White Hunter [Hardcover]

John A. Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2000

The rarest of all the Hunter rifles, this account of John Hunter's experiences in pre-WW II Africa is packed with the adventures of one of the most famous professional white hunters in the history of East Africa.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Safari Press (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571571221
• ISBN-13: 978-1571571229
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #535,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A vision of Africa that has disappeared, January 20, 2001

By 

Steven M. Wells (Dillingham, AK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Hunter (Hardcover)

J.A. Hunter was one of the top professional hunters of his time (See White Hunters by Brian Herne), and he has written several books. This one was his first, and it is obvious that he improved his writing style over the course of writing. A frustrating aspect to this book is his sudden divergence of topics. Further, as another reviewer has said, there are not many dates for events, and he does not always set the scene as well as he does in future books. In addition, his subsequent books display a dry, ironic humor that this book lacks. Nonetheless, it is obvious he knows his topics very well. The stories are fascinating - especially his reasons to not use an elephant carcass for lion bait. His advice for guns (especially calibres) and their maintenance, while not endorsed by everyone, is fascinating as he demonstrates his reasoning and experience on the subject. All in all, I would certainly recommend the book for someone looking to read about an Africa when the game was plentiful and laws were not. But for someone without as much exposure to either Mr. Hunter or this genre, I would suggest some of his other books, notably 'Hunter', to begin.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reading about hunting in Africa, April 2, 2000

By 

Tony S. "Tony S." - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Hunter (Hardcover)

This book is a quite enjoyable read about Mr. Hunter's hunting exploits in Africa. He takes great care in describing the enjoyment to be had and the danger of Africa's fauna. The style is somewhat chatty, but it fits the subject matter and his particular presentation. Unfortunately, there are no dates in the text, but my guess is that it describes a period from the 1920's to 1950's. Overall, it is fun reading and I look forward to reading his other books.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still enjoyable, February 3, 2008

By 

Stephen J. Mulligan - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: White Hunter (Hardcover)

Let me preface my review by stating that I am an unabashed fan of J.A. Hunter. I read his masterpiece (Hunter) numerous times during my youth and young adulthood and it has never failed to thrill me.

This particular book was unknown to me until a few years ago. Having read it I agree with a number of other reviewer's comments. In particular I found the grammar (i.e. the way he constructed his sentences) a little confusing at times. I also found many of his stories a little disjointed. Since this was his first book I assume that he improved his writing sytle in later years possibly with the help others.

On the other hand, Hunter's obvious love of Africa and his life as a big-game hunter still shone through. He appears to have a genuine desire to educate others of all that he has seen on a variety of subjects and as a result I have certainly benefited.

Many of Hunter's deeds are obviously politically incorrect by today's standards. However, due to the overwhelming positive reviews that I read, it is obvious the readers understand that it was a different (indeed lost) era and he must be judged by that era's standards.

My somewhat low rating on this book is only because it is a relative measure against his most famous book "Hunter". This book will have a cherished place on my bookshelf (like my entire collection of J.A. Hunter's books).