This biography investigates the life and legacy of Frederick Courteney Selous, examining how he transitioned from a Victorian big-game hunter to a celebrated explorer and cultural icon. Stephen Taylor utilizes a wealth of archival material and Selous's own published accounts to reconstruct the reality behind the myth of the 'Mighty Nimrod.' The text explores the intersection of imperial ambition, the ethics of nineteenth-century hunting, and the complex social networks Selous navigated during his forty-four-year career in Africa.

The work provides a comprehensive and balanced examination of a figure whose life reflects the broader contradictions of the British imperial experience. The narrative maintains a scholarly focus on historical accuracy while effectively situating Selous within the social and political climate of his time.