This is the second Capstick book I have read (the first being "Death in the Long Grass"), and again I was not dissapointed. In this book he takes the role of the safari client--having retired as professional hunter--, and gives us more of an insight on what it is like to be the client on a big game hunting safari in Africa. He vividly describes the sights, sounds, smells, and the very essence of the Dark Continent.

This book is the definitive Capstick work. It is absolutely wonderful, and should be required reading for those who want to go to the Dark Continent and hunt the things that Bite and Trample. Capstick's wit is sparkling, and his hunts are riveting. Papa Bear Hemingway would be proud.

Return to the Long Grass was probably the best book I have read in years.I could not stop reading it! I could feel the hot African heat and the chilly nights.I would recommend this book to anyone who dreams of going to Africa on a safari

I've enjoyed all fo his books, some are better than others. This one is full of good info and is reasonably entertaining. It's even better if your like me and say to blazes with "political correctness", whatever it's supposed to mean.

Last Horizons is a departure from Capstick's usual storytelling of high danger hunting in Africa. This book consists of an archive of his articles and short stories written for Peterson's Hunting and other outdoor magazines. Though the stories are short, they are still written in Capstick's classic form and provide for excellent entertainment.

These articles not only provide a good read but are informative as well. Many people criticize Capstick for his tendency to exaggerate (I can buy into that line of thinking as well) but you can't deny his thorough researching. I found several of the articles (ex. effectiveness of shot size) to be extremely insightful and educational. The articles on air rifles and rat hunting were entertaining and excellent lessons in ballistics and the importance of practice.

This book is not typical Capstick and probably not for everyone. True, some of the information is outdated but if you are an avid hunter you will find this collection both informative and valuable. It reminded me of sitting there listening to an old man telling stories learned by years of experience and trial' mixed in with several well spun yarns. The pig sticking story had to have been written sitting around a campfire. Good stuff!

The diary of a hunt for fire breathing dragon (complete with references to the appropriate hard to get license, season, gear and limited hunting area) in the last chapter is worth the price of the book for anyone who loves Capstick's writing. Other chapters deal with Air rifles, fishing, rat hunting in New Jersey, et al. This is not as chock full of big game excitement as Capstick's other works. But over all still a good read.

This is an anthology (collection) of old Capstick magazine articles spanning a couple of decades, mostly hunting stories but some fishing stories and a few adventure stories thrown in. My favorites were the stories of the kali elephant herd, shooting down dragon flies with a BB machine gun and the backyard safari. Classic Capstick and well worth the read. Many of the stories I have read over and over again.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm one of the biggest Capstick fans there is but what I've seen from him is this: He either writes a nail biting account of personal or researched adventures or he rambles on about some boring life chronology spiced up by only a few tidbits of adventure or peril. Thats the way parts of Silent Places is and thats how this book is. If you are a fan of John Taylor or are interested in getting a history lesson of the everyday life of someone like him, then you'll probably enjoy this book.

Me, I'm a fan of the man who writes about the true life (or not)near death experiences of Corbett, Patterson, and himself in exotic bush locations in a time long since forgotten.

I knew what I was getting into when I bought this book but, hey, it's a Capstick book and I have to read 'em all. It's not a terrible book but it's definitely not Long Grass or Dark Continent.

I have enjoyed Capstick other stories in the past, but this one bored me to tears. It is nought but a rehash of "Pondoro" with some extra information from casual acquaintances of the Irish writer/hunter. The fact that Taylor was a homosexual didn't deserve chapter after chapter since, despite Capstick's analysis, his more serious failings were a total disregard for the Law and an inability to hold on to his pennies. That brought about his downfall, not his preference for the same sex. John Taylor deserved a better epitaph than this book.

This is a very good review which is based upon many personal experiences with the subject. It is also honest and doesn't whitewash anything about the man. I found it riveting reading. I read it in only a couple of days.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most poorly written and edited non-fiction books I have ever read. I say unfortunately, because the subject of this book is first rate biography fodder, having been deeply involved in British colonial wars of East Africa, leading commando actions against the Germans during WWI in East Africa and the Middle East, and working as an OSS agent in WWII--as well as being a hunter of epic proportions and something of an ornithologist.

