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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
Jim Corbett was a jungle expert: he could mimic the call of tigers and various other jungle animals, read the sounds of other jungle critters, track tigers, and by tracking its 'drag,' tell which part of the body a man-eating tiger was carrying its prey.
Corbett, who grew up in India, was commissioned by the Indian government to kill dangerous man-eaters and his stories of doing so are edge of your seat gripping. He had some scary close encounters. Additionally, he vividly describes the wild Kumaon area and its people and villages.
The book is the rare combination of a captivating true story and amazingly good storytelling. Corbett begins by explaining how tigers become man-eaters, "Human beings are not the natural prey of tigers, and it is only when tigers have been incapacitated through wounds or old age that, in order to live, they are compelled to take to a diet of human flesh." The instances he describes of man-eating tiger attacks on humans are horrifying and he was able to save countless lives by taking the tigers out (some had previously killed hundreds of people).
He's not going to be popular among idealistic tiger lovers because in addition to hunting man-eaters, he did do some sport hunting. In his defense, it was a different era and yet he did hold tigers and all animals, in high regard. His respect for animals is evident throughout the book.
Contrary to my expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And the glossary in back was much appreciated.
"With unbelievable fury he attacked this tree and tore it to bits, emitting as he did so roar upon roar, and what was even worse, a dreadful blood-curdling sound as though he was savaging his worst enemy."
"I am not going to harrow your feelings by attempting to describe that poor torn and mangled thing; stripped of every stitch of clothing and atom of dignity, which only a few hours previously had been a man, the father of two children and the breadwinner of that wailing woman who was facing - without any illusions - the fate of a widow in India."
"she was now working herself up into a perfect fury, and you will have some idea of what the fury of a tigress in her condition can be when I tell you that not many miles from my home a tigress on one occasion closed a public road for a whole week, attacking everything that attempted to go along it, including a string of camels, until she was finally joined by a mate"
Due to the violent nature of tiger attacks (which is only semi-explicit), this would be appropriate for middle school age and up.
Corbett, who grew up in India, was commissioned by the Indian government to kill dangerous man-eaters and his stories of doing so are edge of your seat gripping. He had some scary close encounters. Additionally, he vividly describes the wild Kumaon area and its people and villages.
The book is the rare combination of a captivating true story and amazingly good storytelling. Corbett begins by explaining how tigers become man-eaters, "Human beings are not the natural prey of tigers, and it is only when tigers have been incapacitated through wounds or old age that, in order to live, they are compelled to take to a diet of human flesh." The instances he describes of man-eating tiger attacks on humans are horrifying and he was able to save countless lives by taking the tigers out (some had previously killed hundreds of people).
He's not going to be popular among idealistic tiger lovers because in addition to hunting man-eaters, he did do some sport hunting. In his defense, it was a different era and yet he did hold tigers and all animals, in high regard. His respect for animals is evident throughout the book.
Contrary to my expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And the glossary in back was much appreciated.
"With unbelievable fury he attacked this tree and tore it to bits, emitting as he did so roar upon roar, and what was even worse, a dreadful blood-curdling sound as though he was savaging his worst enemy."
"I am not going to harrow your feelings by attempting to describe that poor torn and mangled thing; stripped of every stitch of clothing and atom of dignity, which only a few hours previously had been a man, the father of two children and the breadwinner of that wailing woman who was facing - without any illusions - the fate of a widow in India."
"she was now working herself up into a perfect fury, and you will have some idea of what the fury of a tigress in her condition can be when I tell you that not many miles from my home a tigress on one occasion closed a public road for a whole week, attacking everything that attempted to go along it, including a string of camels, until she was finally joined by a mate"
Due to the violent nature of tiger attacks (which is only semi-explicit), this would be appropriate for middle school age and up.
While this book is largely based on Tiger(man-eater)hunting experience by Jim corbett ,it certainly changes our perspective of what we think about a man-hunting tiger.As violent as they may seem,it is mostly about a gun-shot or some other wound that eventually renders the Tiger weak and consequently,forces it to choose weaker target,that is Human.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
This is an excellent book. It was one of my dad’s favourites. I last read it as a child and it is every bit as good as I remembered it to be. It tells the story of Jim Corbett as he hunts and kills man-eating tigers in India.
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
This is a really good book that I couldn't put down. It has several stories written from the author's perspective about his man-eater (tiger) hunts in India. It can be a little gruesome sometimes, but I thought he did a wonderful job explaining why it was necessary to kill those animals because of the danger they represented to the villages they wreaked havoc on. There was always a reason for why they had become a man-eater.....usually because of an old injury that made them incapable of killing their normal prey. Very interesting book!
The Man-Eaters of Kumaon is a memoir of Jim Corbett's experiences hunting man-eating tigers in India in the very early 20th century. It is an extraordinary book, and I waffled quite a bit before settling on giving it 4 stars instead of 5.
The Man-Eaters of Kumaon does the best possible job of describing a place and a time that no longer exists. In addition to providing detailed and comprehensive accounts of the thought processes and methods he employed while hunting the tigers, Corbett also gives vivid descriptions of the human population, the wildlife, the terrain, and the flora of the area. Corbett reveals himself to be a thoughtful observer of all that surrounds him, and a lover of nature possessing great respect for all forms of life he encounters.
Corbett himself comes across as a most admirable figure---keen, modest, considerate, determined, brave, sensitive, and thoughtful. Interestingly, as a reader, I found it impossible to doubt the veracity of anything he wrote... he is so completely forthcoming about his fears, his missed shots, his errors, it is both endearing and trust-inspiring.
I gave The Man-Eaters of Kumaon 4 stars instead of 5 because it isn't a page turner---it's just an incredibly interesting read. That said, I recommend this book. It's fairly fascinating.
The Man-Eaters of Kumaon does the best possible job of describing a place and a time that no longer exists. In addition to providing detailed and comprehensive accounts of the thought processes and methods he employed while hunting the tigers, Corbett also gives vivid descriptions of the human population, the wildlife, the terrain, and the flora of the area. Corbett reveals himself to be a thoughtful observer of all that surrounds him, and a lover of nature possessing great respect for all forms of life he encounters.
Corbett himself comes across as a most admirable figure---keen, modest, considerate, determined, brave, sensitive, and thoughtful. Interestingly, as a reader, I found it impossible to doubt the veracity of anything he wrote... he is so completely forthcoming about his fears, his missed shots, his errors, it is both endearing and trust-inspiring.
I gave The Man-Eaters of Kumaon 4 stars instead of 5 because it isn't a page turner---it's just an incredibly interesting read. That said, I recommend this book. It's fairly fascinating.