by Tony Sanchez-Arino....he is a darn good writer....



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I can't disagree with any of the titles mentioned.

You might also check the websites of Safari Press and Trophy Room Books to see what catches your interest.

Though not strictly Africa, you might also be interested in two books I worked on: "Wind In My Face" by Hubert Thummler (as told to me) and "Royal Quest" (by me). Both tell about the worldwide hunting of notable 20th century hunter/collectors.

Another thread on the 'Fire mentioned Ortega y Gassett's "Meditations On Hunting," and I was surprised to read that there is at least one well-traveled hunter among us who had not read it. If you haven't, you should.

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was wondering if "our" billrquimby was "that" Bill Quimby grin i recently have read 'Royal Quest'


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Rattler:

Yep, I wrote it. Hope you enjoyed it. Prince Abdorreza's royal status (and Iran's oil) opened doors that allowed him to go on hunts that can never be duplicated.

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yeah i did enjoy it, very neat story and some great photographs...well worth acquiring...


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I see that you also like Asian hunting topics. Have you read "Wind In My Face," "Obsessed," "Yoshi," "The Heck With It, I'm Going Hunting," "Around The World And Then Some," and C.J. McElroy's four books? I wrote them with their authors, and all except one of the McElroy books have Asian chapters.

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no they are on the list now that im working again and just looking out for myself(divorced a year ago and was out of work between August and January) though John Brandt's 'Horned Giants' will prolly be first on the list as ive wanted it for a long while.....not alot out there on hunting Asia the last 50 years or so which makes some of the books you listed already being on my radar....


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Not so much an 'unknown' but a book I have never seen mentioned that I enjoyed the hell out of was Craig Boddington "From Mt. Kenya to the Cape".

Bills book of "60 Years a Hunter" is a damn fine read as well. I read it on my way to my first African safari. Plus, I have a signed copy!

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Thanks for the plug, Casey. I didn't mention it above because there's only one chapter on my hunting in Asia.

Rattler: Of the books I did mention, You may want to pick up "McElroy Hunts Asia" and "Wind In My Face" first. Both have a lot of information about hunting markhor and argali in the last half of the 20th century.

"Wind" tells about Weatherby award recipient Hubert Thummler of Mexico's quest to post an entry in nearly every category of the SCI record books, including virtually every subspecies of the world's mountain game.

End of commercial. I apologize to all for getting this thread off track.

Bill Quimby




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Craig Boddington books "Buffalo," "Elephant," "Safari Rifles II" and "African Experience."

Terry Weiland "Dangerous Game Rifles II."





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Originally Posted by billrquimby
Thanks for the plug, Casey. I didn't mention it above because there's only one chapter on my hunting in Asia.

Rattler: Of the books I did mention, You may want to pick up "McElroy Hunts Asia" and "Wind In My Face" first. Both have a lot of information about hunting markhor and argali in the last half of the 20th century.

"Wind" tells about Weatherby award recipient Hubert Thummler of Mexico's quest to post an entry in nearly every category of the SCI record books, including virtually every subspecies of the world's mountain game.

End of commercial. I apologize to all for getting this thread off track.

Bill Quimby





no worries grin thanks for an idea where to start on the list sir.

Last edited by rattler; 03/14/15.

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Months of the Sun by Ian Nychens. Very interesting read. Nychens was a notorious poacher and what he endured to make his living is quite amazing.

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Originally Posted by vpexp
Months of the Sun by Ian Nychens. Very interesting read. Nychens was a notorious poacher and what he endured to make his living is quite amazing.


unfortunately a damn expensive book....fortunately a member on here loaned me his copy to read....want to pick up the other book of his that was released this year by Safari Press


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I have found that after reading so many books with African hunting (specifically) as the subject, I have gravitated toward books more about the African experience in general.

I recommend:

Anything by Elspeth Huxley e.g. Flame Trees of Thika, Out in the Midday Sun etc.
Don't Let's go to the dogs tonight - Alexandra Fuller
Out of Africa (of course) - Denison/Blixen
The Bolter - Frances Osborne
The Temptress - Paul Spicer
West with the Night - Beryl Markham
Straight on till morning (about Beryl Markham - Mary Lovell
Too Close to the Sun (about Denys Finch-Hatton - Sara Wheeler
Safari - Bartle Bull
White Hunters - Brian Herne. This book is one of the very best chronicles of the great PH's in Africa.


That should keep you busy.


"Sorry that Harry Selby never got his stories down."

I hope you don't think Harry is dead; he's not. You can find many stories from Harry in Sports Afield and the NRA's American Hunter. I've known Harry for a decade now, and his daughter even longer. They are all very fine folks I am honored to call friends.

Last edited by baxterb; 03/21/15.
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