Saturday 26 August 2017

#BookReview ; Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett



Jim Corbett's book on man-eating tigers are not only established classics, but also almost in a separate literary category by themselves. Man-Eaters of Kumaon is the best known of Colonel Corbett's books, and contains ten fascinating stories of tracking and shooting man-eaters in the Indian Himalaya during the early years of this century. The stories also contain incidental information on flora, fauna and village life, making this book altogether delightful reading.

Man-Eaters of Kumaon is a collection of 10 stories about hunting man-eater tigers written by Edward James Corbett. It is the best known of Jim Corbett’s books, it has sold over 4 million copies since it was published in 1944 & this edition has been published by Aleph Book Company. Jim Corbett was born in the Himalayan hill station of Nainital. He joined the Indian Railways at the age of 17 & left it after 22 years to return to Nainital where he opened a hardware shop. Although he is best known for his hunting exploits, he was also one of the first generation of conservationists in India.

There are some books which we have all heard of since our childhood but never got to read them, Man-Eaters of Kumaon was one such book for me which I got to read thanks to Aleph Book Company. The stories are about how the author during his days as a hunter was required to hunt down man-eating tigers & what he experiences while preparing for it. He writes vividly about the cases he encountered & how the survivalist in him helped him keep up in the wilderness while following the trails of the animal. This literary work pumps up your blood as you go through it & no wonder is still selling. Get your copy here,
To start with, honestly I just had a vague idea that it’s going to be about tigers who have become man-eaters but it was naive of me to not remember that the author was a hunter too. Jim Corbett even though was a hunter but he also professed conservationism too, some people might think that it’s hypocrisy but we have to put in the perspective of time. His passion & admiration for wilderness is quite evident in his writing. The thrill he creates through his words will keep you on a hook & make you feel you’re right there with him. That explains why this book is an evergreen. Aleph Book Company has done a tremendous work republishing it, the cover & the art work is breathtaking. Surely a must have! 


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