Death in the Silent Places
Already recognized as a master of adventure writing for his classic Death in the Long Grass, former big-game hunter Capstick now turns from his own exploits to those of some of the greatest hunters of the past. With his characteristic color and flair he recalls the extraordinary careers of men like Colonel J.H. Patterson and Colonel Jim Corbett, who stalked legendary man-eaters through the silent darkness on opposite sides of the world; men like Karamojo Bell, acknowledged as the greatest elephant hunter of all time; men like the valiant Sasha Siemel, who tracked killer jaguars though the Matto Grosso armed only with a spear. With an authenticity gained by having shared the experiences he writes of, Peter Capstick eloquently recreates the acrid taste of terror in the mouth of a man whose gun has jammed as a lion begins his charge, the exhilaration of tracking and finding a long-sought prey, the bravery and even nobility of performing under circumstances of primitive and savage stress, with death all around in the silent places of the wilderness.Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Few writers have matched Capstick's flair for describing the hunt...in gruesome, realistic terms...A page-turner that is absolutely spine-tingling." --Publishers Weekly
"This book had me on the edge of my seat. . .297 pages of spine-tingling yarns." --New York Times Book Review
"Death in the Long Grass is an exciting book, superbly written." --Guns & Ammo
"Capstick...is brilliant in his description of his hunts for some of Africa's most vicious killers...The terror produced by some of these pieces is almost too real. As the pages turn, breathing grows shallow, adrenalin is pumped into the veins, the palms sweat until the outcome is resolved and there is time to drag a handkerchief across a damp brow." --Chicago Sun-Times (Triple Recommendation Rating)
"Death in the Long Grass will excite you, scare you and make you laugh...as a source of information it surpasses itself, and as a narrative it will hold the reader spellbound. . ." --Guns Magazine
-- Review
Review
"Few writers have matched Capstick's flair for describing the hunt...in gruesome, realistic terms...A page-turner that is absolutely spine-tingling." --Publishers Weekly
"This book had me on the edge of my seat. . .297 pages of spine-tingling yarns." --New York Times Book Review
"Death in the Long Grass is an exciting book, superbly written." --Guns & Ammo
"Capstick...is brilliant in his description of his hunts for some of Africa's most vicious killers...The terror produced by some of these pieces is almost too real. As the pages turn, breathing grows shallow, adrenalin is pumped into the veins, the palms sweat until the outcome is resolved and there is time to drag a handkerchief across a damp brow." --Chicago Sun-Times (Triple Recommendation Rating)
"Death in the Long Grass will excite you, scare you and make you laugh...as a source of information it surpasses itself, and as a narrative it will hold the reader spellbound. . ." --Guns Magazine
From the Publisher
7 1.5-hour cassettes
Customer Reviews
Suspenseful, but poorly-placed humor
My review hits the middle of the gamut of earlier reviews. Not a hunter, with no desire to be one, I still thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and details of the stories recounted here. I also love the variety, from lions to German cruisers to man-eating leopards. (I must admit to being less favorably inclined to the story of Bell's elephant killing, as those huge animals were less of a threat to humans than the tigers, leopards, and lions described elsewhere.) Overall, these stories have significant WOW impact throughout and I found myself wondering how I would have fared in similar circumstances. My guess? Rather poorly!
However, I must agree with the negative comment about the oddly-placed humorous comments. Even as I smiled at some of them, I was struck by the incongruity of the words.
Still, I've recommended the book to many friends and don't hesitate to recommend it here, as well.
Not all about hunting
The titles of Peter Capstick's books appear very unimaginative and it seems that they are trying to cash in on the popularity of "Death in the long grass". This is not so. I have read three books by this author all of which have titles beginning with "death in....". Each book has something new to say and you do not get tired of reading about the almost countless adventures that Capstick recounts.
To write about "Death in silent places": it is a collection of short biographies of some of the greatest hunter-adventurers of the last century. Their adventures are described in a very racy style. No doubt Capstick was able to write so well because he could identify with them. Some stories have a racist tinge to them however. May be this is not surprising as the book is set in colonial times.
The author seems to be a great fan of W.D.M. "karamojo" Bell but this fellow appeared to me to be a great poacher and murderer of elephants. He may have had a very adventurous life but he was a criminal nevertheless.The other people described in this book also have something wrong with them (except Jim Corbett). I guess we all have our faults
In summation I can say that this book is definitely a very good read and does not have a boring passage in it.
Mandatory Reading
This book was my first encounter with Peter Hathaway Capstick, but it won't be my last. It contains a series of short stories about dangerous game hunting (and World War I scouting) in Africa, India, South America, and Ceylon. The stories Capstick tells are primarily about the exploits of other famous hunters, although he interjects annecdotes about personal experiences and also tells the tale of his own hunting of a cape buffalo with a spear.
One of the most amazing aspects of this book is that Capstick brings to life the reality that, in the not-so-distant past, people in various parts of the world lived in actual, realistic fear of being killed by large, predatory, animinals, including lions, jaguars, and leopards. That might come as a surprise to some, as might the awesome power and cunning possessed by those animals.
This book is a must read for anyone who is even remotely interested in exotic places, big-game hunting, adventure, and the history of the British Empire a hundred years ago. I will be recommending it to my father, brother, and father-in-law, as all of them will enjoy it.
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