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The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon
A continuation of the narratives in Man-eaters of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon further details Jim Corbett’s hunting exploits, as he is called upon to take down tigers, leopards and bears in regions such as Dabidhura, Muktesar, Panar and Tanekpur. Apart from the hunts, the accounts vividly describe the flora, fauna, people and local legends of the areas Corbett went to, and his experiences in them, ranging from hair-raising to rib-tickling.
Simply told and capturing the essence of the Himalayan ranges, The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon makes for a compelling read.
Simply told and capturing the essence of the Himalayan ranges, The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon makes for a compelling read.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1954
161 people are currently reading
1060 people want to read
About the author
Jim Corbett
109 books293 followersEdward James "Jim" Corbett was a British hunter, turned conservationist, author and naturalist, famous for hunting a large number of man-eaters in India.
Corbett held the rank of colonel in the British Indian Army and was frequently called upon by the government of the United Provinces, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to kill man-eating tigers and leopards that were harassing people in the nearby villages of the Garhwal and Kumaon region. His hunting successes earned him a long-held respect and fame amongst the people residing in the villages of Kumaon. Some even claim that he was considered to be a sadhu (saint) by the locals.
Corbett was an avid photographer and after his retirement, authored the Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jungle Lore, and other books recounting his hunts and experiences, which enjoyed much critical acclaim and commercial success. Later on in life, Corbett spoke out for the need to protect India's wildlife from extermination and played a key role in creating a national reserve for the endangered Bengal tiger by using his influence to persuade the provincial government to establish it. The national park was renamed Jim Corbett National Park in his honour in 1957 after his death in 1955.
Corbett held the rank of colonel in the British Indian Army and was frequently called upon by the government of the United Provinces, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to kill man-eating tigers and leopards that were harassing people in the nearby villages of the Garhwal and Kumaon region. His hunting successes earned him a long-held respect and fame amongst the people residing in the villages of Kumaon. Some even claim that he was considered to be a sadhu (saint) by the locals.
Corbett was an avid photographer and after his retirement, authored the Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jungle Lore, and other books recounting his hunts and experiences, which enjoyed much critical acclaim and commercial success. Later on in life, Corbett spoke out for the need to protect India's wildlife from extermination and played a key role in creating a national reserve for the endangered Bengal tiger by using his influence to persuade the provincial government to establish it. The national park was renamed Jim Corbett National Park in his honour in 1957 after his death in 1955.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 23, 2015
I bought this book mostly because I had a vague sort of interest, it was cheap, and I needed a few dollars more to make the $35 for free shipping on Amazon. Not a very propitious beginning.
Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! This book was very, very entertaining!
Corbett, unlike what you'd expect from a big-game hunter (even one known for his conservation efforts), doesn't write out gruesome details, just facts, and he approaches his subject with both compassion and a matter-of-fact attitude that makes what would be upsetting and revolting to witness not so disturbing at all. It's sort of like having a chat with your kindly old grandfather, if your grandfather was an old Englishman who'd toted a rifle through treacherous jungles in his youth. He accomplishes the nigh-impossible task of maintaining the suspense of the chase and danger while reassuring you and keeping you calm.
The best part was probably his attitude toward the animals he killed. His respect for them is clear, and several times in the text he even expresses his regret that he had to carry out the deed. Ultimately, though, his desire to protect the humans being preyed upon outweighs this, and he puts each animal down. Still, he is compassionate, and tries his best to make the kill as painless for the animal as possible.
Corbett is also enjoyable because he doesn't sing his own praises, nor does he adopt an irritating false modesty. He points out his mistakes and even calls himself foolish when he thinks he was, but he also credits himself (matter-of-factly, again, not boastfully) with his skills and experience. This is extremely enjoyable to read, much better than if he'd played at being overly humble or bragged up his own abilities.
Highly recommended.
Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! This book was very, very entertaining!
