Reviews (2)

Over priced and less than expected quality
After reading "Safari Rifles", and even the older "African Rifles and Cartridges" this book was quite disappointing. excellant read with great pictures
Author spent most of his life hunting the very best of Africa.His experiences are full of facts, action, with wonderful photography and neat sketches.Since I cannot hunt Africa, this books gives me a full account what hunting was like in Africa at its best.You will be glad you boughtthis one, the splendid photos justify the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa, Eastern    2. Big game hunting    3. Biography    4. Hunters    5. Hunting - General    6. Hunting Sports    7. Kingsley-Heath, John    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Africa    11. Hunting or shooting animals & game    12. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Editorial Review

Hook-and-bullet adventures had by tough guys such as Teddy Roosevelt and Papa Hemingway may be out of favor inthese times of eco-awareness, but Peter Hathaway Capstick's account of big-game hunting in Africaremains a classic. With humor, grace, and supreme tension, Capstick takes the reader on safari, eloquentlystating his case for blood sport while portraying the intensity of the hunt. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Capstick was the master story teller of a passing era.
Peter Capstick was capable of capturing the spirit and danger of the hunt like no other author in recent history.
The Africa Before This One.
There was an Africa before this one. Before the continent was torn apart by war, AIDS and poaching. Before elephants and other exotic species were slaughtered to the point of endangerment. Before Africa was one big, hopeless charity case in the sense of both it's wildlife and it's people there was Peter Capstick's Africa. While reading this book let go of what you think you know about endangered species on that continent and let go of your judgement about hunting there. Because otherwise you're really missing out.
Thriller
This book is a good read for people who can tolerate some blood and gore. Scenes of animals killing people and people killing animals have been very graphically described. At times you cannot agree with the author when he tries to justify the killing of animals just for kicks and to collect trophies. I have never set foot in a jungle, so I cannot be a judge about such matters, but I sometimes felt that the author is bluffing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Big game hunting    3. Fiction    4. Hunting    5. Hunting - General    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Crime & mystery    10. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Editorial Review

In 1898 John H. Patterson arrived in East Africa with a mission to build a railway bridge over the Tsavo River. What started out as a simple engineering problem, however, soon took on almost mythical proportions as Patterson and his mostly Indian workforce were systematically hunted by two man-eating lions over the course of several weeks. During that time, 100 workers were killed, and the entire bridge-building project ground to a halt. As if the lions weren't enough, Patterson had to guard his back against his own increasingly hostile and mutinous workers as he set out to track and kill the man-eaters. This larger-than-life tale forms the basis of the entertaining film Read more

Reviews (44)

Awesome!!
This was a fantastic book, the accounts of the "Man eaters of Tsavo," were incredible. I would reccomend this book to anyone who loves the greatout doors. It will shed a new light on the raw power of the Animal Kindom.

Great Story hands down.
THIS MAN ENDURED ALOT OF THINGS IN AFRICA,HIS ACCOUNTS OF STALKING ,HUNTING AND KILLING THE TWO MANEATERS OF TSAVO IS A VERY GOOD STORY HANDS DOWN.THE AMAZING THING IS THAT THESE MANELESS LIONS CAN STILL BE SEEN TO THIS DAY AS THEY ARE STUFFED AND IN A MUSEUM HERE IN THE STATES! PATTERSON WAS AN ENGINEER CONTRACTED TO WORK ON THE RAILROAD, HIS WORKERS KEPT QUITTING HIM ON ACCOUNT OF THE LIONS FEEDING ON THEM AT WILL, PATTERSON FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS AND THE EXCITING EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRE ARE WORTH THE READ.

Good
I though this was a good story - some scary moments. A better story in the same vein is "Maneaters of Kumaon".
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Subjects:  1. Africa - General    2. Africa, East    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. History: World    6. Hunting    7. Hunting - General    8. Hunting Sports    9. Lion attacks    10. Lion hunting    11. Sports & Recreation    12. Uganda Railway    13. Voyages And Travels    14. Kenya    15. Wild animals   

Reviews (6)

someone got it right
This was a great book. Finally someone got it right. not all of us hunt on ranches where deer never see humans and are feed. this book gives advice on how to hunt state lands and other populated areas around urban life. I would recommend you read this book if you want to see more deer in the woods this year .