Capstick chooses to concentrate on the "legend," eschewing any research, preferring to simply cite from Meinertzhagn's own diaries at length rather then take the time to provide any corroborating documentations. This is a shame since it is left to to the reader to decide what part of the tale is true and what is not--no small task given that Meinertzhagen destroyed a large portion of his diaries in 1942, which raises the possibility of revisionism on his part in the later years of his life. Not to mention the remarks in his diaries regarding T.E. Lawrence which have been ably refuted by historians, nor the recent news that at least one of his major ornithological "discoveries" was in fact a fraud on his part.

Capstick clearly was unable to organize information in any sensible manner, and his editor (if there actually was any), certainly didn't bother to help. For example, tacked onto the end of a lengthy paragraph about Meinertzhagen's dislike for other races is the only mention of his first marriage!

No, instead Capstick presents a rambling accounting the juiciest of events from the diaries, detracting from these by interjecting his own barely coherent diatribes against "greens" as well as numerous instances of the "I know just how Dick felt, I too..." variety. Clearly Capstick has an almost hero-worship of his subject, and thus totally waffles around Meinertzhagen's clearly racist views and blood lust. On page 220 he states as much: "This complex man's psychological makeup is not the point of this book. His glorious adventures and cunning bravery are." This is all well and fine except that his subject's "adventures" including loads of killing, including an Indian for mishandling his horse.

Meinertzhagen's life was certainly fascinating, but I'd suggest waiting to read about it in a competently researched and written biography, not in this homage.

I stumbled upon this book over Thanksgiving, and thought I would give it a try. I have a great deal of interest in the Expeditionary Forces that left from India during WWI, so I thought this would be a welcome addition towards my understanding of operations in British East Africa. Well to sum it up, it wasnt really. This book is a very superficial biography of Meinertzhagen, using suprisingly very few sources. As noted by earlier reviewers, the book is consistently broken up by narratives of the author's own experiences, which may or may not have anything to do with the story at hand. If you are looking for a serious biography of Meinertzhagen, this is not for you. If you are looking for a light read with no particular substance, this is it.

Capstick's writing style has a tendency to leap forward a lot and he tosses in personal comments about his wife and his own thoughts. I feel this would throw off a novice reader. However, the story of Richard Meinertzhagen is incredible, a true Victorian son, with a life that was filled with danger, travel, big game hunting, perilous adventures we can only dream of and meetings with some of the most influential men in the 20th century. I would have given the book another star, but the writing was haphazard. Meinertzhagen, a service British officers, fought in Africa against the only German general who wasn't defeated, Lettow-Vorbeck. He escaped death on countless occasions, brutally killing many times, with pistol, rifle, bayonet and knobkerrie war club. He served in the Arabian area under Allenby, using his intelligence gathering skills to great advantage for the allies. He survived a ship being torpedoed off the coast of Italy in 1917, over Palistine, his two man plane was shot to pieces by a German fighter, wounding the pilot. Meinertzhagen managed to land the plane and walk from it. He outwitted German intelligence officers on many occasions, once dropping opium laced cigarettes over Turkish lines, the trick worked and when a major British offense began, many Turks were unable to stand or talk. He was an avid Zionist and befreinded T E Lawrence as they struggled to help the Israeli state develope. He debated the Zionist movement with Churchill and lobbied at the Peace treaties in Paris. He was almost killed on the very last day of the war. In the 1930's, after much travel, he met with Ribbontrop and Hitler. On the third visit, Meinertzhagen pocketed a revolver and could have easily used it on Hitler, altering history to no end. When he first met Hitler in Berlin, Hitler greeted him with "Heil Hitler." Not hear of this infamous cry, Meinertzhagen replied "Heil Meinertzhagen". No one was amused in Hitler's chambers. An interesting book to read nonetheless, aside from the late author's flash forward dialogs and comments. A truly unique and interesting man.