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· 513 ratings · 35 reviews

Start your review of Jungle Lore

Nov 28, 2021 Arun rated it liked it

This is more of a biography than a 'Lore', there are some interesting paragraphs & 'how to survive in wild' stuff. Looking forward to reading his 'Man Eater' writings. This is more of a biography than a 'Lore', there are some interesting paragraphs & 'how to survive in wild' stuff. Looking forward to reading his 'Man Eater' writings. ...more

Jul 18, 2012 Crestless Wave rated it really liked it

When you hear the name "Jim Corbett" first thing comes in mind is 'Man-Eater Tigers" and why shouldn't it come when a great person like Corbett devoted his whole life to save the hills and villages from the terror of these treacherous creatures. Last week I got to read his lesser known book (at least in my circle) "Jungle Lore" which has introduction chapter by Martin Booth who made a documentary on Corbett. It's not a review of the legendary Corbett's book; I am just saying what I felt during a When you hear the name "Jim Corbett" first thing comes in mind is 'Man-Eater Tigers" and why shouldn't it come when a great person like Corbett devoted his whole life to save the hills and villages from the terror of these treacherous creatures. Last week I got to read his lesser known book (at least in my circle) "Jungle Lore" which has introduction chapter by Martin Booth who made a documentary on Corbett. It's not a review of the legendary Corbett's book; I am just saying what I felt during and after reading the book.
Firstly it's not Corbett's autobiography but Jungle Lore is considered as Closest to his biography that makes it interesting read. If you know about Corbett, you will expect stories of Hunting and man eaters, but Jungle Lore is more like his personal diary that you found in a cottage, situated in Shivalik Hills, and now you are reading it with most pleasant weather you can ever imagine. The book holds Corbett's love towards nature and India that is overflowing in every page of it.
Secondly, if you don't know much about wildlife, you might find trouble in maintaining the flow because names of specific birds and trees often directed me to "Google God". But it helped in enriching the information. Also if you have little urban upbringing, there are many stories waiting for you that are often considered as "myths" to other side of the world. Yes the haunting Stories of jungle are there. And if you ever had any such experience, the detailed description is enough to send a shiver in your spine.
During the read I was amazed with the detailing of jungle he wrote, about plants, about animals, even the sound that birds make, was explained. I always considered Jim Corbett as a hunter but after Jungle Lore, my perception changed. Now I consider him as a naturalist who actually learned everything about nature by living closest possible to it. And if you look jungle from Corbett's eyes, you will find it alive and breathing.
In every chapter you will get amazed by the observations of Corbett that he wrote flawlessly. However book seems little slow while reading. Some may consider it boring, just because the minute level of Jungle is really unknown for people like us. But if you want to know the jungle and the nature, Trust me, Jungle Lore won't let you down.
Book is full of many small and big incidents that happened with him in his young age. You can read how he learned to shoot, and how he felt when he first hunted down an animal. Corbett always said about his sixth sense that he called as "jungle sensitiveness" that was developed after his close association with jungle for almost all of his life.
And after reading it, I can say Jim Corbett was one of the first person to realize that the jungle with all its beauty is an aesthetic element which needs to be preserved in its natural wild form and the heart of 'Jungle Lore' echoes a deep cry that tell we have lost the respect for Mother Nature.
Now very less of the forests are left, once where Corbett roamed with his gun hanging on shoulder, has been destroyed. The majestic tigers that once ruled the jungles are now struggling to save their existence and the graceful leopards are now only remained a shadow of their past existence. For me 'Jungle Lore' is one of the best attempts by the author to reunite man with Nature again.
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loved every single moment..

Jul 14, 2012 Jaya Kumar K rated it it was amazing

If you haven't frequented forests and would like to know how forests function, then read Jungle Lore. Jim Corbett in his ever captivating style has vividly detailed his shikar experiences and adventures which turn out to be lessons for anyone who venture into jungles that follow their own rules which people from cities, towns and sometimes even those from the fringes of these jungles do not understand.

