1. THE BLACK PANTHER OF SIVANIPALLI The author, more famous for hunting man-eating tigers, finds in a wily panther a real challenger to his hunting acumen.
2. THE TIGER ROARS Hailed as the best of all of Anderson's books, the celebrated author reminisces about the man-eating tigers he had tracked down, a ferocious panther fond of human blood, the aging elephant meeting a sad end, and his own adventurous hours spent in the primeval jungles of India.
3. JUNGLES LONG AGO Taking a holiday from big game hunting, Anderson lovingly reminisces about his exciting days and star-lit nights spent amidst the simple folks inhabiting the fringes of dark forests.
Mr Anderson's narration is immaculate... it really throws you back on his time and puts you besides him making you experience exactly what he sees, thinks, feels and does.... it also gives you an insight in the psyche of a person who admires nature slowly graduating to become a part of the jungle who lives in balance with nature although he remains a Hunter by instinct. Apart from engraving the primal behaviours of the flora and fauna through the keyhole of experiences of Mr Anderson, It also educates us the rural, urban and jungle life full of extraordinary hardships of Indians and many westerners in that era and shows us how their life circumstances make them such tough survivors.
Very different from Jim Corbett.Anderson being a hunter possesed the narrative skills at par like the greats of Satyajit Ray, a must read for corbett fans :)
The jungle lores and the narrative keep you hooked! The description and the suspense build up gradually and you start living the experience soon....it transports you to a different world which is governed by a different set of rules...the writer's love for the jungle is evident. Can't wait to read the final omnibus!
I read this cover to cover from my dad’s collection when I was a teenager. Like my dad I’m fascinated by wildlife, unlike him I haven’t actually roamed jungles nor lived in the outdoors.
But the strange enigmatic stories from the wild/ unknown were something that scared me but also drew me in completely. So I read a lot of Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett books and each story, each magnificent animal, the experiences of the characters and the vicious brutal enigmatic experiences shared will to this day hold me in a spellbinding trance.
Somehow even though it’s mostly about tigers and other big cats, each one is unique and amazing.
The way Kenneth narrates his experiences are truly awesome and you would be on the edge of your seat or bed or wherever you are at the moment. For days, I couldn't sleep without checking if there is a man-eater hiding under my bed. When i got over that, it was the fear of rogue elephants haunting me. Through it all, I would give anything to read Kenneth's experiences again and again and again.... simply superb
While Corbett explores Garwhal region, Kenneth Anderson explores South India. I especially liked the episode with the supernatural in the temple well and the pet bear and hyena stories. Description of the forests are less literary but quite enjoyable reading.