5 comments about Death in the Long Grass.

1. Conrad, Nabokov, O'Connor, Wells--oh, bosh and phoeey! For real excitement on paper, read "Death in the Long Grass" by big-game hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick, adventure writer extraordinaire and man of up-close-and-personal, hairbreadth escapes from savage death many times over.
   
   I personally met Mr. Capstick when I was assigned to interview him about his third and newest book (at the time), for our now-defunct local afternoon newspaper. He was a great interview, knowing how to answer questions and extend information for a great story of my own on paper. In preparation for the interview I bought all three of his books out at the time and had read the first one prior to meeting him. He personalized his autograph on his first book and signed the other two. The first is now a pricey collector's item.
   
   You see, Peter Hathaway Capstick is up there in the Great Hall of Fame of adventure writers with the likes of Ernest Hemingway. For a person who loathes hunting and especially the thought of sport hunting like the big game animals of Africa, I actually enjoyed his first three books, which I read one after the other.
   
   It's been over 20 years since I read those books or thought about them; however, one of my students recently asked for a book about the 10 most dangerous animals in Africa for his research project. I gave him what the library had, but they were not enough. Then I thought about Capstick's books and brought "Death in the Long Grass," the perfect book!
   
   After he returned it, I started flipping through the pages, then just turned to page one and read Capstick's first book again. It's still an exciting read. First, his explanation why big game hunting is not a cruel sport rings so true. His description of what elephants do to humans who disturb them is a worst case scenario of human torture. After an elephant mucks up a body under his big feet, rolls him with its knees, and stirs him with his tusks, only to do the routine again, the body is rendered a jellied mess, or as Capstick describes it: "Results are most impressive."
   
   So, the big question always is, according to Capstick: Which of the big game animals is the MOST dangerous? His answer is simple but complicated: What is the terrain? What is the weather? Day or night? Feeding conditions? In other words, the most dangerous game is determined by time and circumstance, not the animal itself, although its nature is part of the equation.
   
   But read all the chapters, each devoted to a different animal, and the one that springs out (pardon the pun) as the most dangerous is the leopard. Other cats use the fear tactic of the roar, but the leopard is totally silent. If it is wounded and not killed, Capstick makes it obvious that this wounded beast is now THE most dangerous animal of all. In one hunt a wounded leopard in turn wounded five professional hunters before the animal was taken down. Each man was heavily armed.
   
   Capstick most disliked the alligator. He once saw a seven foot gator kill a 500 pound hippo. When the hippo stuck its snout into the water for a drink, the alligator snapped on and the tug of life began. Eventually, the gator pulled the hippo under, drowned it, and ate it.
   
   The rhinoceros is the most thick-headed and stupid. The scene of the rhino head-butting an abandoned railroad car left in his territory is the stuff of pratfall comedies. He head-butted all day long.
   
   Capstick makes a fascinating comment toward the end and one which summarizes the big-game animals of Africa: "I don't know another hunter who doesn't--even if quietly--share my affection for the spotted hyena. The wild savagery of the animal's song is to me the symphony of the beauty, the horror, and the reality of life and death in the long grass, finally and at last, the truth" (285).
   
   Capstick died from complications of heart surgery in 1996, long after his legacy was firmly established.



2. I started reading Capstick's work over twenty years ago. He has a style that is engaging and entertaining and a sense of humour that makes the reading enjoyable. You don't have to be a hunter to appreciate his books but if you have ever sat around a campfire with other hunters after a day of trudging through the bush or up mountains then there is the special pleasure of understanding in a shared experience. Although he doesn't view things through rose-tinted glasses you can sense Capstick's love of Africa and its wildlife and landscape. The subject matter itself, men versus dangerous animals, is enough to interest anyone. Very entertaining.



3. This book is a great read. I'd give it an A+. It's hard to imagine that one person could have experienced as many encounters as Capstick did. A true hunter!



4. This book is a truly magnificent bit of historical storytelling. The dangers of Africa from the viewpoint of people who were there... back in the days before emergency rescue services existed.
   
   This is a must read for any Africa buff, history buff or dangerous game buff.
   
   This book is one of those that inspired me to write the book, rexGun by Stephen Templar Rexgun.
   
