The Africa Letters

From the film Out of Africa, we tend to view Bror Blixen, husband of Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) as irresponsible, a womanizer and adventurer. In a lengthy introduction to his letters, Kleen defends his uncle, pointing out that Karen was reserved while her husband craved excitement. During the '20s and early '30s, Blixen was a noted safari leader and big-game hunter; his clients included royalty, Freddie and Winston Guest, Ernest Hemingway and other notables. These letters, describing travels in East Africa, safaris and hunts, were written to his second wife, his sister and various hunting companions. They are full of action and give a vivid picture of the heyday of a colonial Africa in which the Great White Hunter was in his element and silver champagne buckets were the norm in camp.Photos. (June)