Customer Reviews

The Last Ivory Hunter: The Saga of Wally Johnson

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone who has read this book,I knew Wally Johnson, from when I was a child. My father {mentioned in the book}, Ken Fubbs, hunted with Wally for many years. I really enjoyed this book, as it brought back many personal experiences, and memories, shared with Wally. I am also fortunate enough to have one of the few autographed copies of this book. Should anyone like to read another book very similar to this one, about Werner Von Alvesleven, the man in charge of the whole set up in Mozambique, this book is also available.

The format of "The Last Ivory Hunter" is very good. Peter Capstick has blended the words of Wally Johnson and his own comments into a very interesting story. Wally's words are in block letters throughout the text and Capstick's are in itallics. This is very important because many times with the text alone it would be nearly impossible to tell who the speaker is.

This was one of Capstick's most delightful works. I know! I've heard all of the comments about how far fetched many of the events in this book are and I couldn't agree more. I didn't say that it was Capstick's finest work, only that it was delightful.

There were many parts of the story such as when Wally claims to have made a driveshaft for his Land Rover from the branch of a mopane tree and drilling the holes to mount it with steel-jacketed solids that are, well ... a bit difficult to believe. Then there was the time that he patched a hole in the crankcase of an engine with an animal hide and drove more than a hundred miles on five cylinders. But let's put the story in perspective.

This is not a biography, but the remininiscence of an old man who was relaying events from his life to a writer who recorded them. This is the story of a remarkable man who despite exaggerations and embellishments lived an extraordinary life in Mozambique during an era that is gone forever.

There was no need to build up the true story. But as is so often the case, from the viewpoint of the story teller the truth would sound a bit bland. Spicing the story up more than a little bit seems to be an art that old men use to hold the listener's attention. Wally told these stories with his own brand of spice and Capstick undoubtedly added a bit of poetic license at times. There were times while reading Capstick's comments that I had the feeling that he was having problems believing some of the far fetched tales himself. To his credit as the man who chronicled the stories, he wrote them as Wally told them, to allow the reader to filter out fact from fiction.

I can picture Wally telling these stories to me. Sitting in a rocker on a wooden porch telling another stretcher with a twinkle in his eye. He would watch me very closely, wondering how far he could take this one before I caught on. In respect for the old man I would listen until it just became too much to accept and I would finally ask, "Do you expect me to believe that one Wally?"

He'd stop, take a long pull on his pipe and narrow his brow. Then look me straight in the eye with the gritty response. "You weren't there dammit!"

Read "The Last Ivory Hunter" with this mindset. Understanding that it is likely the only written record of the life of a truly remarkable man. Forgive him the obvious embellishments, such as having killed more than 1300 elephants and standing off two-hundred armed poachers virtually unarmed and you will find it to be a delightful story.

I gave it a five star rating because I found it to be an enjoyable and entertaining read when taken in perspective.

This should stand as one of Capstick's better offerings as a researcher and author. Without question, this is a good book from start to finish. The man who inspired the project, Walter Johnson, was a seventy-year throwback from the golden days of African hunting when survival was a daily struggle. The adventures and accomplishments of his life could have easily been lost with the passage of time were it not for the literary stage provided by Peter Capstick. In these pages, Walter was able to tell his story and by the time he was finished, everyone had profited. When I wonder about the truly great and inspiring lives that never get a written record in history I am truly glad that these two men managed to meet in the middle of Africa back in 1987. I am unable to give a full review of this novel without giving away some of it's secrets but I will say that each chapter describes a period in Walter's life in a very entertaining way. The subjects covered read like an adventures almanac, life and death, rags to riches, trophy's won ,friends lost and the political strife that ultimately cost him a lifetimes worth of possessions. With Capstick's assistance Walter puts it all together in this small but significant piece of Africana. When it comes to learning the hard lessons of life in a hard place on the globe, this one is a keeper.

Having read all of Capstick's books. I think this one ranks at the top. Wally Johnson had an extremely interesting life. Capstick writes the book as if they are having a conversation. Wally has many grest stories and Capstick injects his own observations on each subject. This book, especially the first half is probably the best Capstick ever. I have read this book many times and never tire of it. A definite must read for anyone interested in Africian adventure.

Wally Johnson started hunting elephants for their ivory as a very young man and continued the business all his life until forced into retirement by the Communists taking over his country and home. His many adventures are detailed in a most entertaining way by Capstick. If you want to experience the thrill and agony of life and death in old Africa --- this is a must read

This is a book that takes the reader back to the Africa of old.. This is the Africa of the great white hunter. Capstick tells the story of the last of the great hunters, Wally Johnson a man's man. This is one of the best of the entire Capstick collection. A book that is a must read for anyone who loves Africa

Some of his other works (Death in the Long Grass, etc) are a little more filled with his prose, where much of this is in Wally's words. Still a good read. Unlike the other readers, I don't take this as a purely factual "how-to" on elephant hunting, but rather a recollection of tales. You may have to swallow a few exaggerations, but most of them are harmless fun. If this is intended as escapist reading, not a history book, you will enjoy it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The hunting stories were first rate. As some other reviewers have proposed they may have been embellished a little bit. But isn't that somewhat the point of a hunting story?
The book is more than a collection of hunting stories though. It is a bit of a biography of a man who grew up and lived through some turbulent times in Mozambique. It is a story of a man who wouldn't quit.
I picked up the book because I like African hunting stories. I like to hear about the daring do and the camaraderie. But here you learn the story of a man who meets adversity and conquers it. He works his whole life to make a decent living, and then sees it all taken away as communist revolutionaries over run the country he had grown up in. But he doesn't wallow in self-pity. He takes what he has and starts all over again.
For this matter, any one that is interested in the history of Africa, and Mozambique in particular of the last century really has no choice but to read this book that gives an eyewitness account of what it is like to see a communist take over.

As usual Capstick keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. The combination of Wally Johnson's story with Capstick's comments makes for great story telling and reading.

I thought the last Ivory Hunter was a great book. This book is filled with short stories that are filled with adventure. The stories are easy to read and exciting. Your attention is never lost. Another thing that makes this book interesting is the fact that it is based off true and authentic stories. This book showcases the life and times of one of the greatest hunters of the world Wally Johnson. In the book Wally is faced with impossible odds witch he must overcome to survive time in time again. He must overcome the harsh environment of Africa as well as himself. This book is also very to relate with. Wally seems like the typical ,"guys guy," but he is forced into becoming much more than just a man. Wally not only struggles to maintain his life but the life of his fellow hunters, and friends. I'm also a hunter myself so I can relate to the thrill of hunting game. This book also contains fascinating pictures that go along with his tales. For example Wally has a picture of a man eating lion witch he killed on a hunt in central Africa. This book is a very fast read. Its hard to put down. If you like animals this is the book for you. In every chapter Wally hunts a new species of animal. He hunts anything from deer to the coveted jumbo elephant. In the book he tells stories of bring down elephants with tusks that weigh nearly 200 pounds each. If you have any interested in big game or hunting this book is a god fit for you. Its hard to imagine hunting animals 3 times the size of cars. As you begin to read the book you realize that Wally is not always the one doing the hunting.