Man Eaters: True Tales of Animals Stalking, Mauling, Killing, and Eating Human Prey [Hardcover]

Lamar Underwood (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Attacks by bears, cougars, sharks, alligators, snakes, lions, tigers, and more

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The reports and eyewitness accounts present here span many years and varied global settings, ranging from the desolate to breath-taking Edens where the beauty of the land belies the atmosphere of tragedy. Some of the stories are legendary - "The Man-Eaters of Tsavo," for instance. Some, like the grizzly attacks in national parks, were once newspaper headlines. Others are obscure events of individual heroism and ordeal, no less gripping for their obscurity.The rewards of the outdoor life touch something deep and satisfying inside many of us. The wild country that can sustain bears and other magnificent creatures looms in our thoughts constantly, pulling us beyond pavement's end. We follow the trails taken by countless kindred spirits, including naturalists such as John Muir, who urged, "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees."While pursuing such wilderness experiences, we must respect the fact that other creatures share the same ground. A priority for us all must be the sensibilities and woodsmanship by which we can avoid the types of ugly and unfortunate incidents that are recounted in these pages. (61/4 X 91/4, 356 pages)

About the Author

LAMAR UNDERWOOD is a former editor-in-chief of both Sports Afield and Outdoor Life, as well as the author of the novel On Dangerous Ground and the editor of The Quotable Soldier.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585741973
• ISBN-13: 978-1585741977
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,112,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some of the selections are terrific, others lame, October 21, 2004

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man Eaters: True Tales of Animals Stalking, Mauling, Killing, and Eating Human Prey (Paperback)

Summary: A series of essays that revolve around the topic of dangerous animals and their life-threatening encounters with humans.

The book is divided into sections by animal; the first third of the book or so is devoted to bears, and there are also sections on lions, crocodiles, elephants, snakes, sharks, leopards, and cougars. By far the most entertaining material is to be found in the bear section, with other interesting stories about sharks and crocodiles. Some of the stories are told in the first person by the people who have had the harrowing experiences; others are more clinical in nature.

The Good and the Bad: Some of the essays were really excellent, particularly the ones told in the first person. The story of a geologist who lived after being partially eaten by a black bear was the best, and a journalistic story about a series of shark attacks was also very good. Another standout was the firsthand account of the lions of Tsavo. The scientific-sounding accounts, on the other hand, were generally boring, and redundant. The book would have been better with about five fewer selections.

What I learned: Snakes aren't really very dangerous, and will never pursue a man as prey. If you have to be attacked by an apex predator, a bear is preferable, as you have at least a chance of surviving. On the other hand, a crocodile is the worst, as a single bite generally ends your life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting look at deadly animals, April 7, 2006

By 

Sarah R. (Lawrenceville, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man Eaters: True Tales of Animals Stalking, Mauling, Killing, and Eating Human Prey (Hardcover)

This entertaining and sometimes frightening book is a collection of personal accounts of man's run-ins with various deadly beasts. I found the chapters on bears and crocodiles were particularly engaging. Before reading this I believe I underestimated these animals. I was somewhat confused by the inclusion of elephants and venomous snakes, which while certainly dangerous do not qualify as the titular "Man Eaters."

I most enjoyed the more modern accounts of animal attacks. Some of these chapters were written before today's era of conservation and have the flavor of the "great white hunter" to them. While the gruesome nature of the human deaths described is disturbing, it is equally so to read one author's casual mention of his personal killing of "1400 elephants."

I would recommend the book because of several very good chapters, but there are certainly chapters which do not live up to my 4 star rating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lions and tigers and bears and crocodiles and sharks, OH MY!, December 14, 2006

By 

LT "LT" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Man Eaters: True Tales of Animals Stalking, Mauling, Killing, and Eating Human Prey (Paperback)

I ordered this book for a friend and it looked interesting. I decided to read it myself and LOVED it! Now I'm buying my own copy. It isn't as graphic as I expected - so it won't "gross you out." It gives tips on surviving bear attacks which I thought were very interesting. According to this book, there are two types of grizzly bear attacks. The DEFENSE attack happens when you surprise a bear, get close to cubs, or get close to it's kill that it is still feeding on when it gets hungry. This is the type attack where the advice is to "play dead" with your arms protecting your head. The PREDATOR attack is when the bear is hunting you. If you are grabbed out of your tent while you are sleeping or otherwise attacked without provocation you are probably thought of as "FOOD." The advice is to fight with anything you have or run. This book also covers the Tsavo man-eaters. These lions were the true inspiration for the movie "Ghost in the Darkness." This is a great read!