Books

[Phil Yearout]

Originally Posted by Garth Gustafson

If you love Down East humor read "Tall Tales from the Tall Pines" by Christian Potholm. Its a collection of Maine hunting & fishing stories as told by a Maine Guide. The characters in this book are absolutely hilarious.

That one's on the nightstand right now.

[Trap3]

I enjoy picking up and reading a few chapters of Field, Cover and Trapshooting
by Capt. Bogardus. Another is Forest McNeir of Texas...
regards,
RD
Trap3

[ch]

1611 KJV.

Fred, the sound of hounds on a hot trail might be better than a sexy point by a English Pointer. English Pointers remind me of Coon hounds, they can go and go and they have that smell. Know what I mean ch

[King Cobb]

Just finished New England Grouse Shooting and while it was less story and more practical, I enjoyed it greatly. Provided a really nice history of not only grouse, but the area itself. Currently reading my new autographed copy of Tattered coat and enjoying it immensely.

In regard to non sporting books, Itwo of my favorite reads are The King Ranch by Tom Lea and The Years of Lyndon Johnson series by Robert Cairo. Two amazing reads.

[C.O.B.]

I have hunted almost everything that walks or flies through books. They can take you anywhere in the world and you can go in different time periods. No where else can you hunt with Rutledge, Babcock, Roosevelt or Ruark.

[Garth Gustafson]

Anything by Jack O'Connor and Zane Grey.
I just finished "The Best of Jack O'Connor", published 1977. Awesome collection of Jack's personal favorites.
And "Zane Grey Outdoorsman" (selections by George Reiner), published 1972. Zane was equally outstanding as a hunting & fishing writer as with his western novels.

[Kensal Rise]

Originally Posted by Garth Gustafson

Anything by Jack O'Connor ..."The Best of Jack O'Connor", published 1977. Awesome collection of Jack's personal favorites.
.

No writer in the outdoor sporting genre has ever come close to Jack O'Connor. Or ever will. He was a master of language, nuance, candor and sophistication. The rest stand in his shadow.

[stumpstalker]

Quote from start of this Thread: "....To be able to sit back in that comfortable chair by the fire while enjoying a favorite beverage and become lost in a different place in a different time within the pages of a book is such a pleasure after a long day. I do it almost every day...." -- D. R.

So, part of the experience, other than selecting a good title, is providing the right atmosphere for reading it. A carpenter friend of mine cites a house he built for a client in a fashionable Northeast area, costing several million dollars. It was, as he reported, "all glass"; "there wasn't a cozy corner in the entire house" ; "you couldn't read a book". (Apologies to those who like or live in Frank Lloyd-type houses -- and are Ok with reading a book in them.)

My friend's reactions reminded me of what I saw when returning to a New England college a few years back. The library interior reflected a new-style of institutional remodeling. It no longer had any cozy corners; the wing-back chairs were all gone; even the displays of collections had been removed. It looked like a records storage facility or laboratory.

So, I sought some explanatory insights from a good "local knowledge" source -- one of the college Buildings and Grounds employees (often a good alternative to an academician). He told me that the current practice was to get people in and out of the library quickly -- no reading or study encouraged there; just get what was needed for study or research and take it elsewhere.

As for recommended titles, don't overlook the works of Jim Corbett, slayer of man-eating Tigers and Leopards. A boxed set of his writings -- hunting for sport, meat and guiding and his life in rural India under the Raj -- can now be obtained.

And, if drawn-in enough by the Corbett mystique, you can follow up with the biographies:

JIM CORBETT OF KUMAON, by D. C. Kala
CARPET SAHIB --A life of Jim Corbett, by Martin Booth
GENTLEMAN HUNTER, by Peter Byrne, the one biographer of unique authority, as he was once a professional guide for big cat sport hunters in India
BEHIND THE JIM CORBETT STORIES -- an Analytical Journey to 'Corbett Places' and Unanswered Questions, written by a squad of enthusiasts of varying nationalities, professions and advanced degrees, re-tracing Corbett's footsteps and debating the saga's lingering discrepancies.

[James L. Martin]

For a great read try " Hell, I Was There " by Elmer Keith.

[Ed Parker Taddeo]

I love books. To me, they represent knowledge and wisdom with nice covers! I will not live
long enough to make all the mistakes possible, so I (try) to learn from others experiences.
If I found time to fish, my Parker fly rod would come in handy!!(LOL).