   I also recommend: Death in the Dark Continent



5. Author does a good job of bringing the "game of Africa" to the reader. Not to mention the continent itself.
   If you enjoy hunting, you will love this book; as I have.
   While I would be hesitant to recommend the book to a non-hunter... I would say the author's tales and voice would probably make this one of the best books of this genre for a non-hunter; were they interested.

5 comments about Man-Eaters of Kumaon (Oxford India Paperbacks).

1. Excellent writing in a subdued style. Amazing real life stories unlike other hunting or dangerous game stories. Includes natural history and environmental aspects of India plus human and cultural views of the Indian people. Jim Corbett hunts tigers alone - no beaters, no elephants, no one else, just him on foot. Top notch for sure.



2. Very entertaining book to read if you are into jungle stories about hunting. Personally, I think the guy might have been a little full of himself but he knew how to right an exiting book.



3. I haven't read a boring book by this author. I don't think he has the ability to write a boring book. This is a "page-turner." Also, the guy doesn't make himself out to be some great hunter. He is humble, which makes me able to like the guy.



4. I first read my father's copy of this some 50 years ago. Just having finished rereading my new copy, I'd say it is a book every young boy (and many girls) should put on their "must read" list.
   If you are facinated by old Africa and love adventure and history, read this book!



5. The seller was a lil deceptive in their posting for the product in that the dates for publication of the book were off making it less valuable than originally thought...however the description of the condition and shape of the book was spot on. Also the seller seems to be a laovely person and offered to buy the book back if I was not completely satisfied. Needless to say I still have the book and I am enjoying it, So in summary upfront a lil dissappointed but her charm and customer service really turned it around plus the book was in excellent condition as promised.

5 comments about The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume 1.

1. THIS IS the book and series you are looking for to get a great start in making hand made archery equipment !! Well written and insightful it answers many questions and gets you started making a bow of your own quickly. WHAT A BARGAIN - A MUST HAVE SERIES FOR THE BEGINNING BOWYER... SO MUCH HELP FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN CRAFTING ARCHERY EQUIPMENT.



2. (This review pertains to the first three volumes as a whole. I do not own the new 4th volume ... yet.)
   
   The Traditional Bowyer's Bible can be reviewed fairly briefly.
   
   On the pro side:
   
   - The authors are traditional archery experts.
   - The content is wide-ranging, covering longbows, recurves, flatbows, backed bows, composite bows, takedowns, asymmetrical bows, arrows, nocks, fletching, backings, finishing, tools, etc. Virtually every bow type is represented and from every area of the world and from ancient history to the present day.
   - The books contain original material, such as information on hysterisis.
   - The content covers basics to very advanced topics.
   - Though the authors express individual preferences here and there(bow types, woods, etc.), taken as a whole the material is quite neutral and fact-based.
   - Design is emphasized as much as construction, perhaps more so. I'd go further and say the intent of the series is to teach foundational material and definitely not to present simple how-to instructions. I've made bows using these books, but see comments below, too.
   - There is very little throw-away material, here meaning text that preaches to the choir about the virtues of traditional archery.
   
   On the con side:
   
   - The material is topically organized (e.g., design, tillering, woods). While that's terrific for the topic, it isn't the best for the step-by-step how-do-I-make-a-bow reader. You really have to read the bulk of the material to put it together.
   - These may not be the best books for someone just starting out in traditional archery. The authors presume basic knowledge of archery and terminology. A newcomer, unless extraordinarily enthusiastic, will be overwhelmed.
   - There's a lot of line drawing illustrations. I would prefer photos.
   - The multiple volume approach isn't really necessary, given the size of each, drives up the price of the total, and I would like to see the series published in a single volume.
   
   The cons are nits, however. This book series provides an extremely comprehensive view of traditional archery and is a must-have on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the topic.



3. I am currently about half way through this first volume. I've decided to place the book down for just a moment to give it my review. I'd like to say that this book is far more then what I had expected it to be. As I stand half way through this first volume I feel overwhelmed with an eagerness to continue learning. The way in which the fundamentals are laid out in front of you makes it extremely simple to understand. I am so glad that I've purchased this book. I've decided to purchase the entire series of volumes 1-4. I honestly hope that this review helps the aspiring bowyer to make the right decision, buy this series.