Corbett, unlike what you'd expect from a big-game hunter (even one known for his conservation efforts), doesn't write out gruesome details, just facts, and he approaches his subject with both compassion and a matter-of-fact attitude that makes what would be upsetting and revolting to witness not so disturbing at all. It's sort of like having a chat with your kindly old grandfather, if your grandfather was an old Englishman who'd toted a rifle through treacherous jungles in his youth. He accomplishes the nigh-impossible task of maintaining the suspense of the chase and danger while reassuring you and keeping you calm.
The best part was probably his attitude toward the animals he killed. His respect for them is clear, and several times in the text he even expresses his regret that he had to carry out the deed. Ultimately, though, his desire to protect the humans being preyed upon outweighs this, and he puts each animal down. Still, he is compassionate, and tries his best to make the kill as painless for the animal as possible.
Corbett is also enjoyable because he doesn't sing his own praises, nor does he adopt an irritating false modesty. He points out his mistakes and even calls himself foolish when he thinks he was, but he also credits himself (matter-of-factly, again, not boastfully) with his skills and experience. This is extremely enjoyable to read, much better than if he'd played at being overly humble or bragged up his own abilities.
Highly recommended.
November 1, 2012
More than just a thrilling book, this is a surprisingly humane and sensitive selection of stories for which it would be hard to find an equivalent. Corbett could understand the animal "languages" of the Indian forest and used this to help himself hunt down and kill the world's worst man-eating tigers, alone! Somehow he succeeds, and goes on to become a pioneer of conservation, with a Tiger Reserve named after him. Aready a classic.
March 16, 2021
Master storyteller Jim Corbett & his 5 celebrated hunting stories are part of this book. The stories are -
1. Temple tiger
2. Mukteswaar man eater
3. Panar man eater
4. Chuka man eater
5. Talla des man eater
There is enough variety in each of his experiences that the do not become stale or repetitive. But a story, no matter how remarkable, can always be spoilt in the telling. Corbett however, does not disappoint. His stories are filled with humor as well as suspense. Loved it!
1. Temple tiger
2. Mukteswaar man eater
3. Panar man eater
4. Chuka man eater
5. Talla des man eater
There is enough variety in each of his experiences that the do not become stale or repetitive. But a story, no matter how remarkable, can always be spoilt in the telling. Corbett however, does not disappoint. His stories are filled with humor as well as suspense. Loved it!
December 31, 2025
calling it gripping would be an understatement!
January 9, 2026
Really, I have similar things to say about this collection of Jim Corbett hunting tales as I had to say about the previous book, Man-Eaters of Kumaon. Both Jim's appreciation for the natural world and his skill as a hunter are truly unmatched in their time.
For the purpose of distinguishing this review from the last review of Corbett's work that I wrote, I will discuss Jim's appreciation for the people and culture of the areas he frequents. Given Jim's status as an ethnically British resident of Colonized India, I almost expected, going into his work, to find cringeworthy and out-of-date remarks about the village folk or their way of life, but I found neither of these things. Corbett speaks highly of the people of rural northern India at a time when it was not expected of him to do so. His respect for their traditions and superstitions is the best example of this.
Jim goes as far as to say: "If therefore you are tempted to laugh at the credulity of the actors in the tale I am going to tell, I would ask you to pause for a moment and try to define the differences between superstition as exemplified in my tale, and your beliefs in the faith you have been brought up in."
I find it remarkable that Jim holds this view in the first half of the 20th century, when racism and discrimination over beliefs were rampant in the land around him.
Jim Corbett is super cool.
For the purpose of distinguishing this review from the last review of Corbett's work that I wrote, I will discuss Jim's appreciation for the people and culture of the areas he frequents. Given Jim's status as an ethnically British resident of Colonized India, I almost expected, going into his work, to find cringeworthy and out-of-date remarks about the village folk or their way of life, but I found neither of these things. Corbett speaks highly of the people of rural northern India at a time when it was not expected of him to do so. His respect for their traditions and superstitions is the best example of this.
Jim goes as far as to say: "If therefore you are tempted to laugh at the credulity of the actors in the tale I am going to tell, I would ask you to pause for a moment and try to define the differences between superstition as exemplified in my tale, and your beliefs in the faith you have been brought up in."
I find it remarkable that Jim holds this view in the first half of the 20th century, when racism and discrimination over beliefs were rampant in the land around him.
