Rating: 
Summary: No Roars Here, Only Wimpers
Review: I started reading this with great interest. Toward the end I grew weary. I feel that Mr. Caputo began to lose interest at the end as well. Did anyone else notice that at the end the chapters became shorter and shorter. It appeared to me that the Mr. Caputo was up against a deadline with his publisher.The whole story sets the reader up for an explaination as to why the Tsavo lions are bigger, are maneless, have smaller prides and seem more inclined to dine on humans, than their cousins, the plains lions. Theorys are thrown around, partly developed and then never mentioned again. The most interesting dicussion was that the Tsavo lions appeared to have heads that were decidedly different in shape. This theory is disscussed for a page and half and never touch upon again. Parts of the story are riviting, however. But when it is bad, it is really bad. The May 23d chapter is so boring, while May 24th chapter is wonderful. The one thing that really got to me is that with all the pictures everyone was taking during these trips, there are so very few in the book. Those that are in the book are poor and of bad quality. Also, one map? The map in the front of the book is of no use. I would find myself refering back to it time and time again and getting very little help. In a book of this type, the map should be marked with all places that are discussed in the text. This drove me crazy. I would however love to see this done as a documentory. If the topic interests you, read it. But don't expect any answers. Bring on Elsa!
Rating: 
Summary: Ghosts of Tsavo
Review: If you have ambitions to be a writer,avoid reading this book since
it,ll just fill you with envy. Every word has the right nuance,the
sentences run like limpid streams , the gentle humor pervasive
and the opinions expressed thoughtful. Can anyone, for instance,
argue with the statement that nearly every problem that we face
is caused or aggravated by the fact that are just too many of us.
The excellence of this book should come as no surprise since
the author is none other than ex-marine who also gave us the best
account by a combatant (on our side) of the Great Crusade in Vietnam.
The subject of the present book are the lions of Tsavo who are
less manely but defintely more manly than the other members
of their species and have developed a taste for the human flesh
and their appetizers include not only the skeletal locals but also
an occasional tourist who had loved nature not wisely but only
too well. Two groups of American academics are engaged in a bitter
fight over the reasons behind the maneaters obvious lack of
etiquette each trying to capture the lion,s share of grants,honors,etc and finally the holiest of all grails-publication in a "refereed" journal. All of this happens
within the shouting distance of the hellhole of Nairobi, where,
if there is a just God, the final resting place for all of those
opposed to population control.Nairobi is also the focal point for the activities of the Christ like figure of rock and roll artist and father of six Bono who wants us
to pay for the sexual recklessness of the locals (Bono,s millions
do not enter into the equation) while he residing in one of his mansions ponders new scams to prove his moral superiority. Never mind the insignificance of
the subjet matter since Captuto can write about yesetrday,s
leftovers and make them interest. After reading this delightful
book my own take is that there is incontrovertible evidence
that human thugs commit their bestialities because of lack of
"self esteem" (it used to be poverty) and it,ll be a great project
for the dogooding bleeding heart animal rights activists to go
to Tsavo and feed Minoxidill to the lions so they could lead
peaceful lives under assumed manes. In the process some of
the actvistis may become canapes for the lions and that,ll
be just wonderful.
Rating: 
Summary: Confronting the nightmare lions and oneself.
Review: Long fascinated with the subject of man-eating lions, Philip Caputo does not pretend to be an expert on them, the environment, or African affairs. In fact, his lack of expertise and his desire to learn give this book some of its appeal and make it totally accessible, even to the most scientifically challenged reader. Consulting experts from Chicago's Field Museum and from the University of Minnesota, before, during, and after two trips he makes to Kenya's Tsavo National Park, Caputo immerses himself in their research, familiarizing the reader, in the process, with the lions, their behavior, and their controversies. Far more apt to attack and eat humans than are the Serengeti plains lions, the man-eaters of Tsavo are giants, much longer from nose to tail, much taller at the shoulder, and 100 - 150 pounds heavier than the plains lions, and the males are often maneless. Caputo's experts strongly disagree on whether these giant lions differ simply because they have adapted to the hotter climate of Tsavo and their need to kill Cape buffalo for food, or whether, in fact, they represent a missing link between modern lions and the maneless cave lions of the Pleistocene era, which roamed throughout the Near East and Africa. Stories of famous man-eaters of the past hundred years, including two which killed 135 people in 1898, and one 550-pounder from 1991, add drama and excitement to the narrative. But Caputo also ranges widely into peripheral, more personal subjects--why he believes hunters are closer to nature than are photographers, why tracking a lion on foot for four days is a more divine experience than using a vehicle, evolution vs. creationism, cloning, science vs. faith, and even his nightmares. Ultimately, the book is as much about Caputo as about the lions, who remain a mystery. "The truth is," he concludes, "I don't want to learn anything more about lions, but am content...to keep some blank spots blank; after all, those are what excite the imagination."