4. A great book, loaded with information. My 12 year old son is now making his first bow out of red oak, and he's been studying this book non-stop. He quotes the authors by name and practically has this memorized. He wants to move to Oregon to get the kinds of wood mentioned in the book, but we've found a way to make a bow out of oak for now, instead...He's looking forward to reading the other volumes.



5. The authors give very good descriptions and instruction on the process of making bows as well as great information on the processes of design and testing of bows.
   
   There is some great historical information as well as lots of practical skills and information that will help you to make your own bow from cutting down a tree to seeing the arrow fly.

5 comments about Understanding Firearm Ballistics.

1. If you are not already conversant in the facts and math of ballistics this is a fairly good primer, and it does have some useful information for those that already know a lot. It does not, however, fill that middle range between the basics and PhD engineering texts. Although the formulas for various ballistic factors are included, he does not go into the math in detail. That means that unless you are an ace at multi variable calculus already, and have taken a bunch of physics, then this is not a lot of help. The book is largely aimed ad debunking as many uninformed old wives tales as possible and getting people to think scientifically. Thus if you are looking to learn more about firearms physics than you are going to find in a gun magazine, it is a good reference. If you are looking to learn about the physics of shooting at ranges over 1,000 yards, you are going to find only limited help.



2. The layout, grammar, organization, printing quality, etc. make the text seem jumbled and unclear. Many topics are covered in a "hand-waving" manner, and use terms without explaining them adequately beforehand. I feel that they dumbed it down a bit too much to be very useful. I wish they had gone a good bit more in-depth with the math/physics instead of constantly throwing in space-wasting comments like "Oh don't be scared of the math it's really simple" and "The math looks scary, but don't worry about what it means ... here's all you need to know ... " etc. Ballistics is a physical science and you can't learn it without knowing mathematics and basic physics. It's foolish to try to write a book on ballistics that attempts to avoid or oversimplify the mathematical/physical aspects ...
   
   The book was good enough for me to get a mediocre overview of the field, and pointed me to areas where I can do further research, but nothing more. This is a decent book, but most definitely not great.



3. Very much an in depth look at the subject of ballistics, however technical it may be, it's not a hard read. The author does a good job of discussing the matter in way not to leave the layman out in the dark. However, the mathematical sections would leave Einstein with a headache. The author suggests using a scientific calculator in these sections, but also suggests that you can skip over this part all together as well. It depends on how deep you want to get into the matter.



4. Everything you ever wanted to know and much more. I have only started reading this as book. It is both a readable book and good reference.



5. alsome book for some one wanting to be a weapons engineer or a very well read shooter its very well wrote and has some funny places in it and great scenario to help you understand what its going over the math is great and gives you facts so you can do some checks on your own guns and ect.. i give it a 5 out of 5 and would recommend to any one wanting to really understand how guns work

3 comments about Ammo & Ballistics 4--For Hunters, Shooters, and Collectors, 4th Edition: Ballistic Data out to 1,000 Yards for over 169 Calibers and over 2,400 Different ... for Hunters, Shooters, & Collectors).

1. I get these books the minute they come out each time. Nice to have a source of up-to-date information at my finger tips. But, just realize that it takes months to get a book to print and to retail. In that time there have been new products introduced and changes that are not reflected in the book. But I still highly recommend the book as a great reference source. You can always follow up with internet searches.



2. If you enjoy firearms, and if you enjoy more hitting the target at various distances, you need to know how much the bullet drops as it travels. You need to know how much the bullet you fired drops at different distances so you can correct your scope or compensate for the drop by aiming higher. All you have to do is look the data up (in the book) by caliber, brand, etc. and presto! now you know how much you need to adjust your scope, or how much higher to aim.
   
   Another good thing about this book is all the time it saves me. Without this data I would have to find me a long range, and fire a bunch of shots to figure out this data on my own.



3. This is the most practical and most informative book I've read on the subject.
   It gives all the info you need for hunters and shooters and avoids reading a lot of literature. It contains not only the case dimensions and the relative recoil factor of each cartridge but also the ballistic data for the most used bullets.
   A must have...

5 comments about The SAS Guide to Tracking, New and Revised.