Jim Corbett is super cool.
March 3, 2025
One of those books that reads like fantasy but is fantastic. While rest assured that most of us in this life may not be required to track man-eaters through dense forests at the behest of sights, smells and sounds; or face them at less than 5 feet distance ready to spring an attack or be perched on trees trying to get an elusive shot on which depend the lives and livelihoods of entire villages; nevertheless to live vicariously through Jim Corbett as he traverses through the hills and forests of Kumaon accomplishing and surviving these man-eaters is what is made possible through this extraordinary book.
Incidents of human-animal conflict still abound as over-population and development encroaches into habitats and territories of these fearsome animals. To this, even Jim Corbett takes a compassionate view citing how tigers and leopards turn into man-eaters only under exceptional circumstances.
Incidents of human-animal conflict still abound as over-population and development encroaches into habitats and territories of these fearsome animals. To this, even Jim Corbett takes a compassionate view citing how tigers and leopards turn into man-eaters only under exceptional circumstances.
February 15, 2020
Tiger is my favourite wild animal, I have never seen one in its natural habitat yet I do not leave any chance to know and learn more about these majestic beauties of the jungle. After watching a lot of documentaries, shows & youtube videos of them, one day I wondered if there were any books about them which lead me to Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. Though I never finished it, I was intrigued to know more about this hunter whose name was added to one of the National Parks in India for all his conservation efforts and finally, this quest led me to an incredible book called Man-eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett which was so good that I can still feel like I am standing, walking and waiting at the kill alongside the great man. Now it’s become a habit to read one of his books every few months and so I am holding this book.
The Temple Tigers and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon is comprised of 5 stories of Man-Eaters that Jim Corbett had to put an end to for the safety of Hillfolk. In Temple of Tiger, we see how he takes a step back to let the animal find its way back to its natural habitat to save both the beast and humans while in dealing with the Talla Des Man-eater he chases a wounded Man-eater on foot for days (all this even when he too is in pain). He simply doesn’t share us the details of the hunt, he takes us deep into this world of villages spread across these lands, the people who live here, their lives filled with superstitions, fears but also of courage they display even in the face of tragedy. And then there are the Tigers, revered and feared at the same time but why do they become Man-eaters? what makes them leave their jungles to come out hunt the humans? Now we get to know more about their behaviour patterns, the way they stalk their preys, and the way they become fearless of humans.
It’s a book filled with adventure and chases that sets the readers on the edge for the entirety of the read.
The Temple Tigers and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon is comprised of 5 stories of Man-Eaters that Jim Corbett had to put an end to for the safety of Hillfolk. In Temple of Tiger, we see how he takes a step back to let the animal find its way back to its natural habitat to save both the beast and humans while in dealing with the Talla Des Man-eater he chases a wounded Man-eater on foot for days (all this even when he too is in pain). He simply doesn’t share us the details of the hunt, he takes us deep into this world of villages spread across these lands, the people who live here, their lives filled with superstitions, fears but also of courage they display even in the face of tragedy. And then there are the Tigers, revered and feared at the same time but why do they become Man-eaters? what makes them leave their jungles to come out hunt the humans? Now we get to know more about their behaviour patterns, the way they stalk their preys, and the way they become fearless of humans.
It’s a book filled with adventure and chases that sets the readers on the edge for the entirety of the read.
July 14, 2012
The last of Jim Corbett, "The Temple Tiger and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon" accounts some of his unique experiences in Himalayas. The books brings out the hunter-cum-conservationist's acute understanding of the intricacies of jungles and that of the tigers. Every ordeal, day and detail expressed vividly by Corbett is worth a bible for those who would venture into the dense jungles of India. While detailing his encounters with the wild cats, Jim Corbett always laces his words with his love for the human beings, especially those who suffer and are at the mercy of nature.
March 24, 2023
After reading this book, I will take a break from Jim Corbett's books.
Although this was my first read by him, I somehow didn't like the way the book was turning out to be as I was expecting it somewhat excellent.
I certainly believe he could have done a great job in writing a book, but I was proven wrong. His book repeatedly talked about scenarios of tigers and their killings as the fake Hindi script movie.
