Legendary hunter, gifted raconteur, a man who understood every nuance of the jungles of Kumaon and whom the people of the region considered a benefactor and ‘savioiur’. That is Jim Corbett for most of us. What few know is that Corbett shot his first maneater when he was ten and his tenth fifty-three yearslater; survived without food for over sixty hours while tracking his quarry; shot a ferocious tiger from a distance of a few feet; gradually transformed from a hunter wielding a rifle to one of the first conservationists of wildlife in India; and that his photographs and films of the jungles find pride of place in the Natural History Museum in London. An ardent admirer of Corbett from his childhood and a keen naturalist in his own right. Prosenjit Das Gupta read and reread Corbett’s writings till he could no longer resist the lure of discovering Corbett and his country for himself. Following in his footsteps, Das Gupta explored every area in his writings, visited the sites where the hunter shot his man-caters, spoke to people who had known him and, enthused by his experiences, launched into further, serious research of every aspect of the life and personality of his boyhood hero. The result is a fascinating book that unravels with sincerity and insight the lesser-known facets of Corbett – a man who was just as opinionated and patronizing as he was generous and considerate. Above all, Tracking Jim reveals Corbett’s passion for nature and the creatures of the wild, a passion that permeates even for writing that he inspires.
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