Customer Reviews

Horn of the Hunter: The Story of an African Safari

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
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One of the finest books ever written on Hunting period. Ruark odes Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa hands down. In this book we follow a man and his wife from New York's high life to the backwoods African bush. We discover what a buffalo really looks like, and how you feel when he looks at you! We discover fear, anxiety, restlessness, pride, truimph, and in the end respect and joy. A very highly recommended book.

Robert Ruark's chronicle of his African safari in the 1950s. This is good reading for both outdoor buffs and readers of a more literary type. Ruark avoids the pitfall of turning his book into an extended article for "Field and Stream." Aside from the details of the big-game hunt, he sprinkles his narrative with recollections of his WWII combat experience, musings on the literary world of New York, books, movies about Africa, and life in America. The focal point of the book is the daily experience of fighting the African environment in the pursuit of the elusive prey. The descriptions of the wildlife are thrilling as the hunting party tracks across the primeval plains. Ruark gives full attention to the discomforts of safari life and the doubtful sanity of those who submit themselves to this type of "recreation." The killing is graphically described and not for the squeamish. Animal rights activists should steer clear of this book.

Ruark has great fun describing himself as an Ernest Hemingway "wannabe." Comparisons to Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa" are inevitable. Ruark is more self-deprecating than Ernest Hemingway, and can see the outrageous humor of it all. The white hunter guide, Harry Selby, falls short of the Allan Quartermain ideal. Selby is afraid of snakes and scorpions, and manages to get the safari lost at least once. Just as Hemingway, Ruark takes his wife, Jenny, along on safari. She handles the discomforts very well, and doesn't wimp out.

This book won't be studied a 100 years from now in American Lit. classes, but it's diverting reading. It recalls the macho standards of a different era. Ruark's reputation has faded since his heyday in the '50s and early '60s. For those who remember, this book is an interesting footnote to his literary career. ;-)

"Horn Of The Hunter" is one of the best stories about African hunting and wildlife that has ever been penned. (My Opinion) Robert Ruark may have written between the two era's of Hemingway and Capstick, but when it comes to writing about Africa he took a backseat to neither of them and if you have read my other reviews you know that I have nothing but praise for them both.

Ruark takes us on safari with him and his wife Virginia. The copyright is 1952 and though I couldn't find a definite time for the safari it was during the post WW II era. It is reasonable to assume that it would have been a short time prior to the copyright. He describes in great detail the African wilderness and wildlife along with the discomforts of insect bites and muddy river bottoms. Traveling through the Tanganyika wilderness in a Land Rover called Jessica with a professional hunter named Harry Selby, Ruark takes us with him on a grand adventure.

Unlike many prominent writers Ruark not only tells of his successes, but his failures as well. Throughout the text Selby compares Ruark's marksmanship with a lady client named Harriet Maytag and Ruark's responses to his comments add depth and humor to the text. There are some spectacular long range shots taken, but there are also some clean misses at both long and short range. He admits his fear of Cape Buffalo and tells us of his love for wing shooting. He talks of Selby who is as sqeamish with snakes as a teenage girl, but is the living portrait of abosolute courage when following up wounded and dangerous animals.

Ruark's delightful humor is on nearly every page as he describes various bits of unorthodox lore. Such as painting a juvinile baboon with flourescent paint to frighten off the band or Selby's advice to him to survive a buffalo stampede by shooting one of them and climbing on top of it to avoid being trampled.

When I finished reading this story I was as sad to see it end as Ruark was to leave Africa.

All in all this is a readers delight and will be a treasured gem in any hunters library.

This book is the rousing and interesting story of writer Robert Ruark's two month Safari into the wilds of Africa. This was done in the 1950's and he was accompanied by his wife who also hunted by his side. Gritty and often frightening descriptions of the chase and the kill are acompanied by astute observations on the Africa of that time. He had strong opinions of many of the African tribes. Some he praised highly and others he condemned and he explains why. If you are wrapped in the fog of political correctness don't bother to read this. If you want an unvarnished, honest, very interesting tale, by all means, buy this outstanding book.

I had heard alot about this book for years and finally got around to reading it. If you enjoy high quality adventure and hunting writing, it truly does not come better than this.
Ruark takes the reader along on his (and his wife's) first African safari and makes us feel the sights, sounds, smells, adventure, boredoom, fatigue, terror etc. that he experiences as if we were there. His writing is at times witty and always interesting. A fascinating portrait of an era long gone. A great read.

Ruarke is rightfully called the master of outdoor writing. This is a fabulously written story of his first safari in Kenya and Tanganyika (now Tanzania). It is a must read for anyone who enjoys outdoor literature, hunting stories, or Africa.

After reading several reviews on this famous book and much wait when I finally got this book, truly I was a little bit disappointed during reading. I had in my mind something superior than Hemingway and Capstick's works. Before this I read his later book 'Use Enough Gun' which I think is better than this one. However, when I finished, it was added in my list of to-be-re-read books. These are the books which leave an impression on you, which take you in the atmosphere of theirs and you remember the good taste of the book as of very fine things in the life.

Now I would say that Hemingway is a kind of more powerful and more hunter on this safari stuff, in the "Green Hills of Africa". His white hunter Philip Percival is not as much narrated as Herry Selby of Ruark's. Interstingly Selby is one of the pupil of Percival as Ruark is inspired by Hemingway.

I think that the Ruark has the edge of being more comic and funny. His humouress narration of his own acts and that of his companions are different then many hero-type hunters-authors, who always succeed in every crisis. His desire to shoot a Greater Kudu trophy and story of fair chase and the end of chase....is a classic picture of true hunting attitude. He was not a rifle shooter before this safari as opposed to Hemingway who was a serious hunter. One of the finest parts in this book is the episode of sand grouse shooting and Ruark's pride on his expertise in bird shooting over his white hunter Selby, who used to surprise Ruark in rifle shooting.

Collectively a very fine book on the African safari hunting in the golden era of long safaris.

Ruark was known as "the poor man's Ernest Hemingway". In "Horn of the Hunter", his prose and eloquent introspection out does Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa".

I have read a few books by Robert Ruark (Old Man books) and enjoyed them greatly. Horn of the Hunter is no different..although it takes you to a whole new world - an African Safari many years ago. Bottom line- Ruark is a great writer, and he does an excellent job describing his many adventures hunting in Africa during this safari. His writing reminds me a lot of Teddy Roosevelt's hunting books - which are also excellent. In several sections of the book, Ruark does a masterful job trying to figure out why he enjoys hunting, and what makes an African safari so special. The sketches and photos included in the book, also helped paint a complete picture of this adventure - to include how his spouse dealt with living in the bush for so long.

My only complaint with the book is that it gets a little long winded at times when describing all the details about specific hunts - makes you think the safari lasted a lot longer than it actually did.If you enjoy hunting books, or other works by Robert Ruark, then you will really enjoy Horn of the Hunter - well worth reading.

I have just ordered a copy of Robert Ruark's popular book. I remember wayback in 1957, I read this book in paperback form...and I liked it. Since moving to Canada, I didn't bring this book with me. So it is exciting to be able to read this book again soon. I had also read another excellent book by Robert Ruark, entitled: SOMETHING OF VALUE.
This is an excellent book on the Mau Mau tribal uprising in East Africa during the British colonial era. Then I also read another good book called UHURU, meaning indepedence in the African language.
About this HORN OF THE HUNTER, going after big game in Africa is a thing of the past now and gone too are the days of the so-called White Hunters...after ivory and rhino horns mainly. I wish to thank the publisher and Amazon.com for bring this most exciting book back for discriminate readers, such as myself...! All the best for now. Cheers!