Read any good books lately?

C

Carl Gustaf

Guest
At the moment I'm reading Ronnie Rose's book 'Working with Nature'. Excellent book about a man and his work of deer control and natural regeneration in the Scotish Highlands. Years, I may add before the 'Good ideas club' started ranting on about environmental conservation.

Before that I read 'Out of Nowhere' A History of The Military Sniper. By Martin Pegler. Excellent book that shows the importance of hunting and hunters to the art of sniping. American back woods sharpe shooters, The Scots Ghillies WWI volunteers of the Lovats Scouts, Russian hunters duels with deer stalking German snipers in Stalingrad, through to the extraordinary skills of modern Canadian snipers in Afganistan (their marksmanship abilities believed to be due to many of them having Native American blood lines).
Try them out, beats wactching Eastenders! ;)
 
Read any good books latley

Hi

Have read "out of no where" at least twice as I have got more out of it the second time of reading as you do.

A good read was KIA, story of a red deer as some of the accounts in the book (drugging deer and sticking them in a small boat and shipping them across to the main land) would not be allowed today (too many politically correct bodies would get involved) were very interesting to read about.
 
Nothing to do with deer but one of the best ever hunting books is Jim Corbett's Maneaters of Kumaon. That guy had real balls! He describes sitting out in the dark waiting for a maneating tigress to give him a shot and he could hear the animal breathing with a few yards of him. No high seat or machan, this was on the ground!

He just regarded shooting maneaters as part of his job but the book is a terrific read.
 
I absolutely agree Paul, Jim Corbett was a breed apart. I've got to get round to reading some of his books. Captain Richard Burton is rather good, everything from books on the art of using the bayonet, hunting and exploring and of course he translated the Karma Sutra into English. :) Ding dong!

Next book I shall read is the true account of the sinking of the HMS Coventry in the Falklands War. Very moving account by the author, the Captain of that very fine ship.
 
Stalkers/Hunters,
Interesting Books on Wildlife

Maneaters of Tsavo by Col Patterson www.lionlmb.org/gandd.htm
The original Indian Takeaway!!!

Memories of a Game Ranger H.Wolhuter www.thekruger.com/wolhuterbiography

In this book he describes how he killed a lion.He came to this country and visited the factory shop to purchase another knife,told the assistant he had killed a lion with the knife;without missing a beat the assistant said "yes sir good for skinning sheep".

Jungle Man The Autobiography of Major P.J.Pretorius.

He was an elephant hunter who had a personal grievance against the Germans, turned scout for the Royal Navy so they could sink the German surface raider Konigsberg in the Rufijii Delta.Tanganyka during WW1.The rusting remains are still there.The Germans placed a bounty on him but his patrol was taken over by F.C.Selous who was shot in error.

Wilderness Family by Kruger.

Story of life as a gameranger's wife.They also raised a lion cub.

Jock of the Bushveld. Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (He helped start the Anglo- Boer War but that's another story) It's the story of a dog and he is commemorated by Jock of the Bushveld road.

All these books are worth finding. YOU DID ASK
 
In another story Corbett describes how he was tracking a maneater in daylight and as he was passing a rocky outcrop that he had passed several times before he got a sixth sense that something was wrong. He had bent down to look at a bird's nest and only that movement allowed him to see the tigress crouched ready to spring. In his position there was no way he could get the rifle into a shooting position before the animal leapt on him. As he describes the process of very very slowly moving himself into a better position without triggering a charge you are right there with him..... I won't spoil the story by telling you how it ended but as he wrote about it you can probably work out that the tigress didn't get him... but did he get her?
 
Just finished Cranborne Chase by Desmond Hawkins. as well as The Illustrated History of the Countryside by Oliver Rackham

Can recommend them both.
 
Hi Morena. I thought you may like to know that Patttersons Maneaters of Tsavo is one of my favorite reads. I was very lucky last year as I managed to buy a an original copy for £45 in a shop in Alnwick in great condition.

They also produced a film called the Ghost and the Darkness about 10 years ago which is based on Pattersons book. Not a bad film, but unfortunatly the appearance of Michael Douglas as a big game hunter rather spoils it.

The two other books which you may find of interest are Sporting Trip through Abyssinia published by RW in 1902 and Unknown Africa published by Hurst and Blackett in 1904 both by Major Powell Cotton. Very expensive to buy as original, but Safari Press I believe have reproduced them and if you go on line you might be able to purchase them from the States.
 
Carl Gustaf said:
Next book I shall read is the true account of the sinking of the HMS Coventry in the Falklands War

Ex BiL was on the Sheffield. His account of the Sheffield incident goes something like this.

There we were pigging about like Sea Cadets on a weeks holiday when the Argies come over and well and truly kicked our butts. A total waste of life.

Says it all really. :mad:
 
I served with many of the survivors of the HMS Coventry. The worst of them would make two of you Bradley. You are a real piece of work aren't you.

The last book you read, don't you mean the last book you coloured in!
 
Why do we allow these people on a site like this. It is beneath contempt to allow people to make sport of men who have died in combat, and call into question a man's military career. Verging on deformation of character again!!! I would say.
 
malcolm said:
Why do we allow these people on a site like this. It is beneath contempt to allow people to make sport of men who have died in combat, and call into question a man's military career. Verging on deformation of character again!!! I would say.

Malc

Please point out where I have "made sport of men who have died in combat" or "call into question a man's military career".

I just don't consider a "military career" to be in the same ball park let alone on the same pitch as a career as a nurse, doctor , or teacher as far as accolades are concerned. Never have and never will.

I consider any life lost a very serious matter. Irrespective of the circumstances. Be they on the Cardiff or the General Belgrano. the only difference being is that many of those lost on the Belgrano were conscripts and not there by choice.
 
Carl Gustaf said:
I served with many of the survivors of the HMS Coventry. The worst of them would make two of you Bradley. You are a real piece of work aren't you.

The last book you read, don't you mean the last book you coloured in!

I'm sure the Cardiff survivors were just as condemning of their involvement, and their colleges wasted lives as my Ex BiL is regarding the Sheffields.
 
I thought I'd dust this thread off.

Okay this is not a deer book but a very good book for dog lovers:- 'Walking Ollie'. Its about the writer of the book Stephen Fosters' relationship with a Greyhound/Saluki cross lurcher he rehomes after being found wandering (eight weeks old) around Thetford Forest.

Very funny, yet rather dark in places. Give it a go!
 
" This week I am mostly reading,......THE DASTARDLY BOOK FOR DOGS" by Rex and Sparky.
A parody of the "DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS". This book has many interesting chapters including:poo-An indelicate discussion, Great dog battles and Foul smells every dog should roll in.
Give it a go its mental! :lol:
 
book search

I am looking for a book on GSP it called DER

DEUTSCH
KURZHAAR
written by GOERGINA BYRNE and published in Australia . I have been lent a copy it traces back the breeding of my dog BIRKENWALD SASHAA
through HEGE Haus lines from Germany . And would like my own copy any body out there HELP me on this one THANKYOU MUDDY
 
As for UK deer/stalking books I'd recommend anything by Richard Prior, the others have been slightly dissapointing I thougt. One notable exception - Dominic Griffith's book he published about 3 years ago - a different take on things.
 
Agree with the Richard Prior comment - although he repeats a lot he's done already in previous books. But what he doesn't know about roe isn't worth knowing.

For true entertainment, try Robert Ruark's 'Horn of the Hunter'. One of the best safari books written.
 
Currently reading Sandy Gall's 'The Bushmen of Southern Africa'. A truly tragic tale of colonisers greed and lack of understanding.
 
Back
Top