Curious beasts

We writers are curious beasts (and you won’t believe how many years it’s taken me to be able to say 'we writers' – to consider myself fit to be included among those lofty beings). Because we’re not in direct competition with each other – because all books are different and because they’re luxury purchases – we tend to encourage each other. Which is exactly what I’m going to do now.

You may remember me writing a year ago about a new book called Tracking the Weretiger by Patrick Newman. Well, I’d now like to reproduce for you some sections of a review in this Christmas’s issue of Fortean Times (which, in case you don’t know it, is the magazine for unexplained phenomena and all things weird and wonderful). It is the lead review and by the magazine's founding editor.

The review starts:

Any account of the 19^th century colonial fad for hunting tigers in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and China – especially the much-feared man-eaters – would be a great read; this one is above the rest, reading like a Boy’s Own thriller but with a thorough scholarly apparatus underpinning every narrative opportunity.

and ends:

I found the book as fascinating as a tiger’s stare, well written and packed with all the detail – sometimes gory but told with the panache of a seasoned narrator – that you could possibly want on such a curious and delightfully obscure topic.

Fortean Times Verdict

A BIG BOLD 10 OUT OF 10 –

UNMISSABLE! JUST BUY IT!

Well done Pat!

You can also find Pat in his blog, ‘musings of an old booklover’ (formerly ‘musings of an old shikari’).