Robert Ruark's Africa by Robert Ruark

Imagine my disappointment when a year ago I went looking for this book and discovered it was out of print and would cost on the order of $150 to get to read. Couple that with the announcement this past Spring that Safari Press would be printing this book again late this fall and things improved quite a lot. $35 later, I have a copy and have read it through.

This is a fantastic book which contains the compiled columns of Ruark from his return from Africa to just before his death. While I found Horn of the Hunter to be a little too full of the vernacular of the day, I find that bits written here are as straight forward and well spoken as a half page feature should be. Ruark is a fantastic writer and it shows here. If you enjoy reading Ruark, order this book. You won't be disappointed. So to it then...

• Read Ability - 5 of 5 - Ruark's style just works for me. From it I would say you can establish a baseline for my reviews. I like things written like this, if you don't, find the ones I don't like and you'll have what you are after.
• Editing - 5 of 5 - Michael McIntosh clearly did a fabulous job researching, providing background and knitting these together into a really good read. Top marks here.
• Subject Matter - 5 of 5 - All africa, all the time. Nuf said.
• Did I like the Story - 5 of 5 - well told by one of my favorite authors, about some of my favorite things to want to do. What's better to read than that?

I am excited that Safari Press decided to release a new printing of this book. I can say that for the money, this book is a must for the fans of Ruark. It is written with the usual direct gracefulness that is a hallmark of the man's style and contains writings not published in quite a while. To find it, go to SafariPress.com and order. Essential read, in my opinion.