Herb Neils' book signing a success

About 60 people showed at Cabinet Books and Music Store Tuesday night for Libby author Herb Neils book-signing of his latest novel, “The Greatest Trophy.”

“It was a labor of love,” Neils said of the book set in Africa. “It took me almost three years to write and re-write it. It’s got everything in there you could want.”

Neils spent more than a year hunting and traveling in Africa while researching his book, which is centered around a young Portuguese fisherman who learns to hunt from a Zulu tracker. While on safari in Africa, Neils hunted all kinds of animals, but maintained the cape buffalo was the meanest — even next to elephants, which can have their moments.

“That cape buffalo is something to contend with,” he said. “They actually stalk you. They will run at you. I had to shoot my way out of a couple situations.”

The proceeds from “The Greatest Trophy” will go toward the Herb Neils Memorial court fund to refinish the 30-year-old courts. Those interested may also donate to the fund at First National Bank.

Neils grew up in Libby, where he learned wilderness conservation from his father, who owned and managed the local lumber mill.

Neils’ first novel, “A Hunt for the Great Northern,” was published in 2000, focusing on the Kootenai region.

“Every stitch in that book happened here,” he said.

Besides books, Neils has written articles for numerous publications, including Safari magazine and Bugle magazine, a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation publication of which he is a charter member.

Neils spent his younger years as a hunter, horseman and champion tennis player. He is also a World War II U.S. Air Corps veteran.

Before writing and tennis, he even had a shot at figure skating in the Olympics, but his chances were stopped short with the advent of the war.

“I’ve never been so sorry about anything in my life as missing my chance to skate in the Olympics,” said Neils.

But after the war, he set his sights on tennis, playing for the University of Montana, eventually competing in tournaments around the world, such as Kenya and China, nabbing China’s national title.

“It was a different world over there,” said Neils of his first visit to China 20 years ago.

Neils was invited to play tennis at a country club while a four star general named Liang, in charge of the Chinese army, watched.

“It was my wife and me playing, and it was very formal,” he said. “The general watched me hit balls and then he said, ‘you play good. You play with me now.’ How are you going to refuse that?”

Neils said luckily he and the general beat their competitor, the general of the Chinese air force.

“This guy was ecstatic,” said Neils. “He said ‘come back tomorrow and we do it again.’”

The two formed a lifelong friendship; the general even shared his experiences fighting the Japanese and Chinese communists, which Neils’ wife was able to share in turn as a professor.

“He reciprocated with all of those materials,” said Neils. “(Pat) has used that in several of her lectures at the University of Hawaii, and still teaches history and journalism.”

Neils said his wife, who speaks several languages and has several master’s degrees, was instrumental in editing her book.

“She also plays a good game of tennis,” he added.

The 82-year-old still teaches tennis in Libby in the summer, and before retiring, was the oldest professor at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu — in the physical education department.