1. This book is an extensive source of material for tracking humans (and animals), but also covers material on all facets of tracking and related skills (stalking, observation and navigation skills). This book has its flaws in the 1st and 2nd editions; some that would make animal tracking experts and Tom Brown "Brownies" cringe; for example mistakes and statements made by Carss about determining the sex of deer. Overall this is very minor mistakes to me. I need to really do a page by page comparison of changes made in this 3rd edition. At fist look it has a slight additional page count but as of now that is all I can really tell for content. Although the 3rd edition has a new foreword by the world famous former 22SAS survival expert and instructor John "Lofty" Wiseman, author of The SAS Survival Handbook that provides a wealth of creditability to this already very respectable title. As far as the human (mantracking) and military tracking portions, I think most of the information is right on, seeing as most was gleamed from military sources like the New Zealand and Australian Special Air Service. One of most interesting topics covered in this book not found in other works is the Track Pursuit Drill (known in U.S. circles as the Track Following Drill), which is a methodical procedure of following sign/spoor that falls somewhere between the step-by-step method and the aggressive speed-tracking. The TPD was adopted for heavily vegetated areas (like the jungles of Vietnam) but is suited for all terrain. Also of note is to please be aware that this title was originally published (1st edition) as "The Complete Guide to Tracking" which is identical in every way other then the cover and size, the 2nd edition being slightly larger and squarer in shape. This book is a revised and updated 2008 (3rd) edition. As a professional military tracker I can not recommend this book more. Anyone who wishes to learn a broad base of information on tracking this is the book to start with no matter if you track humans or animals.



2. I had a copy of the original in my personal library and ended up giving it away to my brother. I took a chance and replaced my perfectly adequate copy with the New Revised version and I've been very happy with it. It really is better then the original, some of the typos have been removed, the formatting is better and the flow makes more sense. As a hunter his anecdotes about mantracking are interesting but not necessarily useful. His practise exercises are very good and build on each other to bring the reader's tracking/stalking skills together in a nice linear fashion. This one definitely goes back into the personal library as it's a keeper.



3. This book is an extensive source of material for tracking humans (and animals), but also covers material on all facets of tracking and related skills (stalking, observation and navigation skills). This book has its flaws in the 1st and 2nd editions; some that would make animal tracking experts and Tom Brown "Brownies" cringe; for example mistakes and statements made by Carss about determining the sex of deer. Overall this is very minor mistakes to me. I need to really do a page by page comparison of changes made in this 3rd edition. At fist look it has a slight additional page count but as of now that is all I can really tell for content. Although the 3rd edition has a new foreword by the world famous former 22SAS survival expert and instructor John "Lofty" Wiseman, author of The SAS Survival Handbook that provides a wealth of creditability to this already very respectable title. As far as the human (mantracking) and military tracking portions, I think most of the information is right on, seeing as most was gleamed from military sources like the New Zealand and Australian Special Air Service. One of most interesting topics covered in this book not found in other works is the Track Pursuit Drill (known in U.S. circles as the Track Following Drill), which is a methodical procedure of following sign/spoor that falls somewhere between the step-by-step method and the aggressive speed-tracking. The TPD was adopted for heavily vegetated areas (like the jungles of Vietnam) but is suited for all terrain. Also of note is to please be aware that this title was originally published (1st edition) as "The Complete Guide to Tracking" which is identical in every way other then the cover and size, the 2nd edition being slightly larger and squarer in shape. This book is a revised and updated 2008 (3rd) edition. As a professional military tracker I can not recommend this book more. Anyone who wishes to learn a broad base of information on tracking this is the book to start with no matter if you track humans or animals.



4. This is a great overview book on tracking, and more importantly a great book for teaching tracking. I have been studying tracking for several years now and have read several books on the subject. The book covers a lot of different areas of tracking including human tracking, animal tracking and even vehicle tracking. For me the best part of the book are the tracking exercises and the summeries at the end of each chapter that help you progress through the exercises without reading the whole chapter again. If you are serious about tracking then I recommend this book along with tracking: a blueprint for learning how by Jack Kearney ( this book only covers human tracking but has a wealth of knowledge as well as great tracking excercises ) and finally mammal tracking by james halfpenny, who by the way, has a video course thats a good companion to the book it answered alot of questions.