The Real Deal
This book is no B.S. I have read the book twice and refered back to it many times. It is a great book for a good bow hunter who wants to take their game to the next level.
Very informative!!! for newbies and old hacks!
This is my first year hunting--I wanted to read up on some tactics and how to's of hunting. My husband has been hunting for 15 years and he has really enjoyed reading this book also. The writer either confirmed or shed new light on some things my husband has believed about whitetails. He has stated this is the best information he has ever read on bowhunting.
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Subjects:  1. Bowhunting    2. Hunting - Deer Hunting    3. Hunting - General    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. White-tailed deer hunting    7. Hunting or shooting animals & game   

Reviews (2)

Learning Expierence
This book has been a real help in my opening forays into the world of back powder hunting.Mr Raychard explains every aspect of black powder hunting,from weapon and caliber choices to how it all works and why,cleaning of firearms to cleaning,caping and field judging of trophy animals.This is a well researched and well written journey through the ins and outs of hunting with muzzleloaders.I highly recommend this anyone wanting to go afield with a smokepole!

Must Read for the Novice
I have not yet begun blackpowder hunting but found this book to be invaluable.This book is a wonderful, comprehensive introduction to the sport without becoming overwhelming.It covers the all aspects of the firearms from shooting to maintenance but also covers hunting. 8 chapters are devoted to individual big game species, giving valuable information about these animals and how to hunt them with a muzzleloader.Finally the book contains a valuable collection of resources from taxidermists to outfitters.This is a valuable introduction for the newcomer to blackpowder hunting and I highly recommend it.The author has covered all the bases and you can't go wrong.If you think you might like to pick up a muzzleloader the next time you go hunting, take a look at this title. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - General    2. Muzzleloader hunting    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Hunting or shooting animals & game    6. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Reviews (10)

If you get one shotgunning book this is it...
Excellent for a beginner but I am sure that even a seasoned pro will find good insights here. Pay special attention to the many knowledge "nuggets" that abound in this book. I started using a highlighter on these passages... they are that good!

I've been it doing all wrong
I've been hunting dove for years, albeit sparingly each season.This little book definitely showed me the error of my shooting ways, and I'm going to have find some time to shoot some clay pigeons to work on this technique.Don't expect to read this book and think that you can bag a bunch of birds the next day.Bruce Bowlen does a masterful job of describing and explaining this English techique of wing-shooting.It makes perfect sense to use this system for hunting birds, but my body and brain are going to need some time to program it in to where I can shoot this way.For being an average shooter, I'm more confident that I'll be able to bring home quite a few more birds next season, once I get the hang of this technique.

Good advice on developing consistent technique
In this useful little book, Bruce Bowlen lays out the English approach to wing-shooting. Many American shotgunners, he points out, are already comfortable with the rifle and thus try to transfer their rifle shooting skills to the shotgun. This is a mistake, he says. Shotgunning is a different animal altogether, relying on the shooter's natural sense of timing and ability to point. The English approach harnesses these instinctive abilities, combining them with solid, consistent technique to produce successful wing-shooting.
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Subjects:  1. Hunting - Bird Hunting    2. Shooting    3. Shotguns    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting    7. Sports & Recreation / Shooting   

Reviews (8)

Best in Class
I have read hundreds of hunting books, and rate this the most useful mule deer hunting book available.This book cotains more practical information that you can (and will) actually use than most hunting books on any species.Many of the techniques described in this book will work on any western or mountain game.The book is written in a very easy to read style and is entertaining as well as informative.
Wow, I have my deer hunting bible now
I bought this book after reading the other positive reviews.
Learning how to hunt Mule deer.
I've been an avid Mule deer hunter for about seven years and I thought that I new how to go about going after the "Gray Ghost".I was wrong, you learn some great techniques on how to look for, find, and stalk the trophy of a lifetime.I would recommend this book to anyone that loves to hunt Mule deer no matter how long they have been hunting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - Deer Hunting    2. Hunting - General    3. Mule deer hunting    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Hunting or shooting animals & game   

Reviews (16)

Training the right way!!
The Delmar smith methed is a great way to train a hunting bird dog. One of the best things about this book is knowing what is important to your bird dog. Nine out of ten people now days will tell you to start training on birds before pups learn to run. Not Delmar. If you let them be a pup for the first year you will have twice the dog you would have had!! Very informational. Think like a dog to train a dog...

