Burton L. Spiller book list

[Russell E. Cleary]

Here is what I am aware of as the oeuvre of Burton L. Spiller, insofar as what has been published in book form. The hunting and fishing books I either have or know something of.

Numbers 5 and 6 are both youth adventure books, I believe. If you have read them, how do they rank within that genre?

p.s. I find it bemusing that the librarians and historical society contact people, of the two towns Spiller lived most of his life in, have never heard of what I am certain is their locality’s most-read author.

1) GROUSE FEATHERS (1934)
2) MORE GROUSE FEATHERS (1936)
3) THOROUGHBRED (1936)
4) FIRELIGHT (1937)
5) NORTHLAND CASTAWAYS (1957) – boy’s adventure
6) THE YOUNG CRUSOE’S (1959)
7) DRUMMER IN THE WOODS (1962, 1980)
8) FISHIN’AROUND (1974) -posthumous, by his daughter
9) GROUSE FEATHERS, AGAIN (2000), posthumous, by his daughter

[Dean Romig]

To say nothing of his numerous magazine articles in Field & Stream and the like.





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[Dean Romig]

I have the originals of all the books you list here Russell. 5 & 6 as you suggest are definitely youth adventure books and they are pretty good in that regard. I will say that Northland Castaways is pretty exciting and kind of touch-and-go regarding the possibility of those boys' survival.




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[Phil Yearout]

I have 7 of the 9; don't have 5 and 6. Have greatly enjoyed them all.

[CraigThompson]

I think I read somewhere that I suppose his main source of income in the later years was selling tulip bulbs or some flower bulbs ? Is that correct ? I’ve only got 1-2 and 7 .

[Dean Romig]

He developed prize-winning gladiolas, hand made violins and owner/operated a Sinclair service station. The gladiolas and violins were more of a "hobby" than a major source of income.





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[Russell E. Cleary]

To round out his background a little more, this is from the blurb on the back of the book jacket of Spiller’s FIRELIGHT, the 1990 Gunnerman reprint of the original 1937 publication.

“His large hands were rough from honest toil, the kind with dirt-filled cracks that don’t come clean for Sunday church. A commercial flower bulb grower, blacksmith, devout Christian, market gunner, violin maker, teetotaler, a complex multi-faceted man who was known as the Poet Laureate of the ruffed grouse.… A man with little in the way of formal education, Burton Spiller was destined to become respected for his work with the written word, no mean feat when you consider the credentials of his contemporaries.”

[Dean Romig]

The entire original manuscript of “Grouse Feathers” was typed (with hand-written edits by Spiller) on the back sides of blank repair orders from his Sinclair service station. The only missing page is Page 1.





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[Dean Romig]

From my collection…

This article is as relevant today as when it was first written.

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[Garry L Gordon]

Thanks for this post! You all have inspired me to seek out the juvenile offerings now. I've been collecting books longer than I have guns, but never ventured those Spiller titles.

[Dean Romig]

Unfortunately I’ve lost touch with the gentleman (Scott) who introduced Dave Suponski and me to Burt’s gravesite and who was in close contact with Ainsley, Burt’s daughter, but I hope to reconnect with him someday.

Ainsley’s DOD is now etched on the Spiller headstone.




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