5. Excellent book if you want to learn to track in the woods.Has a lot of pictures to show what to look for.

5 comments about The L.L. Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing (L. L. Bean).

1. A great primer for those new to Fly Fishing. I bought it as an introduction for my nephews so that we could enjoy the sport together



2. This is definitely a good book if you want to get started in fly fishing.



3. I am a complete neophyte to fly fishing.
   
   This book covers every detail which I can think of. It might as well be an encyclopedia for fly fishing.



4. I just started fly fishing and this book has proved to be an excellent buy. recommend that anyone interested in the sport first invest in themselves by taking a lesson from a professional fly fishing instructor (i found mine on craigslist in Houston - Robert Logan - highly recommend him). after you take a basic lesson, this book makes a lot of sense and provides you with indepth science of fly fishing as well as insane amount of pictures, drawings, and step by step instructions on how to do it all - from soup to nuts. does do a very light sell on LL Bean products/services, but nothing overbearing or too in your face.



5. This book was much more informative to a new trout fisherman than the Amazon recommended The Orvis Fly-Sishing Guide, Completely Revised and Updated with Over 400 New Color Photos and Illustrations. I bought both books, along with The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Fishing: 101 Tips for the Absolute Beginner, as a package from Amazon. This book was quite a bit more informative than the Orvis book. While expected promotion of the Orvis brand, the Orvis book is practically a sales catalog for the Orvis brand, whereas the LL Bean book focused more on casting techniques and other much needed information, that was less in depth with the Orvis book. Also, the Orvis book dedicates way too many pages to fly tying, well over 1/3rd of the book, an art that is surely lost on the beginner fly fisherman. I firmly believe that most new fly fisherman will buy flys for quite a while before beginning to tie their own. There is so much to learn and practice in fly fishing to take on the art of fly tying in my opinion.

5 comments about Gun Digest 2010.

1. Gun Digest is an excellent source for gun enthusiasts. My husband has every copy since 1982. I buy it for him every year for Christmas.



2. i purchased the gun digest to be more knowlegable about guns .i have been going to auctions.and know nothing about the guns for auction. thought the digest had it all .it does not.and the prices it lists for the guns in this book are very high as i have several of the guns that are listed in the book .maybe i dont under stand how to use the book i dont know.or i bought the the wrong book.



3. On the front cover of this book are the words, "THE WORLD'S GREATEST GUN BOOK!".
   Unfortunately, if you try to use the "GUNDEX" or gun index, the page numbers are all wrong. In other words, someone forgot to edit the index for this edition.
   Ah, you say, who cares! Who indeed. Therein lies the greatest tragedy of all; apathy.



4. This is a tremendous work and belongs in the personal library of any big bore rifle or double rifle enthusiast... any shooter, gun enthusiast or reloader for that matter.
   
   As the gun annuals go, this book is "IT". Gun Digest is evolving and doing it's best to keep up with the very fast rate of change that we see in the world of firearms and ammunition these days. There are others in the same category but none that can be considered better.
   
   I found inspiration and valuable information in the pages of this book (all editions) when writing my own book, rexGun by Templar Rexgun, which addresses safari and dangerous game rifles and how to select appropriate cartridges for any given game, up to T. rex.
   
   I highly recommend this book, every edition of this book, to all shooters and gun enthusiasts.



5. I bought this for my guy. He loves guns and reloading. He hadn't known about the Gun Digest, and is still reading it, months later.

5 comments about Hornady Reloading Handbook 7th Edition.

1. I have read some other reviews that recommend looking at a collection of reloading guides. I disagree 100% with this attitude. If you are using Hornady bullets (arguably one of - if not the best) then this is the book you should use. Lyman does not make bullets (do they?) so their research can get complicated since it covers too many variables. I suggest using a manual specific to the brand of bullets you are using and follow the recomendations carefully especally the brand of primers recommended. The case brand is the least important but if you can find the brand recommended for your caliber use them. I would not use any cases other than American made (Remington, Winchester) if you cannot locate the Hornady cases for example. I always choose the powder that produces the lowest velocity with the highest number of grains and start there. This reduces the chance of detonation and if you are doing things correctly (like using a device that measures actual velocity) you can work your way up from there. More is not better when it comes to reloading. Since I use nothing but Hornady bullets this is the only manual I need.