I won't be picking up his books again. I wanted to read two more, but I guess I will be returning them to the kindle store.
Although this was my first read by him, I somehow didn't like the way the book was turning out to be as I was expecting it somewhat excellent.
I certainly believe he could have done a great job in writing a book, but I was proven wrong. His book repeatedly talked about scenarios of tigers and their killings as the fake Hindi script movie.
I won't be picking up his books again. I wanted to read two more, but I guess I will be returning them to the kindle store.
September 22, 2013
An account of Corbett's experiences hunting tigers and in one instance a leopard. The man personifies the typical pulp hero – utterly without fear, nonchalantly heroic and replete with amusing foibles, like absolutely craving a smoke and a nice hot cuppa tea even while waiting on a tree branch with rifle in hand in the dead of night for the man-eating tiger to come that way. If these stories hadn't been true, they wouldn't be worth reading, but as it is, I was impressed, to say the least.
April 8, 2008
Read Man-Eaters of Kumaon before reading this one.
September 1, 2009
Jim Corbett is the quintessional English story teller and Shikari...who hunted and lived in India the same time period as my grand father whom my brother said met/knew Jim Corbett.
November 25, 2017
The last of Jim Corbett’s books about the man-eaters of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon is about four tigers (three of them man-eaters and one which had acquired too strong a liking for cattle) and one man-eating leopard that Corbett was called upon to trail and kill in Kumaon. These five stories spread over about thirty years, some dating from the early 1900s, to some from the late 1930s. Corbett describes, as is his usual style, not just the facts—where the tigers roamed, how he tracked them down and shot them—but also more.
The adventures and interesting episodes en route, for instance: a fight between a bear and a tiger; some mysterious lights on a mountainside that turned out to have seemingly supernatural reasons. The courage of two little boys who sat in the middle of a field, waiting for their grazing goats, knowing full well that a man-eater was probably lurking in the bushes at the edge of the field. The hilarity of an episode where an incompetent guide, nearly swept away by a strong current in a river he was crossing, was rescued at the last minute by one of Corbett’s men—who freely admitted that he had helped because on the guide’s back was tied a valuable coat the rescuer had entrusted to him.
There are thrilling, chilling descriptions of everything from sitting up in a tree with a tiger scratching at the trunk below, to the frustrating—and dangerous—uncertainty brought on by having one ear deafened thanks to a gunshot. Most of all, there are Corbett’s brilliant insights into jungle life: the dynamics of it, the symbiosis, the hows and whys and whats. This, coupled with Corbett’s obvious affection and respect for the people of these hills, is what makes this (like all of Corbett’s books on his adventures in this part of the world) so immensely readable.
If there’s one thing I didn’t like about this book, it was a description of a ‘sporting shoot’ that Corbett led for a crowd of Europeans out in the area. It has a bearing on the story, since a mishap here resulted in Corbett losing hearing in one ear: but what irked me was the wanton destruction of animal life recounted here. So many of this species, so many of that, one leopard, and so on. Yes, I knew this rampant shikar was a part of life for the upper class and rich (not merely the British, either), and that Corbett himself was first a hunter and then a conservationist… but it still jars. I see the justification for, and applaud, his shooting of the many man-eaters of Kumaon; this I do not like.
The adventures and interesting episodes en route, for instance: a fight between a bear and a tiger; some mysterious lights on a mountainside that turned out to have seemingly supernatural reasons. The courage of two little boys who sat in the middle of a field, waiting for their grazing goats, knowing full well that a man-eater was probably lurking in the bushes at the edge of the field. The hilarity of an episode where an incompetent guide, nearly swept away by a strong current in a river he was crossing, was rescued at the last minute by one of Corbett’s men—who freely admitted that he had helped because on the guide’s back was tied a valuable coat the rescuer had entrusted to him.