Jungle Lore is a sort of auto-biography of Jim Corbett, in which he explains in detail his exp

Jungle Lore is a sort of auto-biography of Jim Corbett, in which he explains in detail his expeditions of childhood, the incidents that made him a clever hunter. His experiences with catapult, muzzleloader, and regular guns shows his growing grip over the land he wandered. His fearless, adventure seeking nature made him an expert shikari as stealthy as a leopard.
All his experiences, of course, are coated with ideas of conservation which later made him declare that a camera is a better weapon inside a forest than a gun, to preserve these forests for the future generations.

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Jun 25, 2015 Garima marked it as to-read

An absolutely refreshing book. As you read, you can almost feel the fragrance that fills the woods, you can hear the barking kakar, the cheetal, listen to the melodious birds that sing, you can see the tiger going up to his kill and his exquisite coat! You are introduced to a whole new world and its inhabitants, the world of the jungle.
The author shows what great a treasure nature holds for us, oblivious to which we pass by, unfortunately. He sensitises us to our fellow beings whom we often ign An absolutely refreshing book. As you read, you can almost feel the fragrance that fills the woods, you can hear the barking kakar, the cheetal, listen to the melodious birds that sing, you can see the tiger going up to his kill and his exquisite coat! You are introduced to a whole new world and its inhabitants, the world of the jungle.
The author shows what great a treasure nature holds for us, oblivious to which we pass by, unfortunately. He sensitises us to our fellow beings whom we often ignore, caught up as we are in our own lives.
A must read i would say, for anyone who is interested in the Law of the Jungle or who strives to understand nature. ...more

Picked this oldie up in a pub. It was a nice little read. Part memoir, part survival instruction manual, part anthology (an anthology of self styled 'jungle detective' stories) this book was definitely a unique read. In times of lockdown, this venture into the Indian jungle proved to be a nice dose of escapism (not something non-fiction can usually deliver well). Colonel Corbett's writing is frequently thrilling and evocative. He depicts his surroundings in a descriptive and atmospheric way, nev Picked this oldie up in a pub. It was a nice little read. Part memoir, part survival instruction manual, part anthology (an anthology of self styled 'jungle detective' stories) this book was definitely a unique read. In times of lockdown, this venture into the Indian jungle proved to be a nice dose of escapism (not something non-fiction can usually deliver well). Colonel Corbett's writing is frequently thrilling and evocative. He depicts his surroundings in a descriptive and atmospheric way, never shying away from details and technical terms, really making you feel immersed and present, waist deep in the reeds and in amongst the fauna, carbine cocked. This immersion, this achieved intimacy, it crescendoes towards the end of the book where Corbett starts addressing you the reader directly, writing as if you're on trail with him. He talks about the lessons imparted and even invites you back to his where his wife has prepared dinner. It's a cute flourish (cute being a term I didn't expect to associate with a book involving hunting). Speaking of cute flourishes, this book features a lot of warm human stories and characters too. Another point of praise to raise here is how Corbett treats the animals like characters too, often trying to get inside their heads. He humanises them and doesn't paint even the most beastly and predatory of them as malicious or insidious. They are fair and beautiful creatures, governed by self-preservation and instinct, not unlike us.
As alluded to and mentioned to prior, this book does feature frequent hunting. This undoubtedly will be a turn off for many people. Corbett's character will seem paradoxical to modern readers, in that he is both a hunter and a keen naturalist/conservationist. However, imposing modern morals onto a man born in the victorian era is foolish and will only hamper your experience reading the book. Reading this book you get the sense that Corbett much prefers photographing the animals in lieu of shooting them. He possess great sensitivity and an appreciation of all the jungle's facets. Corbett also displays a great deal of humility which is important with a book like this, one that banks heavily on his heroic reputation; this book could have so easily devolved into self-aggrandisement and self-mythologising but it doesn't and instead keeps things real and grounded, never shying away from discussing Corbett's mistakes and reliance on good luck at times. While on the topic of Corbett himself, it is worth noting that he doesn't express any explicit racism towards his Indian assistants which is nice, given that this book and its author are of the imperial era. My one major gripe with this book is its structure. The book's sequencing is very incoherent and scattershot, culminating in a rather abrupt end. You get the sense that this book needed an editor who could better arrange and order all these interesting stories, tying the disparate threads, bounding the book together so it feels more like a unified and cohesive whole. ...more

