In the Jungles of the Night: a Novel About Jim Corbett

Who was the real Jim Corbett? A hunter who tracked down marauding tigers andeopards. A naturalist who spoke theanguage of the jungle. One of the first wildlife photographers to capture images ofarge predators in their natural habitat. A conservationist who voiced the earliest warnings about India’s dwindling natural heritage. Aegend whose knowledge of the forests of India and the birds and animals that he encountered was unsurpassed. His bestselling books on shikar and jungleore have inspired generations of wildlife enthusiasts. Much of Corbett’sife remains enigmatic, though two biographies have been written about him and he has been the subject of several films. In this novel, we see Jim first as a young boy of fourteen, growing up in Nainital, confronting demons that haunt the hill station where he was born. In the second part of the book, he hunts the man-eater of Mayaghat, a tigress who preys onabour camps in the foothills of Kumaon where forests are being felled to serve the needs of the Indian Railways. The final section of the novel takes us to Kenya, where Corbett settled after 1947 andived out the final years of hisife. We see this complex yet simple man at different stages of hisife and witness his hidden fears and desires. His personal relationships with family and friends, companions and strangers, villagers and viceroys were all marked by an earthy compassion that set him apart from other figures of the British Raj. As the novel unfolds, we see with great clarity, the vulnerability, courage and integrity of Jim Corbett. In the Jungles of the Night will surprise and delight Corbett’s many fans and attract new readers who have yet to experience his books.