Hemingway, Ruark, and Sanchez are all pale imitators of the great Peter Hathaway Capstick. Try to imagine an American walking away from a Wall Street career to hunt as a professional guide in Africa. Now imagine that this guy could write WAY BETTER than Hemingway, and you're still not there.
A small snipet from the chapter on leopard.
"...the bark of the tree, when, suddenly, your gazing into two yellow-green eyes as evil as poison gas."
I'm not a hunter myself, but reading this book makes me wish I was.

"Death in the Long Grass" is my favorite of all Capstick's stories. Note, I didn't say "the most accurate or honest", but simply my favorite. He makes fearful episodes with wild beasts believable but, I suspect that Capstick put many second-hand stories into the first person.

I spoke to one long-time professional hunter in Zambia, old Rhodesia and Zimbabwe, "What do you know about Capstick?" At the time I was an avid reader and believed every word like scripture. He told me, "All I've heard of him is that he was a cook in a hunting camp in Zambia." Then again, my professional hunter friend may have had insufficient information. Another time, in one of his book, Capstick seems to quote me, personally. I will paraphrase, "I met a young African hunter who gave me his philosophy on hunting, 'It's better to spend small amounts of money and go on many safaris than to spend a great deal of money and go on only a few'." This is, in fact, an accurate quote...but...I never met Capstick. But this was and is my personal philosophy and, because of it, I have hunted all over the world and taken everything from doves to elephant.

Another friend, who reportedly knew Capstick in his later years, told me that Capstick said words to the effect, "Everybody believes that I am a liar." My friend responded, "It doesn't matter what people think. You are a great writer and you've done more for big-game hunting than any man alive." I quite agree with this, by the way.

In one of his books, Capstick tells the exciting story of hunting down a maneating leopard. It's truly a gripping tale. Late in his life, Capstick--for a fee--offered his company on African safaris. I read the account my one of the men who hired Capstick. Once again, I'll paraphrase, "It's a remarkable thing that Capstick, who had guided so many hunters in the killing of leopards, had never actually shot one himself. I therefore gave him my leopard permit and Capstick did the shooting."

Hey, Capstick was a fascinating writer, had a great ear and made the reader live the adventure. Were all his facts exactly straight? I don't know and doubt it really matters.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico.

I first read this book years ago, but that copy got lost and I was overjoyed to find it again. My siblings and I all wanted it when Dad gave away his library.

Mr Capstick is a wonderfully descriptive writer! Each one of the big eight African game animals has a chapter; and each is the very worst way to die. Capstick does not skimp on the gory details, but he is entertaining and real. He spent many years in the Africian bush and obviously knows each of these animals very, very well.

I worked with a gentleman who met Capstick while in Africia and he reported that the man in the book is the same man in real life. If you want a different view of Africa from the Disneyification of wildlife this is the book for you.

"If you want to be a writer, don't listen to your high school English teacher", Pete Townshend once told a caller on a syndicated radio program. In this instance, I emphatically agree! I never knew what my high school English teachers wanted either. I can just imagine them with their red pencils, crossing out one line after another if they would ever bother to read a book like this. But in actual fact Mr. Capstick spins his yarns so well in this, his first book, that most of his readers could not put it down.

Reading in the safety of your own home, as you are sitting in your recliner chair sipping an iced drink, I daresay you will look over your shoulder once or twice. Even if the hair doesn't stand up on the back of your neck.

I won't go into the content here, as there is more than enough info in the other reviews. I've read about half of his books and I suspect that this first one is his best. You just have to start here. He writes so engagingly that even the foreword is required reading!

PHC is a spinner of hair raising yarns. He is quite a creative storyteller with a style that makes you feel like you're part of the hunt. His descriptions and details bring you face to face with dangerous game on a safari adventure. I've read and re-read this book many times and each time I am always wanting to know what will happen next.

I read a lot in my profession, and therefore have a difficult time finding books for recreational reading that keep my interest. This book kept me turning pages well into the evening. Capstick's prose and style, along with his wit, make it seem like you are right next to him as he is walking you through the before, during, and after of a hunt. This book enlarged my respect for safari guides and the predators they stalk. The context can be quite graphic as Capstick accurately (but not gratuitously) describes the unbelievably effective ability of these animals to protect themselves when threatened; not to mention when they're wounded or if man is in their prey. It's a reality check for those of us who have only experienced this type of wildlife at the zoo. Personally, I now would not consider hunting lions, elephant, cape buffalo, or for that matter most of the animals he describes. And just when you've completed the list of his typical safari animals, he explains the other sources of trouble that can come your way in the jungle. If you like this kind of reading, better start the book on a weekend or plan to go into work the next day with limited sleep.