Excellent
I used this book 20 years ago to train a Brittany and have now purchased it again for a new dog.The methods and advice are not only unique to Delmar but also highly effective.Not to mention a humorous read.

informative and funny
This is my first time owning and training a gun dog. I purchased and read this book before I bought my puppy. I was skeptical but Delmar's methods DO work. This book set the basis for what others would try to teach me later-- and I was able to share information with them as well. My dog performed at an early age as a result of Delmar's advice.You have to be able to go along with the writing style -- which I found quite humorous and much more fun to read than a text book.A great addition to any library!Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Dogs    3. Dogs - Training    4. Field Sports    5. Hunting - General    6. Hunting dogs    7. Pets    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Training    11. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Reviews (3)

Outstanding
Somehow each one of capsticks books good better each time. After reading four of his books previous, I do believe that this one is just as good if not better. Although I prefer Death in the long grass, and death in a lonely land, this book is very well written. Your hands sweat until the problem is taken care of. So finally to sum it all up it's another great read, from a great writer.

Sands of Silence
Having read four Chapstick books and loving them (his other tiltes left me excited and wide-eyed) I wasn't overly impressed with Sands of Silence.Although the book is well written, includes quality photos, and some interesting infomation about Africa; I thought it lacked the excitement of Peters other excellent hunting tales.You could do worse than buy this book, but I would encouage you to pick another of Peter's titles.

One of Capstick's greatest books!
Once again, Peter Capstick has brought an African safari adventure into my home.This books is brillantly written as well as full of great color photos of the people of Nambia and some of the many animals of the wild.This is a must have for anyone who enjoys a great adventure! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Big game hunting    2. Description and travel    3. General    4. Hunting    5. Hunting - General    6. Hunting Sports    7. Namibia    8. Safaris    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Travel - General    12. Hunting or shooting animals & game   

Subjects:  1. Fishing - General    2. Fishing Sports    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Walleye fishing    6. Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting   

Reviews (1)

Could have been worse
Several Wilderness Press books were written by the author or his hunting buddies. The latter is the case with "Western Wings". So it goes without saying that is no classic of upland bird hunting, but rather a loosely organized collection of hunting tales and observations of your average Western bird hunter. Williams does do a good job of describing the behavioral patterns of birds throughout the days and the seasons, and dispels some common myths about prairie gamebirds (e.g. "huns always flush wild in the late season"). You get the impression he knows his bird dogs, although he does does not really delve into the subject. I do have to respect him for NOT including a chapter on pheasants---which he says he hunts "reluctantly". This book is really mostly his personal homage to the vast grasslands of the West, and the grouse, prairie chickens, and huns that make the Big Sky country a bird hunter's dream. It is neither great writing nor informative naturalism, but it's a pleasant book to crack open on a winter's night, when you want to reflect on seasons past. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - Bird Hunting    2. Hunting - General    3. Hunting Sports    4. Northwestern States    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Upland game bird shooting    8. Upland game birds    9. Birds    10. Hunting   

Reviews (16)

Not bad
Reading books by authors like Capstick is a very good alternative to reading fiction. When you are reading fiction, however scary, thrilling and realistic it may be, at the back of your mind you know that it is fiction. Some of it may not even be plausible. When you are reading true adventure, it is then that you can realise the closeness of death to life, you can identify with the characters more closely, and you can feel their fear of something as primeval and primitive as claws, fangs and horns. You can also feel their elation at escaping injury.
Not just for Hunters
Many other reviewers have characterized "Death in the Dark Continent" very, very well. It is a bit more graphic than Capstick's earlier "Death in the Long Grass", but not much.
Capsticks as good as ever.
If you havent read Capstick, you are missing out on a treat. Not only are his stories, graphic, exciting and compelling, his style of writing is nothing short of superb. Genuinly exciting, and often laugh out loud funny, all of his books are fantastic. When talking about the turn of the century past-time of "galloping lions" (described as "dangerous as typhoid") he writes:" THe elements recquired for the monotony breaking past time were a fast horse, a good rifle, a few lions and not much concern about the future".Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Big game hunting    3. Fiction    4. Hunting    5. Hunting - General    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (13)

Eye opener
Very well written, easy read, opens your eye to what God wants you to see when hunting.

