Men For All Seasons: And Legendary Ladies (Rowland Ward)

Published by Rowland Ward, 2008, hardcover, illustrated, 270 pages, condition: new.

There is no one more qualified to write this title than Anthony Dyer. He grew up during this period, hunted the areas himself and knew many of the professional hunters he has written about. There are chapters on Philip Percival, Bill Judd, Bror von Blixen, Alan Black, Andy Anderson, Bill Ryan, the Cottars, Myles Turner, David SSheldrick, Rene Babault, Don Bousfield, Boyce Roberts and Ken Clark. In addition there is much on Arthur Neumann, R.J. Cuninghame, Jack Riddell, Tony Archer, Pat Ayre, Donald Ker, Robert Foran, Tony Henley, Harry Selby, J.A. Hunter Fritz Schindelar, F.C. Selous and John Sutton to mention a few. The incredible women of that time are represented by Elizabeth Cross, Kathleen Seth-Smith, Vivienne de Watteville, Geraldine Sladen and Beryl Markham..

The word safari is full of excitement. It makes you think of adventure and romance, of strange new places and excitingly different people. This book is the story of the people who are the principal actors on the great stage of the safari scene: the professional hunters. During the 20th century they were the first amateurs - pioneer farmers or army officers on leave. They came into the job more by chance than deliberation and many of them evolved into specialist professionals. From the very beginning they demonstrated qualities of enterprise and leadership far in excess of their duties as stewards to their safaris. The principal events in this history occur within the fifty years between 1900 and 1950. Tony was born and brought up in the centre of it all and it is therefore possible for him to use firsthand accounts by some of the people who were actual participants in the events in this exciting period. Some of the hunters include Philip Percival, Bill Judd, Bror von Blixen, Andy Anderson, Bill Ryan, the Cottars, Myles Turner, David Sheldrick and Don Bousfield.