There are thrilling, chilling descriptions of everything from sitting up in a tree with a tiger scratching at the trunk below, to the frustrating—and dangerous—uncertainty brought on by having one ear deafened thanks to a gunshot. Most of all, there are Corbett’s brilliant insights into jungle life: the dynamics of it, the symbiosis, the hows and whys and whats. This, coupled with Corbett’s obvious affection and respect for the people of these hills, is what makes this (like all of Corbett’s books on his adventures in this part of the world) so immensely readable.
If there’s one thing I didn’t like about this book, it was a description of a ‘sporting shoot’ that Corbett led for a crowd of Europeans out in the area. It has a bearing on the story, since a mishap here resulted in Corbett losing hearing in one ear: but what irked me was the wanton destruction of animal life recounted here. So many of this species, so many of that, one leopard, and so on. Yes, I knew this rampant shikar was a part of life for the upper class and rich (not merely the British, either), and that Corbett himself was first a hunter and then a conservationist… but it still jars. I see the justification for, and applaud, his shooting of the many man-eaters of Kumaon; this I do not like.
February 24, 2017
When a tiger turned man-eater in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in the early 20th century, the people who lived in the villages waited in stoic silence for the government to send someone to rid them of the scourge. In the five stories presented in
The Temple Tiger, that man was Jim Corbett, British-Indian hunter and tracker-turned-conservationist, author and naturalist.
Corbett’s love of the region and the people who lived there, and his deep respect for all living things, is on display in these pages. Though hunter, he is gentle. He admires the tigers and leopards he must kill, and he appreciates the beauty of the land and all creatures who inhabit it. When a life must be taken, it should be done with as little suffering as possible, and as little disruption to the life that surrounds.
In “The Panar Man-Eater,” he must watch the suffering of a girl torn from the jaws of a tiger: “I sincerely hope that no one who reads this story will ever be condemned to seeing and hearing the sufferings of a human being … that has had the misfortune of being caught by the throat by either a leopard or a tiger, and not having the means … of alleviating or of ending the suffering.”
The last of the stories, “The Talla Des Man-Eater,” is the most gripping: Corbett unexpectedly comes upon three tigers resting in a field. He is able to kill two of them and wound the third. The wounded tiger, he learns, is the mother of the two “cubs” he slew.
Corbett’s pursuit of this wounded animal, is both dramatic and disturbing. Though he is as wounded and handicapped as the tiger he hunts, yet he perseveres: out of love, out of duty, out of respect and reverence for the life he must take. Twenty-five years later, when he writes the story, he says “. . . time does not efface events graven deep on memory’s tablets, and the events of the five days I spent hunting the man-eating tiger of Talla Des are as clear-cut and fresh in my memory today as they were twenty-five years ago.”
The Temple Tiger was published in 1954, a year before Corbett’s death. With this book and the others in the series, he has left a truly memorable legacy.
The Temple Tiger, that man was Jim Corbett, British-Indian hunter and tracker-turned-conservationist, author and naturalist.
Corbett’s love of the region and the people who lived there, and his deep respect for all living things, is on display in these pages. Though hunter, he is gentle. He admires the tigers and leopards he must kill, and he appreciates the beauty of the land and all creatures who inhabit it. When a life must be taken, it should be done with as little suffering as possible, and as little disruption to the life that surrounds.
In “The Panar Man-Eater,” he must watch the suffering of a girl torn from the jaws of a tiger: “I sincerely hope that no one who reads this story will ever be condemned to seeing and hearing the sufferings of a human being … that has had the misfortune of being caught by the throat by either a leopard or a tiger, and not having the means … of alleviating or of ending the suffering.”
The last of the stories, “The Talla Des Man-Eater,” is the most gripping: Corbett unexpectedly comes upon three tigers resting in a field. He is able to kill two of them and wound the third. The wounded tiger, he learns, is the mother of the two “cubs” he slew.
Corbett’s pursuit of this wounded animal, is both dramatic and disturbing. Though he is as wounded and handicapped as the tiger he hunts, yet he perseveres: out of love, out of duty, out of respect and reverence for the life he must take. Twenty-five years later, when he writes the story, he says “. . . time does not efface events graven deep on memory’s tablets, and the events of the five days I spent hunting the man-eating tiger of Talla Des are as clear-cut and fresh in my memory today as they were twenty-five years ago.”
