Product Description

A chance meeting around a safari campfire on the banks of the Mupamadazi River leads to the grand tale of African adventure by Peter Capstick, the foremost hunting author of our time. Wally Johnson spent half a century in Mozambique hunting white gold--ivory. Most men died at this hazardous trade. He's the last one able to tell his story.

In hours of conversations by mopane fired in the African bush, Wally described his career--how he survived the massive bite of a Gaboon viper, buffalo gorings, floods, disease, and most dangerous of all, gold fever. He bluffed down 200 armed poachers almost single-handedly, and survived rocket attacks from communist revolutionaries during Mozambique's plunge into chaos in 1975. In Botswana, at age 63, Wally continued his career. Though the great tuskers have largely gone and most of Wally's colleagues are dead, Wally has survived. His words are rugged testimony to an Africa that is now a distant dream.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #160787 in Books
• Published on: 1988-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 266 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312000486
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
At a time when elephants were the scourge of the Mozambique countryside, trampling crops and killing villagers, and when lions mauled and killed dozens of people annually, good hunters were in great demand. Wally Johnson was one of the best; a professional ivory hunter, gold prospector and safari leader for more than half a century, he shot nearly 100 lions, 1300 elephants and perhaps 2000 buffalo. After the 1975 revolution in Mozambique, he was forced to flee. Not a conventional biography, this book is really a collaboration, a dialogue, between old friends with shared interests. Capstick, who has acquired a large audience with his books about hunting in Africa ( Death in the Long Grass and others), makes a few explanatory remarks at the beginning of each chapter, leading Johnson into reminiscence. He talks freely about his hazardous experiences in the bush (he survived the bite of the deadly gaboon viper and goring by a Cape buffalo); about safari clients (among them, Robert Ruark); and about the natives and their magic arts. Capstick and Johnson are splendid raconteurs, vividly recalling a vanished era. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

This book is a must.
For anyone who has read this book,I knew Wally Johnson, from when I was a child. My father {mentioned in the book}, Ken Fubbs, hunted with Wally for many years. I really enjoyed this book, as it brought back many personal experiences, and memories, shared with Wally. I am also fortunate enough to have one of the few autographed copies of this book. Should anyone like to read another book very similar to this one, about Werner Von Alvesleven, the man in charge of the whole set up in Mozambique, this book is also available.

A collection of delightful although far-fetched stories from a remarkable man
The format of "The Last Ivory Hunter" is very good. Peter Capstick has blended the words of Wally Johnson and his own comments into a very interesting story. Wally's words are in block letters throughout the text and Capstick's are in itallics. This is very important because many times with the text alone it would be nearly impossible to tell who the speaker is.

This was one of Capstick's most delightful works. I know! I've heard all of the comments about how far fetched many of the events in this book are and I couldn't agree more. I didn't say that it was Capstick's finest work, only that it was delightful.

There were many parts of the story such as when Wally claims to have made a driveshaft for his Land Rover from the branch of a mopane tree and drilling the holes to mount it with steel-jacketed solids that are, well ... a bit difficult to believe. Then there was the time that he patched a hole in the crankcase of an engine with an animal hide and drove more than a hundred miles on five cylinders. But let's put the story in perspective.

This is not a biography, but the remininiscence of an old man who was relaying events from his life to a writer who recorded them. This is the story of a remarkable man who despite exaggerations and embellishments lived an extraordinary life in Mozambique during an era that is gone forever.

There was no need to build up the true story. But as is so often the case, from the viewpoint of the story teller the truth would sound a bit bland. Spicing the story up more than a little bit seems to be an art that old men use to hold the listener's attention. Wally told these stories with his own brand of spice and Capstick undoubtedly added a bit of poetic license at times. There were times while reading Capstick's comments that I had the feeling that he was having problems believing some of the far fetched tales himself. To his credit as the man who chronicled the stories, he wrote them as Wally told them, to allow the reader to filter out fact from fiction.

I can picture Wally telling these stories to me. Sitting in a rocker on a wooden porch telling another stretcher with a twinkle in his eye. He would watch me very closely, wondering how far he could take this one before I caught on. In respect for the old man I would listen until it just became too much to accept and I would finally ask, "Do you expect me to believe that one Wally?"

He'd stop, take a long pull on his pipe and narrow his brow. Then look me straight in the eye with the gritty response. "You weren't there dammit!"

Read "The Last Ivory Hunter" with this mindset. Understanding that it is likely the only written record of the life of a truly remarkable man. Forgive him the obvious embellishments, such as having killed more than 1300 elephants and standing off two-hundred armed poachers virtually unarmed and you will find it to be a delightful story.

I gave it a five star rating because I found it to be an enjoyable and entertaining read when taken in perspective.

The Best of Capstick
Having read all of Capstick's books. I think this one ranks at the top. Wally Johnson had an extremely interesting life. Capstick writes the book as if they are having a conversation. Wally has many grest stories and Capstick injects his own observations on each subject. This book, especially the first half is probably the best Capstick ever. I have read this book many times and never tire of it. A definite must read for anyone interested in Africian adventure.