IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN
Light-hearted African Adventures
by Kevin "Doctari" Robertson
2008 Long Beach, 277pp, color photos, 6x9, hardcover, dj
Doctari (aka Kevin Robertson) is well known for his superlative series of books on shot placement, including Nyati, The Perfect Shot, and Africa's Most Dangerous, which is a complete dissertation on the Cape buffalo that also includes shot placement. These books have become classics in their time because of the authority, the experience, and the descriptive powers Doctari has brought to each project. They simply could not have been written by just anyone: These books were the culmination of Kevin's experience as a PH for years upon years in the bush, his knowledge of veterinary medicine, and his understanding of ballistics. Some of his experiences come from having hunted with multiple clients for dangerous game, and over the years he has had a number of funny, interesting, and sad encounters. Now for the first time ever, Doctari has committed these stories to paper, and we get to read some of the silly things he, his friends, and his clients have done. We guarantee these anecdotes will keep you entertained for hours. There are two particularly lively stories on the ferocity of lions running amuck in a safari camp. One is entitled "Madonna," and in it Kevin defends his and his wife's honor with a bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo! He's actually lucky to be alive to tell the tale. In the chapter entitled "Like a Ghost in the Darkness," an old lion wrecks mayhem in a camp inhabited by two drunken hunters, who flee the scene without taking any of their gear. There was good reason, indeed, for their fear. In the chapter "Dumber Still" we learn that chasing a bull elephant from your garden with an empty soda-pop bottle is not to be recommended, even for a PH well versed in big-game hunting. "Jump Buck" is the lively story of a wounded springbok that races off with a very expensive rifle wrapped around its neck! It's always refreshing to sit down with a good book that is full of wonderful stories; some things in life just don't get any better. Pull up a chair and read along as Doctari relates his stories as though they are being told around a campfire in a safari camp. This is one book you will not easily forget.