The Temple Tiger was published in 1954, a year before Corbett’s death. With this book and the others in the series, he has left a truly memorable legacy.
January 22, 2024
Another Corbett which I thoroughly enjoyed.
But if I were to rank the man-eating series by Jim sir, this one would rank last. It would probably go like:
1. Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag
2. Man-Eaters of Kumaon
3. The Temple Tiger and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon
Anyway, back to this book. I read it after Man-Eaters of Kumaon and Rudraprayag book. So, it kinda felt a bit repititive at points. It follows the same formula as the Kumaon one. To be honest, it could be easily ignored, but I had a fun time reading it.
I’ll be reading My India and My Kumaon: Uncollected Writings soon. Pretty excited for both, especially the latter.
But if I were to rank the man-eating series by Jim sir, this one would rank last. It would probably go like:
1. Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag
2. Man-Eaters of Kumaon
3. The Temple Tiger and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon
Anyway, back to this book. I read it after Man-Eaters of Kumaon and Rudraprayag book. So, it kinda felt a bit repititive at points. It follows the same formula as the Kumaon one. To be honest, it could be easily ignored, but I had a fun time reading it.
I’ll be reading My India and My Kumaon: Uncollected Writings soon. Pretty excited for both, especially the latter.
February 13, 2021
I don't have too much to say about this one, because the title is extremely appropriate. It's very much just more of Man-Eaters of Kumaon. If you enjoyed Corbett's earlier book, as I did, and just want more of that, it absolutely delivers. I think on the whole, having now read both of these and The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, that I prefer the later and its more in depth account of a single hunt, but there's not much in it, and I enjoyed this collection of shorter tales as much as I did Corbett's first book.
If there's one thing to mark it out against the other two, it has the most extreme example of Corbett talking about some utterly insane thing he did as if it were completely normal and unremarkable of any of them. He makes a habit of it throughout his writing, but going out at night after a wounded tiger with his eye swollen shut and barely any hearing due to an abcess caused by a burst eardrum, promptly collapsing from vertigo as a result, and then continuing the hunt after it bursts and floods out of his nose has to be right at the top.
If there's one thing to mark it out against the other two, it has the most extreme example of Corbett talking about some utterly insane thing he did as if it were completely normal and unremarkable of any of them. He makes a habit of it throughout his writing, but going out at night after a wounded tiger with his eye swollen shut and barely any hearing due to an abcess caused by a burst eardrum, promptly collapsing from vertigo as a result, and then continuing the hunt after it bursts and floods out of his nose has to be right at the top.
January 23, 2022
Many years ago, I read “Man-Eaters of Kumaon” by the same author before and during my visit to the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, India. I did not meet any Tigers on the safari however it remains one of my memorable trips to a Tiger reserve. Reading the “Temple Tiger..” now, I travelled back in time.. reminiscing the haunting beauty of those Himalayan forests.
In this book, Jim Corbett describes his encounters with Tigers in his typical prose however what I found even more enchanting was his detail on the terrain, trees, animals, birds and local folks - their culture, beliefs, value systems etc existing at that time mostly in the eastern part of Almora. One can not help but desire to trace the path he took a hundred years ago - from Tanakpur to Purnagiri temple, up to Thak, down again to Chuka and then climb up all the way to Talla Kot. I wonder if all of those villages still exist with the same names. I wonder if the village dwellers there have heard stories from their grandparents about the Man eaters and their terror, and how Mr. had come home to hunt them down.
In this book, Jim Corbett describes his encounters with Tigers in his typical prose however what I found even more enchanting was his detail on the terrain, trees, animals, birds and local folks - their culture, beliefs, value systems etc existing at that time mostly in the eastern part of Almora. One can not help but desire to trace the path he took a hundred years ago - from Tanakpur to Purnagiri temple, up to Thak, down again to Chuka and then climb up all the way to Talla Kot. I wonder if all of those villages still exist with the same names. I wonder if the village dwellers there have heard stories from their grandparents about the Man eaters and their terror, and how Mr. had come home to hunt them down.
November 22, 2017
A gem in jungle literature....