Peter Hathaway Capstick is a very experienced professional hunter turned writer. This book covers his experiences with some of the deadliest game animals in the world. From the big five (lion, elephant, leopard, cape buffalo, rhino) to other dangerous species that inhabit Africa, Capstick tells in detail the horrifying, brutal, and deadly nature of these animals from his first-hand accounts of hunting them, guiding hunts, and witnessing attacks.

The author tells several hunting and attack stories for each species of animal. His style for telling these stories becomes a bit repetitive, but it in no way takes away from his stories. Each story will completely shock you when the author describes just how dangerous, brutal, powerful, intelligent, and cunning these animals can be. The lion chapter covering "man-eating" lions is especially good at describing the sheer terror of the vicious attacks.

Along with some of the best hunting and attack stories on dangerous big game, the author also includes some basic information on the different animals, and a few ecological facts and the importance of hunting to the ecosystem, all with some slight dark humor.

Whether you're interested in big game hunting or not, this book will certainly be an entertaining and interesting read. You will definitely have a newfound respect for these creatures.

I believe this to be THE best book ever about hunting the most dangerous animals on earth.There is something about hearing first hand about being mere feet from man-eaters in the wild. Capstick has a way of using humor that makes the book even more fun to read. A very brave man, a great writer and what a life he lived!!

A Great Book to read if you are planning to go to Africa as a hunter or even as a tourist!. The author explain the drama to live in the bush with his own stories and also with information that he has gathered during his time in Africa. He writes in a way that is sometimes very funny but without loosing the drama that the African bush always hide.

Not for the faint of heart. Exciting, scary and a bit gory.

Find out what it's like to hunt in the African bush. Your skin will crawl, and you'll laugh out loud as you make your way through this adventure.

I'm not a hunter, and I've never been to Africa. Regardless, this is just absolutely one of the most engaging and entertaining books I've read in a long time. Capstick is a skilled writer who can make you laugh and then your skin crawl in alternating paragraphs. Not only was the book enjoyable, but educational as well. The most important lesson I learned was never, ever go to Africa. I will much more enjoy it through Capstick's eyes.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this book way back in 1983 when I was but 11 years old. The circumstances in which I was given this book was by a family friend on the first night after arriving at our camp on the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe - I was in the African bush on a big game hunt for the first time in my life! On that trip the men of our group had permits for big game of every kind - including Water Buff which we took two of in a spectacular afternoon. We also took Zebra and many other animals legally permitted during this time and I myself took down a Steinbuck from some distance off the back of a Land Rover with a Holland & Holland .375 - which we promptly ate that very evening!

Reading this book again just recently reminds me of what it is like to hunt in the African scrub, it was not written so long before I was hunting there and my friend John who gave this young neophyte hunter his first taste of hunting as well as a blood curdling read each night before I slept, will never be forgot. This is a thrilling read, particularly the chapter on Lion; and while we all came out unscathed the dangers on a big hunt are very real - we were never without loaded weapons when on foot. I was lucky to escape serious peril after a Hyaena entered my open hut whilst I slept one evening and wandered out again without interest.

Reading the visceral tales of Capstick brings back memories of that giant African blood red sun each dawn - it's a country that gets in your blood and has spilled it's fair share also. His superb writing and descriptions are no exagerration!

When other kids were reading Disney books, I had my nose in books by Capstick, Ruark, and Hemmingway. This was the first Capstick book that I read and I immediately fell in love with his writing. Sure all good hunting and adventure books may contain a little glossing but who cares! This book drew me in like no other and continues to do so plus its a great read for hunters and nonhunters. If you want to get nonhunters interested just tell them it doesn't have the loud-mouthed, egotistical bulls*@t that many of today's "popular" hunting books seem to contain (for example anything by Ted Nugent). Ted is the antithesis of what I consider to be a true sportsman...Capstick WAS a sportsman. Long Grass is a wonderful reminder of the adventure in the chase and in the camp and in the spirit of hunting.

I HAVE TO ADMIT I READ THIS BOOK ONCE A YEAR, IT IS MY FAVORITE CAPSTICK BOOK, PETER HAS A NACK FOR MAKING YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR RIGHT THERE WITH HIM. THIS ONE TIME STOCK BROKER TURNED AFRICAN HUNTER/WRITER REALLY HAS A GIFT WHEN IT COMES TO RELATING HIS CLOSE QUARTER HAIR RAISING ADVENTURES IN THE AFRICAN BUSH. YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK.

Excellent review of African big game hunting. I am using this book as a basis for deciding what and where I hunt in Africa. The hunting descriptions defy the test of time.

Of probably two centuries of classic African Hunting literature, "Death in the Long Grass" stands out as the most candid, the most credible, and the grittiest, most well-written, most fascinating and entertaining book you'll find. Hunter, Non-Hunter or anti-Hunter, you'll be rapt by "Death in the Long Grass", IF you're steady enough to read it. Capstick relates true tales of encounters between men and animals who do not share Man's high opinion of himself with wry candor and his trademark dark wit. "Long Grass" is not for people who are afraid of the dark or who think Man has Nature under control, ...or maybe it is. Capstick doesn't put you "on the scene" - he puts you "IN the scene", and "bored" is not the reaction you will have. Sci-fi can be scary because it COULD POSSIBLY happen, but Reality can often leave that in the dust simply because it HAS happened and COULD EASILY happen again.
And that is the brand of Reality Peter Capstick delivers.

Capstick's memoirs of his adventures as a hunter are legendary and were eagerly read by millions of readers in the magazines and books where he first published his stories. In this book he recounts numerous suspenseful and harrowing tales of hunters of the 7 big game animals in Africa--lion, elephant, leopart, cape buffalo, hippo, crocodile, and rhino, as well as some minor ones, including hyenas and snakes--only as Capstick says--the hunters sometimes ended up as the hunted.

One brief note, Capstick first started out as an independent hunter, but eventually gained enough experience to lead safaris and start up his own hunting safari operation, becoming at that point a "professional white hunter," or "PWH" as it's known in the trade. However, this name refers to any non-African professional game hunter and so doesn't necessarily refer to being white. During this time, Capstick got to know many famous hunters whose exploits, in addition to his own, he recounts in this book.

There are so many stories here that I'll just limit myself to the ones about lions. One fascinating part is his tales of hunters who killed known man-eaters who had often eaten dozens or even hundreds of victims before being finally dispatched. Many of these hunters, such as J.H. Patterson, operated back in the days of the so-called belted magnums in the early part of the last century, long before modern elephant guns and hunting rifles were created.

The great man-eating lion hunter, George Rushby, starting in 1942, began hunting one such pride. In the two years of hard work it took him to track down all the lions and kill the pride, the lions added another 249 confirmed human kills to their total.

However, that total pales in comparison to the Njombe man-eaters, perhaps the most infamous pride of all, who killed 1500 natives and colonists before Rushby finally killed them all. Rushby is justly famous for his exploits and his story made for truly fascinating reading.

Capstick also recounts the adventures of Lt. Col. J.H. Patterson, another legendary figure of the early 1900s whose book is also famous. Patterson is famous as the hunter who killed the man-eaters of Tsavo who were killing the Indian coolies brought in to build the Ugandan railroad, also known as the "Lunacy Express." As Capstick, says, the lions treated the whole affair as one big, long, human buffet, killing more people than were used in the shooting of the movie, "Bhowani Junction" (although it doesn't say how many that was).

Some areas of Africa are more prone to have man-eaters than others. Another of the most dangerous areas is the Luangwa Valley of Zambia (formerly N. Rhodesia). Peter Hankin, one of the most respected white hunters in Africa, was killed there by a man-eater after a long and distinguished career.

Capstick points out that the risks of man-eaters are often downplayed by officials and by the governments for fear of scaring off tourists. One time, Capstick found that in just on six month period as a professional hunter in Zambia, he learned of six cases of man-eating in just one concession of 20 by 60 miles, but which was not publicized.

