[PotatoJudge]

Aside from Death in the Long Grass, which I thought was great, what are your top 4 or 5 picks from the remainder of his books? Christmas is coming, and I'd like to get some as gifts for a couple of people.

[.38 Special]

"Death in the ..." all read about the same to me. If you liked the first one, you'll like any of them.

[Shawnee]

"Maneaters" is my pick as his best.

:cool:

[H&Hhunter]

Take your pick they are all great reading. Do however take anything you read from PHC with a grain of salt.

[PotatoJudge]

That's what I've heard H&H, but it doesn't bother me at all. As you said, great reading.

[H&Hhunter]

Potatojudge,

Exactly right it's darn good reading I find it very entertaining.

It drives me bonkers when I see people make "Capstick quotes" when it comes to real life hunting advice. His stories are loosely based on the truth and mainly the experiences of other hunters and then jazzed up for readability. And with that being said he is one of the most descriptive writers I've ever read when it comes to Africa. He nails it and you feel like you are there. That part he got right on! I do enjoy his writing.

[Shawnee]

"It drives me bonkers when I see people make "Capstick quotes""


I have never heard anyone say or infer that Capstick wasn't completely genuine until I read such in your posts. You may well be right about him for all I really know - but my point is there could likely be many, many people make "Capstick quotes" simply because they believe him to be thoroughly credible.

:cool:

[H&Hhunter]

Shawnee,

Do yourself a favor and take a little gander through the Rowland and Ward book of records then take a stroll through the SCI book of records and tell me how many entries you come up with as Mr. Capstick as the PH.

I think you may be surprised as to what you find.

[Shawnee]

Hi H&H...

Will say again... I'm not calling you (or anyone else) out into the street over Capstick's adventures.

Like many, I read his stories at "face value" and have had no particular reason to wonder about him. Maybe he owns Africa and maybe he's never been there - I dunno.

As I recall, he wrote a few times of having hunted or guided with Charlie Askins. Perhaps he did and perhaps he didn't. Askins surely did a lot but he also bragged a lot so if Capstick was his bud, I could see where a grain or two of salt might be appropriate.

But, at the end of the day, I still dunno.

But I do know this, H&H. For every person who reads the Rowland & Ward and SCI record books there will be 250 who read and enjoy and remember Capstick's great yarns about Africa - and giving PHC his due credit for that is something I don't mind at all.

;)

[H&Hhunter]

Shawnee,

Once again my point being that Capstick was a great writer. So was Michael Crichton.

I would not quote either from their writing on a technical subject.

[moosehunt]

H&H is right on. Capstick was a good, or at least very enjoyable writer, and he deserves credit for developing a lot of interest in African hunting, and many a man went because of his writings, but it was for the most part armchair writing. He did do a fine job of representing the reality of Africa.

[TheTriggerHappyIrishman]

It drives me bonkers when I see people make "Capstick quotes" when it comes to real life hunting advice. His stories are loosely based on the truth and mainly the experiences of other hunters and then jazzed up for readability

pardon me, but in my opinion PHC was/is a fully creditable author. he has mentioned many names of other 'famious' hunters, and none of them have said 'hey, i didnt hunt w/ that guy? capstick who?'. Don Causey, who was editor of the hunting report, hunted with him and has said great things about him.

PHC also took on (for lack of a better word) the Killer Baboons of Vlackfontein. i did an thorough internet search on that topic, and it turns out that not only were they real, but PHC gunned them down with a MAC-10.

he has(had) probably more people to back up his stories than you do.

i have been through the Rowland & Ward and SCI record books, and i have not seen PHC as a guide or hunter. so what? that means hardly anything in the grand sceme of things.

at least we all agree that PHC was a great writer.

[H&Hhunter]

pardon me, but in my opinion PHC was/is a fully creditable author. he has mentioned many names of other 'famious' hunters, and none of them have said 'hey, i didnt hunt w/ that guy? capstick who?'. Don Causey, who was editor of the hunting report, hunted with him and has said great things about him.

PHC also took on (for lack of a better word) the Killer Baboons of Vlackfontein. i did an thorough internet search on that topic, and it turns out that not only were they real, but PHC gunned them down with a MAC-10.

he has(had) probably more people to back up his stories than you do.

i have been through the Rowland & Ward and SCI record books, and i have not seen PHC as a guide or hunter. so what? that means hardly anything in the grand sceme of things.

at least we all agree that PHC was a great writer.
__________________

Mr. Irishman,

Have you been doing any squirrel hunting in LA recently?

[Art Eatman]

"...Long Grass" was published in 1978, which is about when I bought it. Ever since, as sequels came out, there has been a certain amount of commentary from apparently-knowledgeable people along the lines of, "Yeah, he did SOME of that, but not all." Embroidery is nothing new...

I've never worried one way or the other as to the absolute veracity of his stories. Anybody who does anything out of the usual routine of life is gonna have adventures. (For me it was mostly sports car racing over a twenty-some year period.)

Anybody ever see the original movie, "MASH"? In my four years in the Army, I think I met every one of those characters: Just not all in the same place. Some in Fort Bliss, some in Korea, some in Japan, some in the Philippines, then Fort Sill and then HQ US European Command. But they existed. An imaginative story writer just put them all in the same place at the same time.

So I figure it was similar for Capstick. He did a bunch of stuff, knew a lot of other folks in the same line of happiness and added a bit of embroidery to the figurative sweater.

Helluva writer, though, which is what counts...

[TimboKhan]

I enjoy the adventure of the stories, and am not overly concerned with the truthfulness behind them. I think H&H's point is being repeatedly missed here: He is a good writer, they are great stories. Buy, read and enjoy the books. Don't base any hunting decisions now or in the future on them. You wouldn't read a Tom Clancy book for advice on how to protect your family from IRA terrorists, you shouldn't read a PHC book and decide to mow down baboons with a MAC-10.