Spread across the twelve chapters of Jungle Lore are the legendary Jim Corbett's insights into the forests of the Terai and Bhabar. Beginning from when he was a mere boy of eight, deputed to keep watch while the girls of the local British population went swimming in the canal, through to his arranging hunts for everybody from the Maharaja of Jind and the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, there are lots of interesting anecdotes here.

While I have read other anecdotes dating back to Corbett's childhood, J

While I have read other anecdotes dating back to Corbett's childhood, Jungle Lore is probably the one most replete with these: we see his progression from catapult to muzzle-loader to rifle; we read about an amusing incident in which 'Cadet Corbett'—the youngest of the cadets at his school's cadet corps—showed off his skill (and lack of it) on a shooting range. There are anecdotes involving his brother and other older children and young adults who were part of their group.

Best of all, there are the absolutely fascinating descriptions of life in the jungle. Not just the by-the-way snippets one comes across in his more popular books about the hunting of man-eaters, but hard core stuff. Like how to read a paw-print (or snake track): the animal that made it, its size, where it was headed; or—in the case of a herd (even a group of humans)—how many individuals. He tells, in detail, the difference between a monkey's, a langur's, and a kakar's alarm call on spotting a predator; he brings the forest very vividly to life, and teaches us that tiny bit more about a world that is already probably mostly gone, except in the most fragile of pockets.

For me, the only niggle with this book was the presence of anecdotes regarding the indiscriminate killing—for 'sport'—that was indulged in, as a way of showing off one's prowess. Even if the entire thing is staged, and even if it is for nothing more glorious than showing how good a shot one is. This, not because an animal was a threat to anyone; not for food; not for anything except for showing off. This is what contributed to decimating India's wildlife population, and it's the one thing I don't like about this book (or for that matter, several of Corbett's other books).

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After hearing about this one on a hunting podcast, and reading an essay about Jim Corbett in that fabulous essay collection in the summer, I decided to go straight to the source.

It's been a long time since I've read such an old book, so the vocabulary and sentence structure is quite charming. The vibe is compounded because this is a subject that I know next to nothing about, so it feels even more like a dropping in on history.

What is clear is the respect for nature and its machinations, the va

After hearing about this one on a hunting podcast, and reading an essay about Jim Corbett in that fabulous essay collection in the summer, I decided to go straight to the source.

What is clear is the respect for nature and its machinations, the value of sustainability, not only of the land and the hunt, and a humble outsider, which is rare to have a white living without the aims of colonization and rule.

The discussion of snakes and peoples' lack of knowledge about snakes is fascinating, as well as the description of otters killing a cobra for sport. I don't know that I would recommend this to anyone, I'm just glad that I read it.

"All carnivorous animals kill their victims with their teeth." (43)

Except us. Perhaps that's why we're so want to waste food.

I think a tiger hunt used to be called a "beat", but all my attempts to confirm this led to the only other usage of the words that I previously knew-the teeny bopper magazine. (Sigh). Have we reached the point where a previous word history has totally been erased/outshadowed by something that seems to be completely unrelated (but might not be)? It's like the "apostrophe s" being used to denote plural and not possession. (Sigh).

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Jan 05, 2021 Devika rated it really liked it

The book by Jim Corbett offers a fascinating insight into his life in the jungles of Kaladhungi on the foothills of Himalayas. The book, as the name suggests, is a collection of jungle tales drawn from the lifetime experiences of the hunter turned conservationist author. The author has shared even the minutest details of his hunting experiences. The book is an interesting read for anybody who wishes to explore wildlife and nature.

Jul 31, 2018 Ravinder rated it it was amazing

A wonderful book about the jungles near Kaladhungi in the early decades of the 20th century.

Chapter 11 is by far the best in the book, giving information about trees, birds, animals by taking the reader into the jungle from dawn to dusk.

Jul 16, 2020 Apurva rated it liked it

Have always been a fan of Jim Corbett's writing style. Very few people, atleast in my contact explore the nature in the way Corbett used to. In this book you will discover the childhood exploits of Jim. How he advanced from catapult to a bow and arrow and finally to a gun. This book is sort of an autobiography, though a little short of material that makes one. At some instances in the book you may feel a deep hatred for Jim for unnecessarily killing some of the Tigers and Leopards. But then you Have always been a fan of Jim Corbett's writing style. Very few people, atleast in my contact explore the nature in the way Corbett used to. In this book you will discover the childhood exploits of Jim. How he advanced from catapult to a bow and arrow and finally to a gun. This book is sort of an autobiography, though a little short of material that makes one. At some instances in the book you may feel a deep hatred for Jim for unnecessarily killing some of the Tigers and Leopards. But then you pacify your mind saying that this man existed in the British Era, when hunting was a sport. Not only the Brithish high officials, but also the Maharaja's who ruled several provinces in British era have had exploited the jungles of India by means of this sport. Corbett in this book aslo takes you on a nature trail describing the then beauty of the Indian Himalayan region, where in if you apply some of your own imagination you get an awesome feeling while you read. ...more

When you hear the name "Jim Corbett" first thing comes in mind is 'Man-Eating Tigers" and why shouldn't it come when a great person like Corbett devoted his whole life to save the lives of people and villages from the terror of these treacherous creatures. During the vacation I got to read his best known book "Jungle Lore" which has introduction chapter by Martin Booth who made a documentary on Corbett. It's not a review of the legendary Corbett's book; I am just putting it down in black and whi When you hear the name "Jim Corbett" first thing comes in mind is 'Man-Eating Tigers" and why shouldn't it come when a great person like Corbett devoted his whole life to save the lives of people and villages from the terror of these treacherous creatures. During the vacation I got to read his best known book "Jungle Lore" which has introduction chapter by Martin Booth who made a documentary on Corbett. It's not a review of the legendary Corbett's book; I am just putting it down in black and white of what I felt during and after reading the book .
Firstly it's not Corbett's autobiography but Jungle Lore is considered as closest to his biography that makes it interesting to read. If you know about Corbett, you will expect stories of Hunting and man eaters, but Jungle Lore is more like his personal diary that you found in a cottage, situated in Shivalik Hills, and now you are reading it with most pleasant weather you can ever imagine. The book holds Corbett's love towards nature and India that is overflowing in every page of it.
Secondly, if you don't know much about wildlife, you might find trouble in maintaining the flow because names of specific birds and trees are hard to enunciate. But it helped in enriching the information. Also if you have little urban upbringing, there are many stories waiting for you that are often considered as "myths" to other side of the world. Yes the haunting stories of jungle are there. And if you ever had any such experience, the detailed description is enough to send a shiver in your spine.
During the read I was amazed with the detailing of jungle he wrote, about plants, about animals, even the sound that birds make, was explained. I always considered Jim Corbett as a hunter but after reading Jungle Lore, my perception changed. Now I consider him as a naturalist who actually learned everything about nature by living closest possible to it. And if you look jungle from Corbett's eyes, you will find it alive and breathing.
In every chapter you will get amazed by the observations of Corbett that he wrote flawlessly. However book seems little slow while reading. Some may consider it boring, just because the minute level of Jungle is really unknown for people like us. But if you want to know the jungle and the nature, Trust me, Jungle Lore won't let you down.
Book is full of many small and big incidents that happened with him in his young age. You can read how he learned to shoot, and how he felt when he first hunted down an animal. Corbett always said about his sixth sense that he called as "jungle sensitiveness" that was developed after his close association with jungle for almost all of his life.
And after reading it, I can say Jim Corbett was one of the first person to realize that the jungle with all its beauty is an aesthetic element which needs to be preserved in its natural wild form and the heart of 'Jungle Lore' echoes a deep cry that tell we have lost the respect for Mother Nature.
Now very less of the forests are left, once where Corbett roamed with his gun hanging on shoulder, has been destroyed. The majestic tigers that once ruled the jungles are now struggling to save their existence and the graceful leopards are now only remained a shadow of their past existence. For me 'Jungle Lore' is one of the best attempts by the author to reunite man with Nature again.
An absolutely refreshing book. As you read, you can almost feel the fragrance that fills the woods, you can hear the barking kakar, the cheetal, listen to the melodious birds that sing, you can see the tiger going up to his kill and his exquisite coat! You are introduced to a whole new world and its inhabitants, the world of the jungle.
The author shows what great a treasure nature holds for us, oblivious to which we pass by, unfortunately. He sensitises us to our fellow beings whom we often ignore, caught up as we are in our own lives.
A must read I would recommend, for anyone who is interested in the Law of the Jungle or who strives to understand nature. ...more

Aug 10, 2009 Paul rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys campfire tales and learning about other places.

Recommended to Paul by: GreyOne on the BCUSA forums.

Jim Corbett strikes again with a superbly written piece of literature that will have you clutching at your armrests tenaciously in the hopes that the book will not end with young Corbett being mauled.

In this book Jim strives to help the non-initiated understand India and its people, places, and what he terms "jungle-sensitiveness." If you like stories full of suspense and danger and tales told around campfires, you will enjoy this book.

If, like myself, you grew up in an equatorial third-world co

If, like myself, you grew up in an equatorial third-world country, this book is for you. No doubt it will bring back memories of jungle-walks and trips through the banana patch as it did for me.

Excellent author, excellent read!

PMZ

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Jun 17, 2015 Mayur rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: nature lovers, wildlife lovers

Not as intense as his Man-eaters hunting stories, this book is simple, beautiful and gripping tell about wildlife and much like autobiography. Jim Corbett's love for nature, jungle especially Kumaon region shows up throughout the book. He shared very detailed knowledge about jungle folks, their different calls, tracks and pug marks and other things. As he says book of nature has no beginning no end, no one can learn everything about it. But little we learn here is also valuable because the fore Not as intense as his Man-eaters hunting stories, this book is simple, beautiful and gripping tell about wildlife and much like autobiography. Jim Corbett's love for nature, jungle especially Kumaon region shows up throughout the book. He shared very detailed knowledge about jungle folks, their different calls, tracks and pug marks and other things. As he says book of nature has no beginning no end, no one can learn everything about it. But little we learn here is also valuable because the forests are not same today for us to go and learn there, still The book inspires us to go close to mother nature and see many beautiful things she offers us. ...more

Nov 02, 2013 Pam rated it it was amazing

As usual, an engrossing read by a man who lived most of his life in India and loved its jungles and wildlife. The stories are heart-stopping and true (can you imagine how it feels to grab a not-fully-dead leopard by the tail in the midst of a raging grass fire?) and about a long-gone era when game, birds, and animals were still numerous. This and Corbett's other books are best read before going to India for the first time so you can think of history, both human and natural, as you visit that ama As usual, an engrossing read by a man who lived most of his life in India and loved its jungles and wildlife. The stories are heart-stopping and true (can you imagine how it feels to grab a not-fully-dead leopard by the tail in the midst of a raging grass fire?) and about a long-gone era when game, birds, and animals were still numerous. This and Corbett's other books are best read before going to India for the first time so you can think of history, both human and natural, as you visit that amazing place. ...more

