WB
Some good African classic books for cooling weather
Thursday, September 19, 2024, 08:37

As Gary and I discussed the Capstick plagiarisms. Don't let that blight get in your way of reading some good original classics about old Africa. The classics series had some editorial notes by PHC but were the original works of the great hunters. Stigang's book on Elephant is outstanding and note the forward by Teddy Roosevelt, and Bror von Blixen of "Out of Africa" movie fame is a good read. The movie with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford is fantastic, and your wife will appreciate the love story as well. The truth deviated considerably from the cinema but both stories are well done. *Capstick did not write any of these, original pieces.

This is the other half of the collection a fellow was selling for $850, all signed by PHC. ($70 each for signed first editions if that tells you anything - An out of print Taffin book might bring a couple hundred plus!) These are some of the questionable works, so you are on your own. I will point out the "The Last Ivory Hunter" which was written by PHC but is actually a biography from interviews with Wally Johnson. HE is a VERY famous professional hunter and the work is fantastic. There was also a filmed series of interviews but I cannot find mention of it on the net. The only other work in this group I can personally recommend is "Last Horizons" which is actually a colleciton of magazine articles (very good ones) that PHC published for Petersen publishing. The chapters are short and useful for interest. One In particular on shooting precision airguns for recreational sport I enjoyed very much. It spawned my interest and eventual purchase of a FWB 124-D gun of my own. A 9mm case at 35 yds. is indeed toast, with an average shooter.

Anyway you now know the truth about the bartender turned writer, stolen valor and all. But some exposure to good classics was borne from it. Even if it is just to search out the original works to expose the real experiences, by the actual men. It worked out screwy, but I'd likely never have heard of some of these guys had it not played out like it did. Some good reading to be had.