Exploring the African Bush: A Big Game Hunter's Thrilling Adventures in the Wild

Cooper Koehler: My husband loved every moment of reading this book. The stories were true and fascinating.

United States on Sep 27, 2023

Michael Smyth: This book is wild, crazy hunting stories and adventures, well written and very memorable!

Canada on Aug 31, 2023

Nicholas Champlin: 1970s sensibilities, but the animals haven't changed, and that's what this book is really about. Well written. Reads much like Hemingway. Best hunting literature I've ever read, and I've read a lot.

United States on Aug 06, 2023

sherry L: Written with humor & seriousness, this first hand experience book is an interesting expose of the relationships between man & animals & what is good to know

United States on Jul 28, 2023

TWpw: Capstick is a good writer and the adventures captured in this book brings to life how raw and dangerous Africa really is, from tsetse flies to giant elephants.

United States on Jul 19, 2023

WR Fremgen: A interesting book about the unexpected twists, and turns of hunting in Africa. Many animals that I had to previous impressions of, were described much differently than I would’ve expected. Great writing style. Hard to put the book down.

United States on Feb 16, 2023

Mathen Mathew: Very good read.

India on Aug 17, 2017

Millionwordman: I've always liked reading the stories of Allan Quartermain and the pulp heroes of old, so this book came as something of a revelation. Peter Capstick was a Great White Hunter (although in his words, there are no great white hunters, "Mediocre" at best) who wrote of his days while employed as a tracker, hunter, and ranger in the distant places of the world. It is clear from his writing that while his work was to hunt these animals and in some occasions escort others who wished to kill them, he held a great reverence for many of them and does not hold back in explaining in detail how man is indeed not the Apex predator he thinks he is.

He details eight different creatures (Lion, Elephant, Leopart, Cape Buffalo, Hippo, Crocodile, Rhino, Snakes) and assorted less well known animals, and makes an excellent case for each as to why Man should not try to engage them on their own terms (the part where he details how you know the type of elephant that killed someone by the radius the limbs are scattered by is particularly vivid). It's a fascinating read and while many have an issue with the killing of animals (especially in these times), it is interesting to read the opinion of one...

United Kingdom on Feb 14, 2013

clanny: As the title says, this book is all about dying and in particular, how Africa tries to do that to you. It's been written by someone who knows more than most about the subject having spent decades there. I read four or five books at a time and this is one of the best books I've ever read. I already have a copy of this and I bought this one as my "lending" copy. If you're remotely interested in wildlife, Africa or adventure, you simply MUST read this book. It's a real eye opener and written with such a fantastic turn of phrase as you make you laugh out loud from time to time. Excellent from start to finish. My only complaint is that it's not 4 times longer.

United Kingdom on Mar 22, 2012

Ja Walton: This is easily the best of Capstick's books and the one that I can't resist going back to.

Capstick writes with absolute authority on an Africa which is rapidly receding into the past.

His writing style remains undated, as readable as a tabloid newspaper and as exciting as any Forsyth thriller. Just one chapter will leave you hooked.

Even as I pick up my copy I can feel my heart start to pound, feel the dust of Africa under my feet, smell the whiff of cordite and hot metal, taste the tang of blood.

Few of us can now have the privilege of hunting wild elephants or buffalo but we can at least re-live the hunts of the past through Capstick's work.

This is not a book for the squeamish but it remains essential reading for anyone planning to visit Africa with a camera or a rifle.

United Kingdom on Jan 15, 2007