Sep 22, 2014 Aparna Singh rated it really liked it

This is not the first time I read Jimmy Corbett's Jungle Lore, but I enjoyed it every bit as much again. While it may not have the tense excitement of the man-eater stories, it is nevertheless a very enjoyable read. Corbett's deep love for India and the Kumaoni/Garhwali people, land and forests comes across most of all. As a piece of writing about the natural world, it is again excellent, documenting for us later generations, some of India's most precious, lost wealth. This is not the first time I read Jimmy Corbett's Jungle Lore, but I enjoyed it every bit as much again. While it may not have the tense excitement of the man-eater stories, it is nevertheless a very enjoyable read. Corbett's deep love for India and the Kumaoni/Garhwali people, land and forests comes across most of all. As a piece of writing about the natural world, it is again excellent, documenting for us later generations, some of India's most precious, lost wealth. ...more

This is another great book by Jim Corbett where he doesn't talk much about hunting man-eaters but writes with much love about the jungles of United Provinces. He goes into great details about how his early life was shaped by his jungle experiences and also how he became the 'Jim Corbett' we all know about, who knows so much about the flora and fauna, what the sights and sounds of the jungle mean and how to make use of that knowledge. This is another great book by Jim Corbett where he doesn't talk much about hunting man-eaters but writes with much love about the jungles of United Provinces. He goes into great details about how his early life was shaped by his jungle experiences and also how he became the 'Jim Corbett' we all know about, who knows so much about the flora and fauna, what the sights and sounds of the jungle mean and how to make use of that knowledge. ...more

So much to know for a nature lover. Felt like som1 was teaching me the laws of nature & that there is no written rule. Nice book for a Corbett fan.

On a personal note I feel Corbett although a naturalist, is to a certain extend responsible for killing of a number of endangered species(today), like the lepord, tiger... .

Aug 09, 2012 Yuvaraj rated it really liked it

Nice one! teaches a lot of thought processes and behavioral patterns in nature from Jim's POV. Its interesting to know the POV & Thoughts people had with regards to Wildlife and Nature in those times of Plenty. A lot of which has changed over a period till today's times of scarce. Nice one! teaches a lot of thought processes and behavioral patterns in nature from Jim's POV. Its interesting to know the POV & Thoughts people had with regards to Wildlife and Nature in those times of Plenty. A lot of which has changed over a period till today's times of scarce. ...more

Wonderful book from corbett. His love of India, its peoples and wildlife, comes through strongly. It's a fascinating read as Corbett talks about his life, his wish to conserve the biodiversity of India and giving jungle lore. Beautifully illustrated and written. Wonderful book from corbett. His love of India, its peoples and wildlife, comes through strongly. It's a fascinating read as Corbett talks about his life, his wish to conserve the biodiversity of India and giving jungle lore. Beautifully illustrated and written. ...more

Aug 14, 2008 Sooraj Raju rated it it was amazing

If you want to know about the Jungles long ago and learn a bit about how the woods are, this is the book to start off.

I love reading books on forests and the associated stories. Jim Corbett is terriffic.

Jul 03, 2009 Diva rated it it was amazing

beautifully written in his simple yet informative style . a little expert lesson from the infinite book of jungle lore, I salute his knowledge - one can also sense his longing for the days gone by.

NICE!!!!LAST OF CORBETT...

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 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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"The time I spent in the jungles held unalloyed happiness for me, and that happiness I would now gladly share. My happiness, I believe, resulted from the fact that all wildlife is happy in its natural surroundings. In nature there is no sorrow, and no repining. A bird from a flock, or an animal from a herd, is taken by hawk or carnivorous beast and those that are left rejoice that their time had not come today, and have no thought of tomorrow." — 4 likes

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