CAPSTICK

[Walt]

I just re-read a Peter Hathaway Capstick book called "Death in the Long Grass", one of several of his books I bought decades ago. In recent years some have disparaged Capstick's work, saying he was a drunk who hung out in Nairobi bars listening to hunters talk about their adventures and then borrowing from those stories to develop his own.
I don't know whether that's true or not but regardless, in my view he was a superbly entertaining writer who was also a decent biologist and anthropologist.

[GunnyMack]

He was a drunk but he was also a hunter, probably saw stuff that would make a normal person drink !
I remember him and a model 12 chasing black mambas living in the roof of his thatched hut. I'm a snake lover but not mambas!!

[jeepnik]

I just re-read a Peter Hathaway Capstick book called "Death in the Long Grass", one of several of his books I bought decades ago. In recent years some have disparaged Capstick's work, saying he was a drunk who hung out in Nairobi bars listening to hunters talk about their adventures and then borrowing from those stories to develop his own.
I don't know whether that's true or not but regardless, in my view he was a superbly entertaining writer who was also a decent biologist and anthropologist.

I think they said the same sort of thing about Hemingway during the Spanish Revolution. I always have to wonder how much of that type of stuff is fact and how much is sour grapes.

[Ray]

Deleted.

[Ray]

Deleted.

[GunnyMack]

I believe it was Selous that hunted from horse back, while chasing an elephant he took a tree branch in the eye at a gallop. He was only minorly wounded. A few years later he was back in England, walking with a friend and he sneezed into his handkerchief, there was part of that tree branch that stuck him.

I also remember one of the early hunters with a 275 Rigby that was left a foot, a group of pachyderms came in to stamp out his camp fire. He pulled the soft point bullets out with his teeth, swapped them around and killed the elephants.

Guts, determination and grit they had in spades!

[2ndovc]

My favorite of Capstick's is a book called "Warrior" . It's the Biography of Col. Richard Mienertzhagen, of the British army. In the Tower of London's Museum of the Royal Fusiliers, there is Col Minertzhagen's knobkerry. When I saw, what looked like a oddly shaped wooden club in a glass case, I was very interested in what it was. Wrote down the Colonel's name and looked him up when I got home. What an incredible life that man had.
Definitely worth the read!

jb

[yooper2]

I've heard all of the stories about Capstick stealing others stories, may well be true for all I know but I do own some videos he made in which he does some incredible shooting with his 470 Nitro. No one argue that the man wasn't one heck of a good writer too.



Eric

[GunnyMack]

That reminds me, they developed the 470 Capstick in honor of his feats.

[Ray]

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[Ray]

Deleted.

[Sarge]

Whatever Capstick was or wasn't, I have certainly enjoyed his writing along with Hemmingway, Askins and others. We are imperfect creatures as anyone who knows me can attest.

[ndcowboy]

I've got an autographed copy of death in the long grass. One of my all-time favorites.

[CowboyTutt]

I have at least two of his books. Wish I had such a thing as a signed copy!!!! He may have embellished but as any trial lawyer would tell you, there was so much detail in his writing, that it lends credibility. He certainly had to have hunted in Africa, that is for sure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hathaway_Capstick

-Tutt

P.S. Personally, I think there was more truth than fiction to what he wrote. Who gives up a career on Wall Street for this kind of stuff, only to falsify it? It's possible, but I doubt
it. The naysayers, I bet you to the last of them, also say Elmer Keith is a liar as well. Your opinion will vary and God Bless the 1st Amendment and our Founding Fathers!

-Tutt

[Ray]

Deleted.

[Walt]

You're right of course, Tutt.

The age of the internet has brought the naysayers out of the woodwork due to their anonimity. Yeah, I'm convinced that Capstick hunted as skillfully as he wrote.

[6pt-sika]

I suspect all of the old boy writers by todays standards would be called drunks . But in their time it was socially accepted to get sloshed or close to sloshed the night before as long as you were ready for work on time the next day . And I also suspect a PH in that time period had enough experiences to make heavy drinking almost a necessity . Just my opinion based on nothing

[765x53]

I have five of his books: "Death in the Long Grass", Death in the Dark Continent", "Death in the Silent Places", "The African Adventurers", and "Maneaters". The African Adventurers and Death in the Silent Places are reprises of the lives and writings of the nineteenth and early twentieth century adventurers. All of his books are great reading.

[ollogger]

I have all of the books Capstick wrote & most all from The Capstick library
plus a few of his videos, if its not based on fact, then he is the worlds best story teller
along with a twin brother that is a ace shot, some people can handle booze, i for one can not
took me many years to figure that out, if i wouldnt have i never would of got this old


ollogger

[piller]

Tink Nathan, of Tinks doe pee deer scent, has stated that Capstick was the friend who helped him get his guide license for bow hunting in South Africa. He staunchly defends Capstick. Take it as you wish.

[JRD]

Peter Capstick's "Death in the Silent Places" was the first African hunting book I read back as a young man. I was quite fascinated. Over the years I went on to buy and read every one of his books and they are still in my library. I've also read a lot of other African hunting books by many different authors in the years since and now later in life have gone on an African hunt myself.

Capstick was a very talented and entertaining writer. Whether he exaggerated or not, doesn't bother me terribly. I enjoyed reading his books and I'm willing to bet he's not the first author to ever tell a fish story.

Was he a heavy drinker and smoker? Probably. He seemed to sit down for a smoke and and drink after every animal he shot- or that a client shot. Though that's not my style, he's probably wasn't alone in that practice- especially among our forbearers.

Some of his books were his own stories, which even included fishing and BB guns. Other of his books were collections of short biographies of famous hunters. Those short biographies were awesome introductions for me at the time. I've since gone on to read the primary source books on those hunters- Jim Corbett, Frederick Courtney Selous, PJ Pretorius, Sasha Siemel, etc.

His biography of Wally Johnson was probably my favorite Capstick book.

[Streetstar]

You guys' are enablers

[cas]

I have all of the books Capstick wrote & most all from The Capstick library

Didn't he write a book about flowers? I don't have that one. lol

Most of the "library too", happened to find most of them on a clearance at a large book store years ago. Picked up most of the rest in a used book store, along with many old hunting books. Sadly I can't seem to read any more. Can't without glasses, and with them it bothers me too much to do it for very long. Sad.

You guys' are enablers

Yes, but these are probably some of the cheapest things anyone here ever "helped" anyone to buy.

[CowboyTutt]

I can only say that in my career as a school psychologist, I had intended to read some of his stories to my teacher friend's "resource English Language class" in my last 5 years. I thought Capstick's writings really captured what the experience is like. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to do so, but when I come out of retirement next year, hopefully in a Christian school, I hope to maybe have the opportunity to do that again. Regards, -Tutt