very fine book ofhunting for life with God
I received this book for Christmas and enjoyed its insights and thoughts on a variety of subjects.Good gift book for the hunting Christian.If you liked this book, I would suggest another called Wild at Heart by John Eldrege

A Look At Life From A Deer Stand
This book was very enjoyable. It is written in the form of short chapters that tell multiple deer hunting stories that are then compared to ones personal relationship with God and family. Any hunter, sportsman, or outdoorsman can easily relate to the stories in this book. I would recommend reading A Look At Life From A Deer Stand, because it helps us hunters better understand how God, family, and hunting all tie in together to make our lives more enjoyable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Chapman, Steve    3. Conduct of life    4. Essays    5. Hunting - Deer Hunting    6. Inspirational - General    7. Religion    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Tennessee    10. White-tailed deer hunting    11. Personal Christian testimony & popular inspirational works    12. Religion & Beliefs   

Reviews (1)

Oft Quoted; Seldom Read
I'm a bit surprised to be the first reviewer of this classic. When I began my career in Wildlife Management over 30 years ago I was surprised at how many people quoted this work, but admitted to have not actually read it. I had read it in graduate school and was amazed at how prescient Leopold had been. He accurately predicted where Wildlife Management would go in the future and what would be necessary for success. (As a side note, Leopold used the two word term `Wild Life' meaning plants, animals, the soil; i.e. ecosystems. The term was changed to one word by the Wisconsin Legislature and defined as certain animals only.)
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Game and game-birds    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Wildlife Management    6. Animal husbandry    7. Management of land & natural resources   

Reviews (11)

Not all about hunting
The titles of Peter Capstick's books appear very unimaginative and it seems that they are trying to cash in on the popularity of "Death in the long grass". This is not so. I have read three books by this author all of which have titles beginning with "death in....". Each book has something new to say and you do not get tired of reading about the almost countless adventures that Capstick recounts.
Mandatory Reading
This book was my first encounter with Peter Hathaway Capstick, but it won't be my last.It contains a series of short stories about dangerous game hunting (and World War I scouting) in Africa, India, South America, and Ceylon.The stories Capstick tells are primarily about the exploits of other famous hunters, although he interjects annecdotes about personal experiences and also tells the tale of his own hunting of a cape buffalo with a spear.
sucking down the safari
God bless Amazon and Ebay... I found Death in the Silent Places and was so fired up I was ready to grab the next plane to Africa. Spectacularly undervalued book. Look at these Amazon ratings based on estimated sales. Astounding. I'd stick Hathaways books on every bookshelf in America if I owned my own publishing house. Brilliantly written, with elan and flair and grit and a wonderfully subtle, understated humor. Masterful storytelling and highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Big game hunting    2. Fiction    3. Hunting - General    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Hunting or shooting animals & game   

Reviews (4)

sometimes it's too much
I've loved all the Capstick books and own and have loaned the ones I own many times, mostly to husbands of friends. But I must admit that I can only read one or two and then I have to stop for a while. Times were different then and there were lots of animals. No talk of endangered species. Today when I read about macho men slaughtering beautiful animals for sport it can get to be sickening. But, again, he is an excellent author and the books keep you on the edge of your chair. When you see the movie based on the Lions of Tsavo and have read the book - the book is soooo much more exciting.And - no love interest.

What a book, What an author!
I could not put this book down.What a sad world we live in today when there is no dark continent to explore the way that the professional hunters and wardens described in this book had to experience around the year 1900.What a sad world and what a bunch of counterfeits the Croc Hunter and Croc Dundee are.Author Capstick puts you there a hundred years ago, where prides of lions manage to devour 450 villagers before being shot, or where 30,000 elephants are shot in one country alone just to limit crop damage!These examples give you an idea of the world the hunters profiled by Capstick in this anthology of sorts walked into circa 1900 to 1940.Lions walking into huts populated with 100 sleeping people, only to leave without molesting a soul, only leaving their footprints around the myriads of sleeping African tribesman.Big cats jumping through windows to snatch infants in bassonets, toddlers grabbed off porches, the head being found a day later in the grass, Cheetahs killing humans just for the fun of it.Guns jamming and cartridges failing in the face of wounded lions.Deadly snakes, Puff adders, Black Mambas, no antidote, one example of these snakes even dropping out of trees to bite a human victim. A MAN THAT PUTS YOU THERE
I know Peter personaly and have hunted with him. I am in his book Sands of Silence. I highly recommend all of his books. They draw from real experiences and actively bring the reader into the wild. He loved the outdoors and his work helps preserve memories and times of people and activity that is passing away. Each book is a treasure of adventure. BL Melrose, MD ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adventure and adventurers    2. Africa    3. Big game hunting    4. Biography    5. General    6. Hunters    7. Hunting Sports    8. Travel    9. Travel - General    10. Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting    11. Nature / Wildlife    12. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Great how to book for the novice
The first thing this book has going for it, is the size, since this is a book that you can carry with you on hunting trips as a step by step guide, or how to.Not only are the instructions absolutely complete but they are easy to follow, and the equipment required is inexpensive and in some cases free.Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - Bird Hunting    2. Hunting - General    3. Specific Ingredients - Game    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Hunting or shooting animals & game    7. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Reviews (2)

