Facing Down Fear

FACING DOWN FEAR touches briefly on my unsettled youth, and how I finally found and began to live a dream. My story ambles from the Orange Free State to Cape Town in South Africa, to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and East Africa, experiencing bush life in a wide circle through Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana, before finally settling back in Zimbabwe. These are campfire tales of a few of my adventures along the way, and the people – and dogs – who have travelled with me; stories of a loner, who was able to come and go as the wind called, woven into the tapestry of a life well lived. I hope that in this memoir I have been able to share what I have learnt; that facing down fear – of danger, of pain, of failure, of loss – can lead to a rich and rewarding life. I hope too that I have shared my love for Africa, its spectacular wild places and its beautiful wildlife – an Africa that I pray we will be able to preserve for future generations. This has been a labour of love, and I hope you will enjoy your walk with me.
JOHN SHARP was born in Kroonstad, South Africa, in 1952 and spent his first nine years on his parents’ farm in what was then the Orange Free State. Home schooled by his mother, he spent the majority of his time roaming the veld with a .22, either barefoot or bareback on an old mare. He completed his education at Diocesan College in Cape Town at the end of 1969. He moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1977 and acquired his LPHL (Learner Professional Hunters Licence) in 1978 with his full licence following in 1983. He is one of a rare breed and is one of the most experienced big-game hunters operating in Southern Africa today. While adhering to the strict ethics of Fair Chase, John epitomises the authentic ‘Great White Hunter’ of legend. He has never married and is passionate about conserving Africa’s wildlife for the benefit of future generations.