A thoroughly nice read. I have read this book for the second time and enjoyed even more than my first read. This book I feel it's one of the best in jungle literature. A gem in the same. The book although deals with encounters and taking down of man wearing Tigers and leopards, this seems to be of secondary. Primary are the beauty of Indian jungle, the jungle folk and their lives.
Best of the lot are the two, "Temple Tiger" this is the story of an encounter with a Tiger, that was told to be the blessed one by the mother Goddess, and who was no man eater. The chase of man to the tiger and Tiger to the man remained a drawn game.
The last one, "The Talla Des man eater" is the story of a land tigress that killed humans after being invalidated at early age. This is one incredible great of chase in data and nights. Tracking on a injured man eater on foot. Incredible and gripping read.
A thoroughly nice read. I have read this book for the second time and enjoyed even more than my first read. This book I feel it's one of the best in jungle literature. A gem in the same. The book although deals with encounters and taking down of man wearing Tigers and leopards, this seems to be of secondary. Primary are the beauty of Indian jungle, the jungle folk and their lives.
Best of the lot are the two, "Temple Tiger" this is the story of an encounter with a Tiger, that was told to be the blessed one by the mother Goddess, and who was no man eater. The chase of man to the tiger and Tiger to the man remained a drawn game.
The last one, "The Talla Des man eater" is the story of a land tigress that killed humans after being invalidated at early age. This is one incredible great of chase in data and nights. Tracking on a injured man eater on foot. Incredible and gripping read.
October 27, 2024
Certainly not a book I'd choose, but an Indian student friend recommended it. Most of us abhor the killing of animals. However, if you're a poor villager scraping by with a small plot of land and faced with the threat of a "man-eating" animal, then you'd look upon killing in a bit different light, don't you suppose?
"I often wonder whether in any other part of the world a stranger whose business was not known, arriving unexpectedly at a remote village, would be assured of the same welcome and hospitality as he would receive at any village throughout the length and breadth of Kumaon [northern India, bordering on Nepal]." (p. 143-144 of the hardback edition).
"The courage of people living in an area in which there is danger from a man-eater, and the trust they are willing to place in absolute strangers, has always been a marvel to me." (p. 149)
"I often wonder whether in any other part of the world a stranger whose business was not known, arriving unexpectedly at a remote village, would be assured of the same welcome and hospitality as he would receive at any village throughout the length and breadth of Kumaon [northern India, bordering on Nepal]." (p. 143-144 of the hardback edition).
"The courage of people living in an area in which there is danger from a man-eater, and the trust they are willing to place in absolute strangers, has always been a marvel to me." (p. 149)
June 19, 2022
I picked this story to read only because I am trying to read books I own and it was considered by Reader's Digest in 1955 to be worthy of being republished in a condensed version. I have to admit this methodology introduces me to stories that I otherwise would never be exposed to. I am glad I read it. How does a man hunt down big cats that have become unafraid of humans, kills them, and eats them? While in my world, animals should be respected and protected, I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had to worry about being savagely murdered and eaten every time I walked outside. Somebody has to shoot the cats. While the story was somewhat boring (for example, after a few readings about tracking the cats), I still considered it educational of what the "real world" is like.
December 9, 2023
An enriching journey of India's amazing jungles
Jim Corbett is very well known in India for the national park named after him and his stories describing his hunting many man-eating tigers. This book was also one of them. Despite hunting the tigers, he sensitively puts in enough information for the reader to understand the reason behind the tiger becoming a man-eater, and for a split second even empathize with them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it transported me to the 1900s. I so wish I could follow the itinerary that Jim has provided in the epilogue, for there would hardly be the same. I wish I had read this before visiting Purnagiri and Tanakpur a couple of years ago.
Jim Corbett is very well known in India for the national park named after him and his stories describing his hunting many man-eating tigers. This book was also one of them. Despite hunting the tigers, he sensitively puts in enough information for the reader to understand the reason behind the tiger becoming a man-eater, and for a split second even empathize with them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it transported me to the 1900s. I so wish I could follow the itinerary that Jim has provided in the epilogue, for there would hardly be the same. I wish I had read this before visiting Purnagiri and Tanakpur a couple of years ago.
