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The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag
by
Most of Jim Corbett's books contain collections of stories that recount adventures tracking and shooting man-eaters in the Indian Himalaya. This volume, however, consists of a single story, often considered the most exciting of all Corbett's jungle tales. He gives a carefully-detailed account of a notorious leopard that terrorized life in the hills of the colonial United P
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Paperback, 166 pages
Published
March 17th 1989
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published 1947)
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This is a book set in Garhwal in 1920s.The book comes from an age where hunters were sportsmen and animals were trophies.Jim Corbett provides minutest details about his adventure here which also tells about Garhwal of 1920's and this narration often makes adventurers of today seem small.Further his deep sympathy for victims and acceptance of his failures is heart warming.The reason I rate this as a five star book is due to the fact that this is a perfect hunter's adventure which is a goodread ev
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Corbett's pure style again makes for an enjoyable read. There is no nonsense with Corbett. He makes you feel like you wish you where there. It's the leopard and its home, the hunter, the country and it's people and he brings out the beauty in this package.
After reading this book I concluded that his name is deserve to given one of the National Parks in India for his service to Innocent people of those days. He risked his life so many times to save those rudraprayaga area people from man eating l ...more
After reading this book I concluded that his name is deserve to given one of the National Parks in India for his service to Innocent people of those days. He risked his life so many times to save those rudraprayaga area people from man eating l ...more

The copy of this book I have is copyrighted 1948. The events in the book took place from 1918 to 1926...eight years. Jim Corbett is well known to most "outdoors types" and wrote a good number of books. His style is mostly a straight forward one in that he tells events as they happened laying them out factually. He doesn't embellish the facts for effect or seek to make them more horrific or more "dangerous seeming". He doesn't have to.
As he opens the book Mr. Corbett mention that the official rep ...more
As he opens the book Mr. Corbett mention that the official rep ...more

What a gripping tale of true adventure.
This book was a page turner and I was literally biting my nails on the edge of the seat while I read it.
It has been written in a very simple and structured way. The natural flow of the story, the incidents of the man eater and the methods used to gun him down was excellent. Corbett has a way of narrating a tale.
In this story, his task was to kill one man eater who had created a havoc in many villages of Uttrakhand. But it was no ordinary animal. With a s ...more
This book was a page turner and I was literally biting my nails on the edge of the seat while I read it.
It has been written in a very simple and structured way. The natural flow of the story, the incidents of the man eater and the methods used to gun him down was excellent. Corbett has a way of narrating a tale.
In this story, his task was to kill one man eater who had created a havoc in many villages of Uttrakhand. But it was no ordinary animal. With a s ...more

In The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag Jim Corbett is faced with one of his toughest opponents. The beast struck terror into the hearts of the inhabitants of the town for eight long years. He always managed to outsmart the hunter with his veritable cunning, which is a staple quality of beasts that obtain a taste for human flesh. As in all of Corbett's works, in this work too his love for the jungles and it's occupants is profound as is his love for the common populace of the region. The leopar
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My review from Amazon.com:
My brother had borrowed this book from the local British Library, and I started reading it casually, without any real interest in reading it fully. As I write this now after just having put the book down, I can assert that this is one heck of a story, narrated in a manner that is hugely engaging -- This is simply among the best books to be found anywhere.
The book was first published in 1947, and you'd expect it to be a little "dated" in its content and style, but nothin ...more
My brother had borrowed this book from the local British Library, and I started reading it casually, without any real interest in reading it fully. As I write this now after just having put the book down, I can assert that this is one heck of a story, narrated in a manner that is hugely engaging -- This is simply among the best books to be found anywhere.
The book was first published in 1947, and you'd expect it to be a little "dated" in its content and style, but nothin ...more