You can't miss this...
Chris and John have done it again.This is an incredible follow up to "bowhunting pressured whitetails".Their knowledge of the lore of the wood and the unique and creative take they have with hunting consistently shows their superior knowledge they are all too happy to share with those of you who are wise to purchase this book.

A Book Every Serious Bowhunter Should Have
This book and the Eberhart's other book "Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails" are the two best whitetail deer bowhunting books I have read - and I have read a lot of them.Most deer hunting books discuss tactics for hunting unpressured deer (i.e. large, privately managed farms or ranches with limited access or high-fence operations) that most hunters will simply never have the chance to hunt.This book is different from other hunting books in that the Eberhart's explain their year-round system for consistently taking mature whitetail bucks from pressured areas in their home state of Michigan.I must say again that the Eberthart's bowhunting books are the best I have read.In fact, I re-read parts of their books before each hunting season. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bowhunting    2. Hunting - Deer Hunting    3. Hunting - General    4. Hunting Sports    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. White-tailed deer hunting    8. Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting    9. Hunting or shooting animals & game   

Reviews (6)

Hunting as an Institution: Fascinating
True to its subtitle, biological anthropologist Matt Cartmill's book A View to a Death in the Morning is as much about human opinions of nature as it is about attitudes towards hunting.In an effort to better understand why the hunting hypothesis of human origins has frequently been accepted despite relatively scant evidence to support it, Cartmill traces changes in the way Western societies have conceptualized hunting and explores how hunting informs the human-animal boundary.He reveals that this relationship between humans and hunting often mirrors our relationships with nature and with other humans.
Brilliant but Uneven
The first several chapters of this book are an intellectual tour de force of absolutely wonderful writing about science, literature, and culture.For anyone interested in hunting, pro or con, this is a must-read.The last chapter, however, takes an amazingly demagogic and unreasoned turn.Cartmill reinscribes most of the same paradigms that he so brilliantly critiques in the chapters leading up to the final one.Seeing two poachers dressing a fawn by the side of a road, he treats them as representative examples of hunters; without so much as a nod at the distinction between poaching and hunting, he goes on to say that this incident is what motivates his personal anti-hunting sentiments.But most hunters would be similarly disgusted with the acts of the two men--there are law enforcement programs making it easy to turn in poachers and hunters themselves are the ones who usually do so.Also, Cartmill quotes a "Buck Peterson" book on deer hunting as though it were a serious discussion of hunting ethics, when it is in fact a joke book (one that most real hunters would, again, find in very bad taste). The pure emotion that drives both sides of this argument is apparently capable of blinding even a first-class intellect such as Cartmill's.

A balanced and scholarly account
While I agree with what the other reviewers have said, I want to add three points: 1) Carmtmill does not come across as heavy-handed or doctrinaire in his criticisms of hunting. Since the debate on this issue can be quite shrill, his measured tone is a relief. 2) His scholarship is of a very high quality. All of his claims are thoroughly documented. Since one of his chapters concerns the topic of my dissertation, I can say that he presents complicated matters clearly and without any distortions. 3) His writing style is simply excellent. I have seldom read a serious, academic book that had such an engaging style - I read it in one sitting! I would give this 4 1/2 stars if I could. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. History: World    4. Sociology - General    5. World - General    6. Anthropology    7. Cultural studies    8. Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting    9. History / World