Carpet Sahib: A Life of Jim Corbett

by Martin Booth

Jim Corbett's classic stories of hunting the man-eating tigers of India have thrilled generations of readers and made him famous world-wide. Born in India in 1875, Corbett was at home in the jungles from an early age, killing his first leopard when he was only eight. Tigers were his most
sought after prey but, in time, he began to turn toward conservation. From the mid-1920s he stopped shooting tigers for sport, only killing the man-eaters that plagued many Indian villages. In 1936 Corbett was instrumental in creating India's first tiger reserve--perhaps the world's first
"big-game park"--and was a devoted conservationist for the remainder of his years.
The Carpet Sahib is the story of this remarkable man. Martin Booth, who spent ten years of research on this definitive biography, follows Corbett's footsteps through the Himalayan jungles and foothills that provided the backdrop for some of his most hair-raising adventures. Booth brings to life a
man of inestimable courage and integrity whose love for India, her people, and her natural treasures was intense. Today, Jim Corbett is revered in Northern India as the legendary holy figure who fought the devil in his disguise as a man-eating big cat, and by those who have so enjoyed his gripping
collections of tales. This is the first book to reveal the man behind the myth.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Martin Booth was a prolific English novelist and poet. He also worked as a teacher and screenwriter, and was the founder of the Sceptre Press.

Reviews

[Ichar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was a beautiful experience. I have always wanted to read books that shed light on the British colonies, especially the British Raj; India being the Jewel in the Crown. I have also been looking for a book that would tell me more about Jim Corbett. Corbett, the man, not the hunter nor the legendary expert in jungle lore. This book provided me with both, and I found this valid enough reason to award it 5 stars.

At first I was quite apprehensive to pick up this book in case it was done poorly or portrayed Corbett in a negative light. I was not willing to part with my childhood hero on account of a badly written biography. I should not have been afraid as Martin Booth’s book is a well researched and well written one.

Carpet Sahib follows the life of an ordinary man who lead quite an extraordinary life in a land and time that was anything but ordinary. While the book depicts Corbett as the British Sahib to his Indian workers, it also presents the unique perspective of Corbett as a man born and bred in India, the domiciled Britisher who struggles to climb the rungs of society due to his domiciled status. Neither does it neglect to show the complicated relationship he has with his beloved India and its people.

Several chapters are dedicated to Corbett’s fascinating anecdotes of stalking and bringing down the man-eaters who terrorised Indian villages - sometimes lengthy, arduous and blood curdling encounters. Throughout the book, there is a wealth of knowledge about the breathtaking landscapes of the then virgin hills and the abundance of wild life in the jungles surrounding Nanital.

Some people believe Corbett being described as a conservationist is a misnomer for he was such an avid hunter for the better part of his life. This book shows his gradual transition from the hunter who collected trophies to the affectionate environmental advocate he later became.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars even though at times I wanted to give this book far fewer stars, primarily because of Mr. Booth's propensity for presuming to know the innermost thoughts and desires of both my man Jim and members of Jim's family, especially his mother and his sister (ever hear of citations?), and because of the author's inclination to believe the detailed recollections of acquaintances after 50+ years rather than Jim's memories of his own life after less than half that period of time. And see this sentence I started with? That's an example, albeit a very short one, of the type of sentences that make up this book. Sometimes I had to read a passage over and over to figure out the noun/verb sequence. And equally annoying is the weird circumstance that there is an index but no bibliography. And I won't dwell on the apparent lack of a good editor.

However, I will say that the author has provided many, many details that fill in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of Jim's life. For this I'm very grateful and give him 4 stars. It was such a pleasure to learn about Jim's entrepreneurship, shrewd business acumen, and vast network of friends, assuming of course that Mr. Booth hasn't embellished his account as much as he accuses Jim of doing in his books.

To the subject matter itself I give 5 stars.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unbelievable time in India when hunting Tigers was like hunting rabbits. It took Jim Corbett most of his life to realize there would be none left in a few decades. People listened to this man Because he was honest, well liked, and a champion tiger hunter. Man eating tigers were not caused by the devil or inherited genes. In fact, there was a time in history when farmers would easily work their fields with Tigers roaming through them. The story of what caused the man eaters, and how this man changed his mind and also changed conservation for the good of all, is a great read. We can be thankful to Jim Corbett that there are any tigers left at all.

[Ankur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being familiar with Jim's shikar stories, I was apprehensive about whether this book will be able to illuminate new facets of Jim's character, which it does. That he was a devoted family man, successful in his business and had a very effective military carrier is brought to the fore by this book. It's also quite an easy read.

[Sambit Basu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very balanced biography. Overall, a positive portrayal of Jim Corbett, but the biographer never did shy away from discussing some of Corbett's fallible qualities. Overall an informative and enjoyable read.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "pug marks" ! There used to be over 40,000 tigers roaming in areas of India. The really weren't a problem for villagers and they hunted and ate the local deer. Things started changing as the villagers and others hunted deer and the tigers had less and less natural prey. And then the British colonists, who loved to hunt for trophies, also started shooting tigers in great numbers. This book is about the life of Jim Corbett, who was born in India, loved India, hunted in India....then became one of it's biggest conservationists. This was a great read if one likes history, and puts a different slant on what humans called "man- eaters, and how even well meant changes mess with the balance of nature.

[Lal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent