by: John Kingsley-Heath
Topics include: knockdown value, flanged cartridge, pound tusks, two gunbearers, frontal brain shot, muzzle energy, leopard bait, grain soft point, safari clients, lethal ball, big ivory, stock killers, double barrelled rifles, visiting sportsmen, catching car, game licence, hunting car, buffalo shot, elephants shot, double rifle, greater kudu, professional hunting, tusked elephants, this cartridge, professional hunters
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Book Description:
Book Description -- The story of the author's life as a professional huner and conservationist in East Africa. He recounts many of his greatest hunts, biggest trophies, narrowest escapes and liveliest campfire tales.
From the Publisher
Arguably the best big-game book ever written!
From the Inside Flap -- From one of the last surviving professional hunters of Africa's golden years of big-game hunting comes the most important book out of Africa in our lifetime. After 30 years of thrilling encounters with East Africa's and Botswana's most dangerous game, Kingsley-Heath has at last chronicled his greatest adventures with elephant, Cape buffalo, rhino, leopard, hippo, and lion, including the terrifying tale of his being savaged and nearly killed in a battle with a huge Tanzanian lion. This gripping and thoughtful tome is a virtual history of the glory days of African big-game hunting and recounts such memorable characters as the great Jack O'Connor and his wife, Eleanor; Syd Downey; Baron Werner Von Alvensleben; Donald Ker; Charles Cottar; and many others anyone familiar with the old days of East Africa and Botswana will remember with a smile. Here you will read the tales that have been told around African campfires for decades, including: hunting the mighty Morrill elephant, tracking down and killing the infamous "Maneater of Darajani," which had just dined upon poacher Mindu Ngui outwitting a killer hippo that had been terrorizing a village, coming face-to-face with a monstrous rogue elephant that was using the flattened body of an African as a fly whisk battling Jack O'Connor's famous "Indestructible Buffalo", cramming his fist down the throat of the giant lion that was trying to kill him-as his gunbearer fled in terror stalking the notorious Hombolo rhino, staging elephant stampedes, capturing rhinos, and arranging leopard attacks for the films Hatari and Sammy Going South walking into a pride of 17 killer lions and opening fire at point-blank range, killing 10 and hunting a fabulous Ethiopean black leopard But Hunting the Dangerous Game of Africa is more than just hunting tales, for here you will learn of decades of crucial conservation work undertaken by Kingsley-Heath and his fellow professional hunters, calling upon their vast experience with Africa's endangered wildlife and dwindling natural resources. The book also includes a meticulous and eye-opening study of knock-down value of the great safari calibers and a long list of who's who in East African and Botswanan big-game hunting. Come along for the adventure of a lifetime!
From the Back Cover -- Hunting the Dangerous Game of Africa, written by one of the most respected, successful, and ethical P.H.s to trek the sunlit plains of Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Somaliland, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, is filled with some of the most gripping and terrifying tales ever to come out of Africa: The Mean Ruminant: "I was standing on a log some five feet above a game path that ran below and parallel to me. With only a split second of warning, there came an outraged buffalo-1500 pounds of sheer fury-tearing down the path, leaving me no time to move. The hook of his horn caught the uppers of my desert boot . . ." The Big Cat: "The lion was upon me. I smelt his foul breath as, doubling my legs up to protect my stomach, I hit him in the mouth as hard as I could." The Artful Dodger: "Most of the well-known professional hunters of recent years have all been savaged by leopards, and many of the old-timers, too. Foremost was Charles Cottar, who strangled a live leopard with his bare hands. Whilst doing so, he had one of his sons turn the handle of the movie camera! On seeing his father pouring blood from the deep scratches the leopard was inflicting upon him, his son stopped turning the handle. 'Keep turning!' bellowed Cottar." The Big Tusker: "I had approached to within 10 yards, concealed by a low thorn bush, when in an instant I found myself cartwheeling through the air, landing in the rain puddle and the mud. The elephant had grabbed and thrown me!" Hunting the Dangerous Game of Africa has stunning color and black-and-white photographs, including some fascinating archival photos, and is richly illustrated with marvelous pen and ink drawings as well as historical maps, licenses, and other rare documents of the time.
Reviews:
Over priced and less than expected quality -- After reading "Safari Rifles", and even the older "African Rifles and Cartridges" this book was quite disappointing. From a reference standpoint, the information was way to old to be useful. Safari costs summaries dated back to 1977. Custom rifles in major cartridges, including custom barrels, action work, stocks and sights were quoted as typically priced at $2,500. The author noted people who produced good bullets; Vernon Speer and Steve Hornady. The newest cartridges noted were the .458 and .300 Winchester Magnums. The rest of listings are 75 year old British Cartriges, most of which anyone would find available. When I tried to look at this book from the perspective of interesting historical photography, I couldn't. The bulk of the photos were of very poor quality, both black and white and color, to a degree I'd define as badly out of focus snap shots, or photos enlarged beyond any reasonable limits. Where there were no photos to compliment the text, the publisher resorted to simple line drawings to identify specific game animals or firearms. The stories are interesting, but no more so than the Taylor, Capstick or many other similar books selling for half the price. Apparently, Sycamore Island Publishing offers a total of 2 books, both similar in quality and price.
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 bought this one, the splendid photos justify the price.