One more comment if you're going to read this book, which is that Capstick includes very accurate, detailed, and often gruesome descriptions of the eaten victims. He points out that very often lions consume the entire body, including blood-stained clothes, leather boots, and the bones. I have to admit I read those parts with a sort of queasy and morbid fascination. However, in the course of reading this book you will also learn a lot about the dangers and risks of big game hunting and how some of the best plied their trade. It was very interesting to learn about some of the skills needed and about the fatal mistakes or near fatal mistakes to avoid.

Read the first paragraph of this book and you will know that you are reading some of the finest and most thrilling writing on the subject of big game hunting in Africa by someone truly gifted. I must have read this book at least half a dozen times and cannot help but be affected by the masterful descriptions and story telling prowess of Peter H. Capstick. Having read all of Capstick's wonderful books, if I were to pick one as the very best, this would likely be it.

The book is ok but really not worth its price. It has short stories which get boring after a while. I found Jim Corbett's stories far more interesting and fun to read. But overall this book does give some insight into african wild life. I think the author is very arrogant and pompous. He has no concern for the native people. He is a complete contrast of Jim Corbett.

There are adventure stories written by writers who were occasional adventurers (Conrad, Ruark, Hemingway), and there are adventure stories written by those who were only writers (Orwell, a million others,) and then there are a tiny number of adventure stories written by professional adventurers who also *luckily* happen to be brilliant writers. Peter Hathaway Capstick is the chief of this tribe, which includes John Taylor and a couple of others. This is a general review of all his writing, and so I won't get too specific, but it isn't a stretch at all to say that this is the finest, most exciting, most frightening, most eloquent writing ever done on the hunting experience, on hunting in Africa, and perhaps on what happens at that moment when man "goes back on the menu" after being off of it for a measley thousand years or so.

Capstick was a stock broker turned hunting organizer turned (through a curcuitous route) to being a PH or professional hunter in Africa, and then had the skill and the will to set it all down. I have never had more riveting reading experiences than when he tells of having to shoot a big bull elephant (driven mad drunk after eating morula fruit) in bush so thick that he was actually 5 feet from the elephant before he saw it. Or of his friend Corporal Katwindi, the African tribesman who was killed trying to save his life. Or of stalking a black mamba that had killed a boy. This particular story includes the three most chilling words I've read in a long time: as he comes around a bend in the river bank, he sees the dead child (bitten on the lower lip) horribly swollen and disfigured, his face contorted in agony from the mamba bite. "Oh my, yes." Capstick says, and nothing else need be said. He was there, at that point where the line between life and death gets so horribly thin and transparent, and he's able to come back from it and tell it to you so that you feel the same goose flesh he felt, the same clutching fear, the same doubt about your courage, the same desire to run screaming back to your office job.

You'll laugh, too. "There may be something more exciting than lion hunting, but I don't have her phone number any more." Or the story of the African camp steward who had slavishly dedicated himself to learning English to impress the clients, (by overhearing phrases and memorizing their meanings) and while wearing a crisp starched uniform, snaps to a British salute in front of the distinguished safari couple and tells the lady "Tea is ready, darling." His ability to find, and bring back, wonderful humor from gruelling experiences, like when his skin basically rotted off his feet during the rainy season, will not soon be forgotten.

One of the most memorable aspects of his writing is his deep respect and affection for the African natives that he admired so much, and the few that he was proud to call his friends. He is quick to point out that any perceived inadequacies on their part are strictly cultural, not racial, and he was in awe of their abilities in their world. One old man could not, for the life of him, to save his soul, be taught how to flick a disposable cigarette lighter so that it would light. The little thumb roll that we do without thinking completely evaded him. His hands just wouldn't do it, couldn't do it. So he stuck it in his ear hole. This same man could smell elephants miles away and could track game over bare rock, could look at a broken leaf and tell what animal did it and when, leaving Capstick in awe. As impossible as the lighter was to him, this incredible oneness with the natural world was ultimately impossible for Capstick, and for us all.

That's enough for now. If you are reading this review, you probably already have one or more of PHC's books. But if, on the off chance, you don't, then do yourself a favor and get as many as you can, and I dare you to try to put them down. They are that good. Better literature than Hemingway? Probably not. Probably not as profound as Ruark. But he has them all trumped when your knuckles are white with fear, and beads of sweat pop out on your brow, and you try to remember...did I chamber one, or not? And there's a soft crunch in the leaves ahead, and then we're back to what is most elemental: predator and prey, and which of us is which is entirely up for grabs.

