Death in the Long Grass - a big game hunters adventures in the African Bush
by Capstick, Peter Hathaway -- 1940-1996
pub by St. Martins Press, NY, 1977 -       -      - LCCN 77-9224 - isbn 0-312-18613-4 - - 297 p.       - Acknowledgements p iii - - - Contents p. v - - Forward . ix- xv
This book is divided into the various types of animals hunted and toward the end some dangerous animals. It is written in the style of American hunting and outdoor magazines. It book was written in 1976, published in 1977. Capstone was born in New Jersey, USA. He had a short Wall Street career which he left to pursue an outdoor life hunting. After some time hunting professionally in South America he began hunting in Africa in 1968 and left in 1975. He wrote and published 13 books on hunting and Africa, as well as wrote for various magazines. This book Death in the Long Grass is his first book.

He was very critical of what he calls the Disney view of wildlife. Capstone throroughly understands the cycle of life, and that all animals have their place and at one time or another all can be dangerous. In the Forward he details his belief that hunting is a challenge for the hunter. In the current western world it is not an economic way to put food on the table, and that hunting and hunters contribute heavily to saving the wild and especially prey animals from paying various fees etc. He is a strong proponant of ethical hunting, and hunts by the rules. Peter H. Capstone became a citizen of South Africa. He smoked and drank heavily and died of heart failure after heart surgery in South Africa. Many consider him a Hemingwayesque personality.

I read this book in 2017. That is some 40 years after it was written and even longer since most of the experiences which were related. I am sure that certain things have changed in Africa and the animal population is not as it was 40 years ago.


This book is a good read, but a better one is Hunter by Hunter, J. (John) A. - pub. by Harper and Brothers, New York, 1952 - It is a classic about professional hunting in Africa. Reprinted and currently available. It covers an earlier period, mostly between WWI and WWII and gives a view of professional hunting in Africa in an earlier time period. Hunter is written in a very readable style.
A friend lent me this book, suggesting I read it.
~ 2017-09-18 ~

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