Under the Shadow of Man-Eaters: The Life and Legend of Jim Corbett

Cleverly weaving narrative with excerpts from Corbett’s books and drawing on in-depth interviews with Corbett’s friends, here is another biography of a truly incredible man—Jim Corbett of Kumaon—legendary big game hunter turned naturalist, writer, photographer and humanist. Although Corbett’s six books offer several biographical details of his life, the portrait is often uneven and misses many links, for Corbett never believed that his personal life would interest anybody. Beginning in 1875, the year Corbett was born, the major part of the book deals with his life in India and ends in 1947 with his departure for Kenya. The last chapters focus on Corbett’s final years in Kenya with his sister Maggie to his death in April 1955. Jaleel’s writing is smooth and gentle as it recalls and analyses the life and legend of Jim Corbett. What emerges is an affectionate portrait from an admiring biographer who has said that ‘to conceal Corbett’s weakness would only undermine his strengths’.