Thanks, Peter. Gone but not forgotten.

When doing research into big game hunting in Africa, I came across this book. It was so riveting I read it in one sitting. Capstick is an excellent adventure writer. His writing is incredibly vivid.

The book is broken up into chapters focusing on the dangerous game in Africa - the Big Five plus others. Tales of Capstick's own adventures and those of other white hunters and their clients are retold with verve. His chapters on lions, elephants, and hippos are the best.

I highly recommend this book and his Return to the Long Grass.

Yes I did, and let me tell you, it's the best way to read a piece like this.
Peter Hathaway C. is excellent describing what you may find hiding in the bush right in front of you.
Africa is such a wonder, you feel the connection with your inner part, and the stories told in this book are a brilliant companion for a trip around the place.

The guide in the tour (Karel Van Heerden) recommended it to me, and I must say, it is a great book to read at night, inside your tent, when the lights are off, and the sounds of wild Africa are the last thing you hear.

After this, I read 'The man eaters of Tsavo' by J. Henry Patterson, and that book is a joke compared to this.

This book is wonderful. Peter Hathaway Capstick had a real knack for putting the reader right there in the tall grass, feeling the heat and the fear of an African hunt. His description of a charging lion put the fear of God in me, that's for sure. Also, his writing style is full of self-depreciating humor and honesty. He had a real way with words and his books are all classics in the field. If you have ever wanted to go on a safari, read this book. It is refreshing to read his descriptions of hunting with no apologies. Consider the way he expresses his love of dangerous game hunting: "That is man against himself, the last and purest of the challenges that made us men, not animals." Either that rings true or it doesn't.

This book is nearly 300 pages long, but I finished it in an evening of reading, and when I did, I wished there had been another 300 pages to go. "Death in the Long Grass" is about the author's (Peter Hathaway Capstick) experience as a white hunter in Africa, and his close encounters with the various creatures there that either wanted to eat, trample, gore, or bite him and his associates.

This is not an informational guide about either hunting or Africa. The book's sole intent is to capture your attention with fascinating, hair-raising stories of Capstick's own close calls with the wildlife of Africa as well as his recounting of some other tales where the wildlife got the best of man.

The stories are utterly captivating. They would be interesting to read no matter who was telling them. But Capstick knows how to write by weaving his own interesting experiences in with other tales he has either heard or read about. He also has a wicked, morbid sense of humor that fits well with the subject matter of the book.

I am new to the world of Chapstick, but I have learned quickly that it is a page turner. His excursions in the deep of Africa are very interesting and eye opening to a person that has never been there (and will probably never go). He tells it like it is and has the experience and knowledge to back up his accusations. This is a must read, no matter what you may like. It will keep you guessing and interesting because dull moments are few. Enjoy!!!

As always Capstick strikes again. This is one of his better works ( not to say that any of his writings are poor) and it is an entertaining read.

As a preliminary point , Gentle Reader, do not out expect to put this one down and go "wow- my life has been changed forever!"- its not that sort of book. However, if you want pulse racing, page turning excitment about exotic places and animals, then you have come to the right place. This book alone will have you surfing the web looking for a guide, and pricing a .375 Holland and Holland for your own safari.

The book is divided into a chapter on each of the various nasties in Africa that want to eat you, or at least do serious harm to you- elephant, cape buffalo, rhino and of course lion. In each one he normally relates a story of some poor person getting munched on by one, and the cavalry ( usually capstick and his trusty spear tracker "Silent") coming to the rescue. This is always mixed in with plenty of other stories and information about the animal of choice. This may all seem a bit repetative, but Capsticks fantastic flair for writing, and lively and amusing prose make this anything but dull. For example, in the opening chapter he describes that if the word got out on just how many people get eaten by lions in Africa it would be as "popular as a social disease in a bible school".

You get the idea.

Armchair adventurers, hunters, and those wanting a good yarn- this is for you. Highly recommended.

"Death in the Long Grass" gives you an exquisite look into African big game hunting. It is not just a book for hunters though; it is a book that will entertain and keep everyone interested. The author, a professional hunter, takes you right along with him. It will open your eyes to the many man-eating animals that endanger the lives of Africans every day. From a lion that stepped on top of one person to reach another to crocodiles that wait for women to get water at the river's edge, you will never look at Africa the same.

