The Far Side of Grass: Tale of the Mapogo lions

I was expecting a more realistic story. I read the first few chapters but I had to put it down. I dislike novels where human personalities are clumsily projected onto animals.

This is a wonderful retelling of the history of the Mapogo lions, perhaps the greatest lion coalition. I enjoyed it very much.

This is a remarkably well written book. It really captures the atmosphere of the hot African grassland. Though some might be sceptical about projecting human thoughts, language and psychology into lions, that would be unfair. This story goes well beyond a ‘jungle book for adults including the gory bits’. It steps into a tradition of merging the human and animal world by merging fiction with non-fiction in a very readable way. A successful attempt to do so, captured in outstanding prose,within a captivating story of the infamous brotherly lion-coalition that briefly and ruthlessly ruled the ‘grass’.

Riveting story, sharp writing, original and intelligent mix of ethology and reflections on human nature. I WAS a lion roaming its/my domain…And YES, sometimes it felt more Dantec than Kipling – Brilliant !

Just wanted to point out to the author who pointed out in the book to those he commended from his researches, for those who followed the mapogo's will know that the 5th majingilane didn't give Mr T the scarred nostril in that fight, it was in fact his own brother Kinky Tail (Shaka) over mating rights, there is a clip from wildearth showing this.Also there's no evidence rasta fell to the majingilanes, the elephant plains night was incorrect, i'm part way through the book and i hope dreadlocks demise is written correctly..