This is my first book from Corbett and I would surely seek an opportunity to read the rest. The reason why I bought this book was Garhwal, where the story happened. My ancestors belonged to the place and my father grew up there.
I was amazed by the simplicity of the people. The natives had more than one opportunity to track or kill the leopard but they let him go because of their belief or superstition (howsoever you put it). Even Corbett mentioned that he knew men from this place to be bravest ...more
I was amazed by the simplicity of the people. The natives had more than one opportunity to track or kill the leopard but they let him go because of their belief or superstition (howsoever you put it). Even Corbett mentioned that he knew men from this place to be bravest ...more

Absolutely fascinating. Not only does corbett describe in absolute detail, the many nights he spent hunting the evasive leopard, but he also gives you a vivid description of life in the Tehri/Kumaon region in early nineteenth century. The book also taught me a great deal about wild life, why leopards or tigers become man eaters, how to track wild animals… Jim corbett makes you fall in love with nature.

The book was an amazing read! Primarily describing Corbett's personal experiences when he had been summoned to kill a leopard terrorizing the village folk of the Gharwals, India, it proved to be quite intriguing and informative!
A must read for those who love to feel a rush of their adrenaline! ...more
A must read for those who love to feel a rush of their adrenaline! ...more

Amazing book. a must read for all Jim Corbett fans. I have now read it twice but every time you read , you can experience the terror that was this man-eater of rudraprayag. One will be spell bound and hooked to the book right from page 1 when Jim Corbett describes the prevailing feeling in Rudraprayag when this man eater was alive.

A fantastic description by Jim Corbett on his hide-and-seek game with the leopard of Rudraprayag who had turned to man-eating because of a calamity. The years of the existence of the leopard, and a vast area in which it operated including two sides of a mighty river connected by just two bridges, made it a very clever operator. The failed attempts to kill the animal made it more aware of the human strengths and weaknesses, adding to its cunningness. Moreover the chosen area is the main access ro
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After reading "The Jungle lore" and "the man eaters of kumaon" here's another read " The man eating Leopard of Rudraprayag " by Jim Corbett that I completed reading today.
A man eater Leopard that struck terror and fear in the minds of inhabitants from Rudraprayag a pilgrimage destination in the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand for long 8 years from 1918-1926, and killed more than 128 people ( as per government count, Corbett's assumed number is good as double)
The Leopard that struck a terror so ...more
A man eater Leopard that struck terror and fear in the minds of inhabitants from Rudraprayag a pilgrimage destination in the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand for long 8 years from 1918-1926, and killed more than 128 people ( as per government count, Corbett's assumed number is good as double)
The Leopard that struck a terror so ...more

Such an exceptional zeal and vigour of Jim Corbett and the same being reflected upon this book in a simple language, made it one of a kind book. Lucid and clear writing gave the insight of what the writer actually was thinking in a particular moment while sighting his target. His nemesis, the man eating leopard, heightens the curiosity and you would like to read it on and on. The quality that makes the book remarkable is that it doesn't use any flowery and redundant language. It inspires each pe
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what a story. this is a real tale of a man eating leopard which claimed more than 250 lives in the rudraprayag region. the animal was finally shot by jim corbett the renowned hunter turned conservationist. the narration is so gripping that the book can only be described as 'unputdownable'. much more thrilling than any thriller i hv read till date. also learnt a lot about feline behaviour
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Rudraprayag seems so surreal at times that it is enchanting! He was Corbett's fascination and love, just the way this book is, of the avid readers! Love the book and Rudraprayag's adventures...an exciting and beautifully engaging book that makes you look within and outside and appreciate the beauty of nature!
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This is the best hunting (shikar) book you will ever find. I read it as a youth more than 50 years ago when wild life was of great interest to me. It stood out. Now after I have become familiar with the area where the leopard had his domain, I am more impressed. Unlike Kumaon, the Garhwal region is more rugged and in this wide swathe of territory the leopard terrorised the people for eight long years. Though he is credited with 126 human kills, he must have killed several times more. The Garhwal
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I hadn't planned to dive back into Corbett's work so soon after finishing (and thoroughly enjoying) Man-Eaters of Kumaon, but here we are. It's a testament to how vivid the picture of India he paints is that I couldn't stay away for very long, as just the idea of spending time in that world was temptation enough to get me to pick up another of his books.
Unlike Man-Eaters, which was a collection of tales covering several different hunts, this book entirely consists of Corbett's account of the hun ...more
Unlike Man-Eaters, which was a collection of tales covering several different hunts, this book entirely consists of Corbett's account of the hun ...more