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Subject Made Less So By The Author
Review: The lions of Tsavo always manage to stay just out of reach in this book. They appear on the horizon or make a short appearance nearby before disappearing in the thick underbrush. Their origins also remain elusive. The subject of scientific dispute and made somewhat famous by the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness", the lions of this harsh region in East Africa are known for several characteristics that differentiate them from the more photogenic lions of the Serengeti Plains. They are far larger, specialize in hunting Buffalo, have no manes, and -- most chillingly -- are reputed to be man-eaters far more often than other lions. Are the differences due to the region's harsh environment? Or are the Tsavo lions genetic throwbacks to a primitive lion that once hunted man? Or could it be that the differences between plains lions and Tsavo lions are simply imagined by hunters and other non-scientists who build myths around their quarry? The novelist Philip Caputo discovers these interesting questions as he begins his own search for the Tsavo lions. Caputo is drawn to the beasts for reasons I never fully comprehend. In part, however, his early exposure to Colonel John Patterson's book (which inspired the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness") and seeing the stuffed lions that Patterson shot in a Chicago-area Museum seem to have touched a nerve in him. While Patterson hints at other reasons for the trip, he never explains them in a consistent and coherent manner. Normally, this wouldn't matter, but Caputo interjects his own tale into this book far too often. Who Caputo likes and dislikes, arguments in base camp among his companions, his sickness and near-death experience, and his boredom with the slow wait for Tsavo lions to make an appearance all feature too prominently in the book. Caputo writes well enough that it never becomes intolerable, but it still is a distraction. "Where are the lions?," I kept asking myself. They remained elusive. It's very possible I knew more (or thought I knew more) about the lions in Tsavo on page 50 of this book than I did on page 250. With the exception of a small -- but fairly conclusive -- experiment on how lions react to different mane colors of other male lions, nearly no other new information is drawn out. But if you enjoy reading about African wildlife or one of nature's most famous keystone species, I recommend this book. The faults of the author don't distract enough from the great interest of the subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Subject Made Less So By The Author
Review: The lions of Tsavo always manage to stay just out of reach in this book. They appear on the horizon or make a short appearance nearby before disappearing in the thick underbrush. Their origins also remain elusive. The subject of scientific dispute and made somewhat famous by the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness", the lions of this harsh region in East Africa are known for several characteristics that differentiate them from the more photogenic lions of the Serengeti Plains. They are far larger, specialize in hunting Buffalo, have no manes, and -- most chillingly -- are reputed to be man-eaters far more often than other lions. Are the differences due to the region's harsh environment? Or are the Tsavo lions genetic throwbacks to a primitive lion that once hunted man? Or could it be that the differences between plains lions and Tsavo lions are simply imagined by hunters and other non-scientists who build myths around their quarry? The novelist Philip Caputo discovers these interesting questions as he begins his own search for the Tsavo lions. Caputo is drawn to the beasts for reasons I never fully comprehend. In part, however, his early exposure to Colonel John Patterson's book (which inspired the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness") and seeing the stuffed lions that Patterson shot in a Chicago-area Museum seem to have touched a nerve in him. While Patterson hints at other reasons for the trip, he never explains them in a consistent and coherent manner. Normally, this wouldn't matter, but Caputo interjects his own tale into this book far too often. Who Caputo likes and dislikes, arguments in base camp among his companions, his sickness and near-death experience, and his boredom with the slow wait for Tsavo lions to make an appearance all feature too prominently in the book. Caputo writes well enough that it never becomes intolerable, but it still is a distraction. "Where are the lions?," I kept asking myself. They remained elusive. It's very possible I knew more (or thought I knew more) about the lions in Tsavo on page 50 of this book than I did on page 250. With the exception of a small -- but fairly conclusive -- experiment on how lions react to different mane colors of other male lions, nearly no other new information is drawn out. But if you enjoy reading about African wildlife or one of nature's most famous keystone species, I recommend this book. The faults of the author don't distract enough from the great interest of the subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: Well done, both exciting and balanced.
Review: Watch for The Ghosts of Tsavo to find a well-deserved spot on the best-seller lists. Caputo blends one bit travelogue with a splash of John McPhee, frappes it with some exciting writing, then serves it over the rocks of some hard scientific facts. This is a yarn, but a great one. The prologue is, hands down, the best story of someone hunting a man eating lion I have ever read. But this is not the "Jaguars Clawed My Flesh" school of big cat writing. His is a journey of exploration of the old school, similar to an expedition in the 19th Century from the Field Museum, which inspired Caputo as a child. Scientists will be happy to see he balances all of this with reason. Romantics will be happy to see he balances science with emotion. He has a gift, too, of beginning a personal rant on a point of politics and philosphy, and then doubling back on himself and to laugh at himself. He explores myths and explodes myths. Yet there is a romantic side to him that values them and the unknown. A good read, good reporting. Buy it, if the theme appeals to you at all, or if you ever looked up, as Caputo did as a child, at the great stuffed cats in museums.
Rating:
Summary: Well done, both exciting and balanced.
Review: Watch for The Ghosts of Tsavo to find a well-deserved spot on the best-seller lists. Caputo blends one bit travelogue with a splash of John McPhee, frappes it with some exciting writing, then serves it over the rocks of some hard scientific facts. This is a yarn, but a great one. The prologue is, hands down, the best story of someone hunting a man eating lion I have ever read. But this is not the "Jaguars Clawed My Flesh" school of big cat writing. His is a journey of exploration of the old school, similar to an expedition in the 19th Century from the Field Museum, which inspired Caputo as a child. Scientists will be happy to see he balances all of this with reason. Romantics will be happy to see he balances science with emotion. He has a gift, too, of beginning a personal rant on a point of politics and philosphy, and then doubling back on himself and to laugh at himself. He explores myths and explodes myths. Yet there is a romantic side to him that values them and the unknown. A good read, good reporting. Buy it, if the theme appeals to you at all, or if you ever looked up, as Caputo did as a child, at the great stuffed cats in museums.
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