This book is not a formal biography of Robert Ruark and was never intended to be. It is as much a book about Ruark’s time as about the man himself. However, I owe a great debt to Hugh Foster, who did write a biography of Ruark (Someone of Value, published by Trophy Room Books in 1992) and performed a great service for Ruark admirers by preserving information that otherwise would have been lost. In writing this book, I have relied heavily on Foster’s work, especially his detailed accounts of Ruark’s frenetic travelling in his later years, and the general facts and figures related to his life. While I disagree with some of his conclusions about Ruark’s life and character, Hugh Foster’s diligence and attention to detail must be acknowledged.
The editor of this book was Bill Buckley, a freelance photographer, editor, and writer, who was passionate in keeping the author on the straight and narrow. No dubious conclusion went unchallenged and no faulty construction uncorrected. If eternal vigilance is the price of coherence, then Bill deserves much of the credit for whatever literary virtues the book possesses. I really cannot thank him enough. Bill is, incidentally, no relation to the Bill Buckley who was Ruark’s editor at Henry Holt & Co. This strange coincidence I took to be a good omen.
The number of people who knew Ruark well has, naturally, decreased steadily during the thirty-five years since his death. Because of this (to say nothing of fading memories) much information has been lost. I discovered in some people a strange reluctance to talk about Ruark; in others, there was an odd insistence on recounting, over and over, tales of Ruark’s drinking and his behavior while he was under the influence. Why people would take such pleasure in seeing the bad side of a man’s character so many years after his death is a mystery to me, but then Ruark engendered strong emotions in people. Many people loved him, but more than a few disliked him intensely. Much of what I was told I have condensed or left out, for the simple reason that I did not want to belabor some points, such as his drinking or his many love affairs.
The two people who knew Ruark best who are still alive are Eva Monley and Harry Selby. I wish to thank both of them for the assistance they did offer. In collaboration with Joe Coogan, Selby is in the process of compiling his own autobiography and we can only hope he sees fit to write at length about his adventures with Ruark. Only Selby knows the details of many of those safaris, and of such significant events as the death of the old elephant of Illaut. For her part, Miss Monley was helpful and encouraging but left the impression she should really write her own memoirs.
In Kenya, there remains a handful of professional hunters who knew Ruark. John Sutton, Ruark’s close friend, is dead, but his widow, Angela Sutton, was very generous and helpful. Through Finn Aagaard and Joe Coogan, I met Joe and Simonne Cheffings, who were extremely hospitable and generous in arranging for me to meet such people as Angela Sutton and Tony Archer, as well as providing a great deal of information about Kenya as it is today. Finn and Joe, needless to say, were the kind and generous friends they have always been.
In Kenya, I would also like to thank Esmond and Chrysee Bradley Martin, Keith Mousley, Tony Seth-Smith, Tony and Betty Archer, David Mead, Felicity Williams, Frank Sutton, Ian Parker, and all the other modern-day Kenyans who were so generous in sharing their memories and their understanding of the country.
In Botswana, John Dugmore was extremely helpful and spent considerable time reminiscing about the Mau Mau, as well as his days with Ker & Downey and years of professional hunting since.
My great private source of information on military history, Derek Nelson, went out of his way to provide me with insight into events of the second world war and also kept me from misinterpreting some of the more arcane aspects of that conflict.
Michael McIntosh, as always, was a great source of encouragement. As an admirer of Ruark, and one who has anthologized his work and written about his life, Michael was invaluable as a sounding board for some of my theories about Ruark.
Finally, there is Richard Sanders. This book is being published largely because of Richard’s faith in me and his willingness to set aside his own business and prod me into writing what I believe. Richard and Gail Sanders have been a great moving force behind this book in many ways and I only hope the effort as it stands repays them for all they have done.