I was introduced to this book by our guide at Jim Corbett National Park. He briefly mentioned how Corbett restricted the movements of the man-eater by breaking a bridge and therefore making his search area smaller. The book is so fascinating and thrilling to read till the end. Jim Corbett comes across as a genuine man who has huge respects for the people of Rudraprayag and surroundings. Although he points out the superstitions from those times he never makes it a mockery but rather accepts it wi
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Every one who has eyes to see a sunset - and the number, as you may have observed, is regrettably few - thinks that the sunsets in their particular part of the world are the best ever. I am no exception, for I, too, think that there are no sunsets in all the world to compare with ours, and a good second arethe sunsets on northern Tanganyika, where some quality in the atmosphere makes snowcapped Kilimanjaro and the clouds that are invariably above it glow like molten gold in the rays of the setti
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This book is unputdownable. Beautiful and thrilling description of events, which eventually led to the killing of man eating leopard of Rudraprayag, which had terrorized the people of Rudrapryag for 8 years.
This book is thoroughly entertaining. Jim Corbett describes his several attempts to kill this man eater, his failures and frustrations and the final act of killing this dreaded animal, which people of Rudraprayag described as an "evil spirit". The leopard had acquired a legendary status durin ...more
This book is thoroughly entertaining. Jim Corbett describes his several attempts to kill this man eater, his failures and frustrations and the final act of killing this dreaded animal, which people of Rudraprayag described as an "evil spirit". The leopard had acquired a legendary status durin ...more

What a terrific book this has been. Absolute thrill and in great detail Jim Corbett describing the long turmoil of killing the leopard which had terrified the region of Rudraprayag. The book concerns with the terror this leopard had created and how after repeated failures also they end up killing the leopard. Jim Corbett describes that at the end after killing the tiger he was no less than a hero or a semi god for them and the respect he carried in peoples heart was unbelievable. Still so happy
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The description of living in constant fear, the feeling of always having to look over your shoulder. A self imposed curfew by the residents of Rudraprayag at the time driven by mortal fear. All these are written about in this book in a detached yet engaging narrative. This book is captivating, a real page turner, with all the real life incidents and especially with Jim Corbett at the helm. He is objective in describing what transpired and doesnt shy away from owning up if he made a mistake while
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This is not a "mighty white Hunter" book. Jim Corbett is a humble man. He grew up in India, and is obviously devoted to saving the lives of his neighbors by hunting this leopard. A leopard who killed over 125 people between 1918 and 1926. Many of the people believed that the leopard was the manifestation of an evil spirit, always killing at night, and often dragging the victim from their home. This book was a real page turner. Well written. The interactions between Corbett and the survivors and
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Rudraprayag is my native place and reading this book made me relive and realize the moments and fear that my ancestors would have gone through. I had heard stories from my grandparents about this and when I was looking up for the casualties I could find a reference to my native village. One of the preys of the man eater was my very near relative. It was almost a century ago. I really liked the way the book was written mentioning small villages which are no longer inhabitated due to migration. Ku
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My all time favorite book! Have read is several times over since childhood and it does not cease to intrigue and amaze me. Re-read it recently - magical as ever.
Jim Corbett's writing style is simple yet effective. The mental strength of the man that tracked and finally got the Man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag, which over its 8 years of terror-reign had "officially" killed 150+ human beings, is something that I marvel at. ...more
Jim Corbett's writing style is simple yet effective. The mental strength of the man that tracked and finally got the Man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag, which over its 8 years of terror-reign had "officially" killed 150+ human beings, is something that I marvel at. ...more
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Edward 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 harassin ...more
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 harassin ...more
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