Customer Reviews

Sands Of Silence: On Safari In Namibia

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having read four Chapstick books and loving them (his other tiltes left me excited and wide-eyed) I wasn't overly impressed with Sands of Silence. Although the book is well written, includes quality photos, and some interesting infomation about Africa; I thought it lacked the excitement of Peters other excellent hunting tales. You could do worse than buy this book, but I would encouage you to pick another of Peter's titles.

This book is a recounting of an elephant hunt that PHC took in the late 1980s. This edition is a nice hardback with lots of color photos. The DVD entitled Hunting the African Elephant with Peter Capstick could be considered a companion to this book (the safari described in this book was filmed - man of the scenes in the book are duplicated on film). The story covers PHCs tracking of various elephants, some of the daily ups and downs of camp life on safari, and a dramatic showdown at the end. There is a wealth of information in this book about a wide variety of topics beyond just hunting elephants. Capstick discusses the Bushmen of Southern Africa and how contact with modern society is dramatically changing thier culture, the poison used by the Bushmen on their arrows (it comes from grubs!), the dangers of the puff adder (what a nasty snake), the synergy between hunting and conservation, the effect that a .470 Nitro Express round has on a termite hill (!), and a bit about the anatomy of elephants. One of the less favorable reviews of this books states that it is less `exciting' than some of his earlier works. I would generally agree with this in the sense that this book is not filled with harrowing stories about hunting and safari that verge on tall-tales (although the first chapter about the leopard hunt is about as close as anyone is going to get and survive). It is a more measured, realistic recounting of a relatively modern safari. If you are looking for stories about dangerous encounters with big game, PHCs earlier works are probably more your cup of tea. If you want to know what it would be like to go on a modern safari without all the hyperbole associated with hunting dangerous game, this may be exactly what you are looking for. This is a good, if not uniquely outstanding, story of safari hunting.

Once again, Peter Capstick has brought an African safari adventure into my home. This books is brillantly written as well as full of great color photos of the people of Nambia and some of the many animals of the wild. This is a must have for anyone who enjoys a great adventure!

Somehow each one of capsticks books good better each time. After reading four of his books previous, I do believe that this one is just as good if not better. Although I prefer Death in the long grass, and death in a lonely land, this book is very well written. Your hands sweat until the problem is taken care of. So finally to sum it all up it's another great read, from a great writer.

This is one of my favorite Capstick books! Written so interestingly and captivatingly that you can't put it down. I absolutely loved this book, five full stars!

Was a good book- worth reading but not as good as some of this authors more notable books. i bought this book specifically because i am planning on traveling to Namibia.

A good accounting on a rarely covered hunting destination; Namibia. Really too bad as it is a wonderful country and Capstick handles it very well indeed. Maybe the only written account on Elephant hunting in Namibia.

If you like Peter Capstick you will like this book. He has a way of putting you there with the rest of his crew. I've read all but two of his books and have yet to find one that I didn't like....this one is no exception.

Too bad Capstick only lasted as long as he did. Ruark was also an early departure: hard to figure when big game hunting is such a physically demanding pursuit. Same to be said for Mike Mentzer, a former Mr. USA Bodybuilder (Mr. Heavy Duty), who died of a heart attack @ 50. This probably proves a genetic link.