Man-eaters of Kumaon is the best known of Jim Corbett’s books. It has sold over four million copies since it was published in 1944. These stories of hunting man-eating tigers in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in the early twentieth century are filled with adventure and suspense. But there’s more to them than that. As several commentators and reviewers have remarked, what makes Corbett’s book so remarkable is his deep knowledge of nature and jungle lore. He was an exceptional writer as well. Writes Stephen Alter in his introduction: ‘The vivid imagery of Corbett’s prose remains as crisp and clear as a spring morning in the foothills of the terai.’
