Reddit reviews Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir

"Papa" was Hemingway's nickname. He blew his own brains out with a shotgun.

https://www.amazon.com/Papa-Hemingway-Personal-Memoir-Hotchner/dp/0306814277

Two best Hemingway Bios IMHO:

Papa Hemingway: An absolutely intimate and honest account by a great writer who was actually there with him

Hemingway: A Life Without Consequences: A damn near day-by-day chronicling of his life

Ms. Dearborn's book might be excellent as well, but if you haven't read these yet, start with them. By the time you finish A Life Without Consequences, you'll be able to get the new book in paperback at a considerable discount.

This memoir really gives you insight into Hemingway's life. You learn about his methods for writing as well as his wonderful advice. He once told a famous actress friend (the name escapes me) who was considering taking a role in order just to work to "Never confuse motion with action." Lots of great stuff like that in here:

http://www.amazon.com/Papa-Hemingway-Personal-E-Hotchner/dp/0306814277/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279663534&sr=1-1

I have a couple of books about big game hunters on my list, but I have not read either of these yet:

• Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett, memoirs of a big game hunter in India in the early 20th century.
  
  
• The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant, about hunting a killer tiger in remote Russia.
  
  As for explorers, the best non-fiction I've read about explorers are The Lost City of Z by David Grann, about Percy Fawcett's attempts to find Eldorado in the jungles of South America, and Endurance by Alfred Lansing, about Shackleton's survival after his doomed polar expedition.
  
  It occurs to me that none of these are set in Africa. Hope that's not a deal-breaker.
  
  I'll also recommend my favorite memoir of all time, Papa Hemingway by A.E. Hotchner. It's about his time spent traveling with Ernest Hemingway, who was something of a hunter and adventurer, and recounts a lot of very exciting trips to exotic locales in which manly deeds were done.