Official Review: Of Hunters and Men by James Field

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 17 Dec 2020, 13:19

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Of Hunters and Men" by James Field.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The world’s population is increasing rapidly, especially in Africa. Consequently, this has led to a significant decline in wildlife space, when coupled with increased demand for commercial land. Further, animal rights activists have attracted enormous support to end all forms of hunting. Sadly, a person without sufficient knowledge of an idea can propagate it easily. On the other hand, poaching is still on the rise in most parts of Africa, despite efforts to end it. Can hunting be done for the benefit of both general human welfare and animal conservation? What lessons can we learn from the hunters of yesteryear? Do we have adequate success stories?

Of Hunters and Men: Some Notes About Hunting, Africa, and the Future was authored by James Field. The book is approximately 146 pages long and was published by Cloister House Press in the United Kingdom in 2020. The author narrates many Africa Safari stories and provides brief descriptions of some famous professional hunters. Some hunting expeditions in the book included those before the twentieth century, before the ‘Mad Scramble’ for Africa, and afterward. One will enjoy following how hunting was done in the past and how it changed due to various technological inventions.

Throughout the book, the author shared anecdotes and passes fundamental lessons, such as Safari visits in Africa are not always cozy. He cites a scary incident where they came close to a long black mamba known to be lethal and likes to pursue people. I learned many shocking facts as well. For instance, I never knew that while cattle keeping accounts for almost 77% of all global farming land, the total protein content derived is a mere 18%. It was evident why switching to plant-based proteins is necessary and possible as cattle rearing is one of the leading drivers of global warming.

The author supported his arguments for legal hunting by citing both historical and empirical examples. A notable case given was whereby banning legal hunting caused an increase in poaching and loss of several animal species in Kenya. Poaching was described as being detrimental because some methods, such as poisons, used end up killing other animals in the food chain. I was mesmerized to learn that professional legal hunting associations massively fund many anti-poaching efforts as well. As a result, they can protect animals, employ local community members, and prevent human-wildlife conflicts. Further, these points were stated straightforwardly. They were simple to understand and remember.

One of the things I liked most about the book was how the author described the source of human-wildlife conflict, especially the population explosion that implies encroachment in animal habitats. The other thing I appreciated was that hunting was addressed together with underlying issues, such as governance. I equally enjoyed following the author to various hunting destinations. The hunting trips were exhilarating. The photographs in the book were also very lovely. However, I disagreed with the implied fact that animal conservation requires human intervention. This intervention would only be needed if it had affected the balance before. It did not detract from the general enjoyment of the book, though.

The book was professionally edited, and the language employed was simple. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to all fans of hunting tales. It will also be a good read for animal conservationists as it is thought-provoking and could elicit fruitful debates.

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Of Hunters and Men
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Yvonne Monique · Post by **Yvonne Monique** » 21 Dec 2020, 13:54

Being an animal lover, I doubt whether I will enjoy reading this book. However, some of the points mentioned in your review, are valid and open for discussion.