This is my first Chapstick book, and I can honestly say that I am thoroughly impressed. He gives you a no nonsense look at the African bush, and what it takes to live or die. Interesting from the first to last page, and quick humor to help you understand the problems that could be faced

If your office chair is beginning to conform to the shape of your backside, this book offers a wonderful escape into a world of bloodthirsty beasts. By its very nature, the content of the book is violent, but you will find yourself laughing out loud in many places (Hopefully not in public where you will be forced to explain that you are laughing about an animal mauling). This book will either fill you with an insane desire to go on safari or a firm resolve never to leave the safety of your house again.

National Geographic this one isn't, however, it reads well. Think about it... Africa. The elements, the animals, the insects the basic survival skills needed to endure such hunts is far above what many may think. This books gives you the insight from an experienced bushman.

Think about this... if you fell dead (from sheer exhaustion lets say) within minutes... yes MINUTES, the vultures would be upon your carcass and within an hour (between the scavangers) one would be completely devoured with the exception of bone clean up by other carrion eaters through out the rest of the day. MINUTES... it's that kind of place

I have had an interest in Africa since boyhood. The easy conversational style in which Capstick writes makes you feel that he is your PH telling the stories while you sit around the fire with a full belly, enjoying your evening sundowners. It was not until I finally made it to Africa that I realized just how realistic Capstick's writing is. Easy to read, exciting, real. What more can you want in a book? In spite of a well stocked library I find myself coming back to the "Death in the..." books over and over. Long grass was the first and is still the best!
Ted Ellis

Let's say your kid don't read nuthin' but stuff with pictures. Read him the story about the man-eating lion, and then lay the book down in the living room. He's gonna read the rest of it. I've got to go make a sandwich now.

Peter takes you there. This book is written for all the folks who went to college and started a new job in corporate America and wished they hadn't. Live vicariously through Peter as he takes you on his many adventures in the wilds of Africa. He is the antithesis of the great Victorian British White Hunter who is never supposed to be afraid of anything. Peter makes no bones about being deathly afraid of the consequences of poor actions on more then one occasion. For a change, you get the true feeling of what it is like to truly contest life and death with the worlds toughest animals.

A thoroughly good read . . .

I have read all Capstick's books as well as many other books about African adventure and hunting. In my opinion, this is the best book in this category. It vividly portrays the sounds, smells and other attributes of the African bush as well as author's personal encounters with its many animals. I am not a hunter but a lover of nature, adventure and African wildlife. This book covers it all in a very dynamic; at times poetic and fast paced style. Reading the descriptions of the settings quickly brought my own reminiscences about the same places I visited in Africa. It was a pleasure to read Capstick's reminiscences about his adventures in the African bush. It covers the big five as well as some other underrated killers of Africa such as hyena, crocodile, wild dogs, etc. Read this book and you will embark on one of the greatest adventures of your mind!

How good is this book? I've had 5 copies of it, the 1st 2 papperbacks were read till they fell apart. Capstick invokes the feeling of sitting around a campfire listening to stories. He tell a story the way way Monet painted, full of color and brilliance. His tories make you feel the sun beat down on you, hear the tiny rustle of the long grass that means a charge. When you read his book(s) your not going to feel like you reading, you'll feel like your there.

Capstick invokes the feeling of sitting around the campfire listening to stories. He tells a story the way way Monet painted, full of color and brilliance. His stories make you feel the sun beating down on you,and hear the tiny rustle of the long grass that means a charge. When you read his book(s) your not going to feel like you reading, you'll feel like your there. No one has ever written better on hunting in Africa, not Ruark or Hemingway, I know I have a 250 volume collection of African hunting books dating from 1890 to 1999. Trust me buy this book for anyone who hunts or has thought of hunting, you will not regret it. How good is this book? I've had 5 copies of it, the 1st 2 paperbacks were read till they fell apart.

I read in the Long grass, and in 3 years time sought out every other Capstick book, I could get my hands on. You will too. Nothing left for me but to stand in the tall grass with rifle in hand, sweat in my eyes, dust in my throat and look the king of beasts in the eye. Only one of us will walk away....

