Jaguars Ripped My Flesh [Paperback]

Tim Cahill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 1996

The author of A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg and Pecked to Death by Ducks gives new meaning to the words "going to extremes" in this exhilarating--and frequently hilarious--collection of adventure travel writing. "Cahill . . . (writes) with the precision ofJohn McPhee and Joan Didion tempered by a Monty Pythonesque sense of the absurd."--San Diego Union-Tribune.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adventure travel writer Cahill's latest collection of essays brings a quirky sense of the absurd to his often offbeat encounters.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Literate adventure writing may seem a contradiction in terms, but Cahill has produced this rare beast for our enjoyment. A columnist for Outside and contributor to Rolling Stone , Geo , etc., Cahill acknowledges the indifferent art that characterizes this genre with his tongue-in-cheek title. But, in fact, Cahill has written articulate, entertaining, and occasionally humorous pieces based on adventures ranging from parachuting to exploring jungles. His work is more in the mold of George Plimpton than of Raiders of the Lost Ark ; his "common man" approach definitely provides the human interest. Not indispensable, but economical, quality nonfiction for reading interests often poorly served. David J. Panciera, Westerly P.L., R.I.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (April 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679770798
• ISBN-13: 978-0679770794
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Curiously Addictive, May 25, 2000

By 

Kali "bengaligirl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaguars Ripped My Flesh (Paperback)

This was yet another thrift shop purchase for under a dollar and it was a dollar well spent. Tim Cahill's travel writing is punchy, funny and downright irreverent in places. It is also poignant, and darkly humorous, a travel book with a difference. Peru, Africa, Austrailia and even America are discussed from his unique point of view. An especially good chapter is "Life and Love in Gorilla Country" a journey through Rwanda and the secret world of the Gorilla. It is not a sentimental chapter, it is brutal, sometimes funny but more often that not eye opening. He talks about how Gorillas have died at the hands of poachers and mentions the work of the Naturalist Dian Fossey. This travel book is not for the squeamish or faint-hearted. Also it meanders a lot, jumping from place to place, subject to subject. You have to prepared to read it as a series of essays, travel logs articles that Cahill has written over the years and then put together to make up this book. However in this case it works and it is excellent from page one onwards. If you want a read with a sting in its tail, then this is definitely the book for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 20th Century version of Homer's Odyssey, September 18, 2000

By 

Raoul Duke "R. Duke" (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaguars Ripped My Flesh (Paperback)

If Cahill lived in Ancient Greece, he would be writing about encounters with the Cyclops and the Scylla and Charibdis. Maybe it's because Cahill writes about all the stuff I would do if I could quit my job and still pay the bills--exploring ruins in Peru, sea kayaking in Alaska, watching Mt. St. Helens erupt, saving the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, scuba diving with sharks, riding in a C-130 Hurricane Hunter, and living in Montana--but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While Cahill might not be as witty as my favorite travel writer, Bill Bryson, he makes up for it by writing about adventures that would make Indiana Jones quake with fear. All of this is presented in a down-to-earth style that makes you wish you could hang out and drink a few beers with the guy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tim Cahill is lots of fun, August 29, 2001

By 

Ms. Antoinette P. Burnham (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jaguars Ripped My Flesh (Paperback)

The best thing about Tim Cahill books, this one included, is that they are made up of perfect end-of-the-day-sized chunks that whisk you off to far points in the company of a humble but articulate and informed travelling companion. For everyone who may never spelunk, rappell, canoe down the Amazon, or face bison in mid-winter, but wishes they could!
If you liked this, you'd probably like "Pecked to Death by Ducks" even more.