May 20, 2021
As a writer Jim Corbett is exceptional in painting the picture of the landscape of kumaon. Even a person who hasn't visited the place, will not have the trouble imagining on account of the graphic detail he imbues in his writing. The same can be said about the hunts themselves about which the book is about. They paint a picture of bygone era, not only in terms of the people, and the way of life in colonial India. But also in terms of a landscape which was rich and wild, far removed from its current state. His style of nesting a related or a parallel story so seamlessly in the main narration is something I have come to enjoy as a reader and hope to emulate as a writer.
March 8, 2022
This really was a surprisingly good and enjoyable read despite being published in the mid 1950s and involving the hunting of large, now very rare, species who were only doing what nature created them to do. I think this enjoyment came from Corbett's writing style and attitude, which were both clear and concise, given the facts as they were and taking no joy from the suffering of others, animal or human. Corbett's love of the natural world is evident in these tales given the details he sees and thinks to give to the reader and the almost sorrowful way he takes on each task as one of the top hunters in India at the time.
December 22, 2019
"Menneskeetere i Kumaon" er en bok jeg anbefaler alle å lese. Det er en samling selvbiografiske jaktberetninger skrevet av en jeger i Britisk India på 1920-tallet, som handler om menneskeetende tigre.
Dette er oppfølgeren, og den holder dessverre ikke samme kvalitet. Det virker som forfatteren presenterte de beste historiene i første bok, dette er en samling av resten. Beretningene er mindre spektakulære og grenser mot det kjedelige. Les heller første bok!
Dette er oppfølgeren, og den holder dessverre ikke samme kvalitet. Det virker som forfatteren presenterte de beste historiene i første bok, dette er en samling av resten. Beretningene er mindre spektakulære og grenser mot det kjedelige. Les heller første bok!
March 23, 2021
Hunting tigers is not for the faint of heart. Hunting man-eating tigers is even worse. Jim Corbett is an experienced hunter who uses his wits to out think the tigers and with persistence stop them in their tracks so to speak. Anyone interested in hunting should discover how to gain mastery over a strong and wily opponent.
January 9, 2022
What a fantastic book! This is the first time I am reading a true account of tiger hunting and the writing is so engaging it kept me on my toes the whole time. Loved the way the loyalty of villagers and beauty of landscapes were explained. He was such a skilled hunter. Looking forward to read more of his writings.
September 2, 2022
This was his last book but the first I read & it was marvelous. Never would have thought reading about someone hunting tigers could be so interesting, but it was. The pen & ink illustrations by Raymond Sheppard were a nice addition & I always like a map when reading about an area I am not familiar with. Will definitely have to find some of Corbett's other books as this was a very enjoyable read.
January 1, 2023
Yet another, and final, of Jim Corbett's astounding hunts of man-eating tigers. Slightly shorter than the first, the encounters themselves leap off the page in Corbett's concise and vivid words, all tempered by his great respect for the magnificence of a world and an animal which he later tried to preserve.
November 16, 2025
Biased 5 star rating- I am from Kumaon.
It was a crime to have not read Corbett and his adventures before.
Read to understand life in the Kumaon region, life in the 1920s, the flora and fauna of the region, the villages and towns and their history, and the past times of the goras and the eerie superstitions or lore of the mountain folks. Oh, and the incredible chase of the Talla Des tiger.
It was a crime to have not read Corbett and his adventures before.
Read to understand life in the Kumaon region, life in the 1920s, the flora and fauna of the region, the villages and towns and their history, and the past times of the goras and the eerie superstitions or lore of the mountain folks. Oh, and the incredible chase of the Talla Des tiger.
January 24, 2026
Alongside being a great hunter, Jim was also a phenomenal writer. Many can make you feel the tension in air during a hunt but Jim has this ability to pull the reader into the jungle itself.
The description of landscape is detailed and I think readers must take time to create the picture in their mind to increase the flavour of his journey.
The description of landscape is detailed and I think readers must take time to create the picture in their mind to increase the flavour of his journey.
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