In my opinion, this is the best book ever written. Peter has a talent that I have never seen or experienced with any other writer. He gives vivid, harrowing accounts of the Big Five, as well as hippo, crocs, snakes, and less known forms of death. This is a must read for anyone remotely interested in Africa, animals, or hunting. Peter Hathaway Capstick is a true master of his game. Some of Peter's tales would put Stephen King to shame, but these are more frightening because they are true. You are cheating yourself out of a treat if this book isn't high on your "To Read...." list.

Peter was an entertaining fellow. I have found most of his books that I've read rather riveting. You would have thought him to be an englisher rather than a former new york stock broker.

this book was great! a real page tunner, i couldn't put it down! I loved all the detail, it made you feel as if you were right there with him!

After many years on the African trail, Capstick takes the reader "up close and personal" with Africa's Big Five in the first of his numerous books on the subject. He is a first-rate story teller, as we see from his gripping renditions of the tales told to him of the Great White Hunters from Africa's not-to-distant past. He also throws in a few harrowing tales of his own, just for good measure, throughout. The breadth and scope of his entire volume of work certainly makes him chief "Bwana" of all writers who have broached the topic of African big game hunting. You may also want to check out some other titles in the "Death" series, such as his first compilation of magazine articles, "Death in a Lonely Land". I promise, if you like hunting (or just like reading about it), you'll be glad that you did.

Hathaway's writing puts the reader in the middle of the action. I could hear the flies buzzing, feel the stifling heat and the gut wrenching tension . I seemed to be up close and personal with animals I had only seen in a zoo.

Peter Hathaway Capstick ranks among the finest story tellers in the world today. His tales of hunting dangerous African game in "Death in the Long Grass" is riveting. His anecdotes portray in vivid detail the danger, fear, and humor in hunting big game in the African bush. Read this book and you will never look at a leopard the same again, or any other big game species in Africa for that matter. Capstick's respect for the animals he hunted and for the African people is quite apparent. "Bravo old boy!"

Having read all of capstick's writing's and having given some as gifts to friends who are also hunting partners all I can say is you ca't put his stuff down. His method of story telling will either make you sweat with apprehension or rolll with laughter even at some of the macabre things written. Even if you never plan on going to africa it is requirred reading ..Plus it's all true !!!!

Capstick captures the other side of civilized man, the hunter. He writes of things suppressed by artificial people, with artificial wants, and artificial needs - in other words the detatched from nature urbanite who has absolutely no clue as to the duality of nature. A duality which includes both beauty and death. The hunter understands this. Capstick, with wry wit and humor brings us into the world of the hunter. This is not a book for people with a naive, Disneyesque view of nature, but rather for the bold who understands the true relationship between man, nature, and the beasts of the field and forest. Must reading for all true sportsman.

I have read "Death in the Long Grass" and other Peter Hathaway books. All of his books were simply a delight to read containing adventure,action,terror and insights into the behavior of wild animals and sometimes humans.

All the adventure stories you might have read will pale after reading this. Capstick brings the reader to the height of fear and drops him into the bloody bath of animal survival. Animals using all their instincts to survive is nakedly portrayed in this book. It takes the reader into the raw, exposed nerve of living on the edge.

If you like hunting, enjoy stories of man conquering the unknown, cunning opponent, you will find all that here--and more.

Be prepared for pictures painted in your mind of the struggle to survive, the inescapable nature of the animal to conquer, win, defeat and finally eat his enemies--his food-- and then of man's desire to win against the harshest of circumstances. No nature documentary could ever relate, as this books does, the power, cunning and patience of the animal seeking his next meal or destroying the one who stands in his way for his way is to survive at all costs.

The writing compels the reader to continue reading, carrying him higher and higher into a climax, and drops him directly into that place he most feared. Incredible writing!

Be prepared to read this book from cover to cover without putting it down. And then be prepared to stay awake nights from the stories!

Lion, elephant,leopard,cape buffalo, hippo, crocs, rhino, snakes, and others jump out of the pages of this book. Capstick tells the story of the bad things that can happen in Afica. Don't read outdoors

This is excellent, excellent reading. Capstick systematically takes the reader through his own experiences with dangerous african game while he was a professional hunter during the 1960's and 1970's. He makes the reader feel as if they are actually right there beside him, experiencing the thrill of the hunt for themselves. This book tells the story of man against beast in a way that strikes fear into the bravest of hearts, yet does it in a manner that promotes and encourages sound ecological thinking. Death in the Long Grass is a must for any library