2. As per Hornady's usual standards this book is a wealth of knowledge and reasonably up to date reloading data.
   
   My last Hornady manual was a 2 volume set with one volume being ballistics tables. This volume is a single book with no ballistic information. Ballistic information, however, is available on the Hornady web site. This defeats the purpose of buying a printed book but does keep the price down so overall it seems to be a fair trade.
   
   There are a lot of new loads in this book. Some new cartridges can be found here as well.
   One draw back to printed manuals is the inability to immediately stay abreast of the latest happenings. Since this book was printed there has been many new powders, bullets and even cartridges that have come out that will not appear in print until the next version comes out.
   
   Drawbacks aside, Hornady provides, in addition to reloading data, excellent information on hand loading metallic cartridges.
   
   Overall a great book and one that deserves to be in the library of all reloaders.



3. Whether you are new to handloading or have 40 years of experience under your belt like I do, the latest Hornady Reloading Manual is a must have, invaluable tool.
   
   It covers the latest cartridges, the latest powders, and the latest ballistic data. Of course, all loads featured use Hornady bullets. That is, after all, their forte. Particularly useful is the section on loading for the M1 Garand semiauto rifle of World War II fame. The Garand is rugged and reliable as rock, but the gas operated action requires that powders and bullet weights be within certain parameters to avoid damage to the rifle or shooter. This information will go a long way to keep those old warhorses functional.
   
   I highly recommend this manual to anyone interested in the shooting sports. It is worth every penny.



4. This manual has everything you need to know about Hornady bullets. Reloading isn't what it used to be.



5. This, and the Speer book, are what I refer to most often. And that's how I judge how useful it is. I particularly like the layout as it makes it fast and easy to get to the relevant information.

5 comments about Abc's Of Reloading: The Definitive Guide For Novice To Expert.

1. Probably a good book for raw beginners, but not much use to a seasoned re-loader...I'm sure the beginner should be the audience...



2. Great book for your library of reloading manuals and books. Has great detail and lots of good information about the specifics of reloading.



3. Why do I give this book 4 stars, but still give a critical statement about it in the title of my review. Well, for starters, this book is written in magazine style as I call it. The author typically puts out a lot of information in the style of a magazine article. What this means is that as problems crop up, you are ushered to a purchasable solution at your local store. Why is this NOT a good writing style, because it costs you unnecessary money and shows a gross lack of thought and research on the part of the author. It is almost like the author did a lot of research, but has not had a lot of practical experience on the subject that he writes about.
   
   What I did not like about the book at hand was that it recommended full length resizing of the cartridge casing (fine if you are using it in an automatic rifle, NOT necessary at all if you are using a bolt action rifle). Full length resizing stresses the cartridge too much, compared to neck sizing it. This leads to premature cartridge casing failure (if you do not periodically ANNEAL the cartridge case neck) Annealing is NEVER mentioned in the book. What the author recommends is full length cartridge case resizing, no annealing, inspect casing for damage, discard damaged (which could have been prevented by ANNEALING). Thanks, more stuff to BUY. Us old guys neck size cartridges and anneal them every 4th or 5th loading to preserve our brass. BUY is a word used by marketing driven magazine writers, NOT old reloaders who know their stuff. Further more, Once a cartridge is fired in a rifle it has had its headspace perfectly adjusted for that gun. Just neck size it and periodically anneal it by standing the cases up in a pan of water and heating the neck red hot before knocking them over. Then deprime, neck size, reprime and reload them. Cases can last a lot longer and shoot a lot more accurately if this procedure (not mentioned in the book) is followed.
   
   In the books defense, it is a decent read and will give you a lot of good information about reloading your own bullets.
   
   Happy reading, Darian Paganelli



4. This book is great. Before I started target shooting I had no idea about reloading cartridges. After an hour or two of reading this book I am sure if I purchased the required equipment I could safely reload cartridges. It covers every aspect of the subject and is written in plain english.
   Great buy.



5. The book is excellent in that it gives great detail and explains the science and logic behind each step. I use it as a reference now.