Ernest Hemingway's friend AE Hotchner once described a 'yellowed four-by-five picture of Ernest', shown to him by Hemingway, 'aged five or six, holding a small rifle. Written on the back in his mother's hand was the notation, "Ernest was taught to shoot by Pa when 2.5 years and when 4 could handle a pistol".' Firearms and shooting infused Hemingway's existence and thus his writing. He was a member of his high school gun club and went to war when he was eighteen. he hunted elk, deer, and bears in the American West and went on two extended African safaris, which figured hugely in his writing and changed his life. To the day of his death, Hemingway remained an avid hunter, first-class wingshot, and capable rifleman. Following years of research from Sun Valley to Key West and from Nairobi, Kenya, to Hemingway's home in Cuba, this volume significantly expands what we know about Hemingway's shotguns, rifles, and pistols - the tools of the trade that proved themselves in his hunting, target shooting, and in his writing. Weapons are some of our most culturally and emotionally potent artifacts. The choice of gun can be as personal as the car one drives or the person one marries - another expression of status, education, experience, skill, and personal style. Including short excerpts from Hemingway's works, these stories of his guns and rifles tell us much about him as a lifelong expert hunter and shooters, and as a man.

The Master of Game Edward of Norwich. Edited by William A. and F. N. Baillie-Grohman. Foreword by Theodore Roosevelt "Of exceptional interest for the light shed on the ethos, style, and tastes of the secular aristocracy of the later Middle Ages. . . . A real boon to the historian. . . . For those of us who still admire and cherish the huntsman's now threatened world, "The Master of Game" has a particular appeal."--"London Review of Books" "The Master of Game" is the oldest and most important work on the chase in the English language. Based primarily on Gaston de Foix's "Livre de chasse," originally composed in 1387, "The Master of Game" was written by Edward of Norwich at his leisure between 1406 and 1413, mostly while being held prisoner for having treasonous designs against his cousin, Henry IV. While much of the book is almost an exact translation of de Foix, Edward added five chapters of his own to form the major source for our knowledge of the medieval hunt. The book begins with a description of the nature of popular quarry, such as the hare, deer, and badger, including their behavior, characteristics, and even smells, and then moves to a discussion of various hunting dog breeds and how to train them. The medieval chase was a ritual event, so the book continues with an explanation of the various rules and techniques for a successful hunt, including how food was to be distributed among the hunters, the support persons, and the dogs. Weapons and traps of choice are also described, as well as the different horn calls used for communication. "The Master of Game" is a unique text for naturalists, hunters, and persons interested in social history. Although hunting is nowadays far removed from most people's experience, it was of major interest in the time of Edward of Norwich for ritual, sport, and, of course, food. Some knowledge of the chase was essential for all persons of medieval times. This edition, the first paperback ever of the original version edited in 1909, includes a hearty foreword by Theodore Roosevelt, who adds some important contextual information about the chase and draws on his own vast hunting experience. A delight to read, even for those who are not keen on the sport, "The Master of Game" has, as one review exclaimed," all Chaucer's freshness, love of the open sky and fragrant woodland." Edward of Norwich, Second Duke of York (1373?-1415) was cousin of King Richard II and became a supporter of the House of Lancaster in 1399. He was killed at the Battle of Agincourt. William A. Baillie-Grohman (1851-1921) was an outdoor writer, adventurer, and explorer who spent much of his life developing business interests in British Columbia, Canada. Florence Nickalls Baillie-Grohman was often his collaborator. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the twenty-sixth President of the United States, was an avid outdoorsman and wrote extensively about the wilderness and big-game hunting. 2005 360 pages 5 x 7 1/2 24 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-1937-1 Paper $22.50s 15.00 ISBN 978-0-8122-0096-6 Ebook $22.5s 15.00 World Rights History Short copy: This first paperback edition ever of the oldest English book on hunting includes a hearty introduction by Theodore Roosevelt.

Have you ever dreamt of heading out West to chase elk? Or maybe you've been hunting elk without as much luck as you'd like to have. With twenty-plus years of elk hunting experience, learning the hard way how to ensure success each season, my goal is to help the new hunter shorten that learning curve. Do you understand preference points, know what a location bugle is, and have a Plan A, B and C in place for any elk hunting encounter? While it's impossible to cover every detail that makes for a successful hunt, this book gives you to tools to understand the basics and the resources to further your elk education.

Waterfowling is one of the more challenging forms of hunting. Requiring an intimate knowledge of the quarry in specialized gear from shotguns and ammo to decoys, calls, blinds, and boats and taking place in a variety of terrains from the fields of Manitoba to the flooded timber of Arkansas, it's the type of sport that gets in your blood and stays there. In The Ultimate Guide to Waterfowl Hunting, all aspects of this sport are covered by three authors who have intimate knowledge of how to hunt ducks and geese successfully. Chapters within this book cover dozens of topics, with special attention devoted to: Identifying the many and various species of waterfowl Methods for decoying and calling in a variety of situations Advice on how to choose the best gear for the situation at hand Theories and practices of retriever training and handling Tips on hunting in different types of weather, from rain and snow to bluebird skies How to choose the correct guns and loading Plus tips on blind placement in water or on land With more than a hundred photographs expertly illuminating the realities of waterfowl hunting, The Ultimate Guide to Waterfowl Hunting is sure to help hunters of all skill levels bag their biggest catches yet.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This comprehensive book is essential reading for all those interested in pigeon shooting, whether for pest control or for sport. It examines the use of decoy pigeons, the control of feral pigeons, shooting around buildings where birds are roosting and the use of shotguns. It also covers in depth pigeon shooting with air rifles and live fire rifles. Attention is also paid to building hides, gun safety, gun care, and the practicalities of shooting. This is the definitive modern guide to pigeon shooting.

ALSO INCLUDES ALL-NEW MATERIAL When it Comes to Hunting Stories, Go Big or Go Home! For more than 20 years, hunter, humorist, and one-heck-of-a-storyteller Steve Chapman has been entertaining and inspiring his fans with his many adventures in God's great outdoors. Now, he brings you this trophy case collection of his most awesome anecdotes-tagged, bagged, and ready for you to read and enjoy! Revisit some of Steve's most memorable moments along with some all-new, never-before-published stories. From the wide-eyed anticipation of his very first outing as a teenager to a disappointing day in the deer stand many decades later, you'll experience all the highs and lows of hunting as only Steve can describe them. And far more important, with each thrilling tale, you'll draw closer to the One who created this big, bountiful world where you can pursue your ultimate passions. That's where these unforgettable hunting stories really hit the mark!

One summer evening in 1918, a leopard wandered into the gardens of an Indian palace. Roused by the alarms of servants, the prince's eldest son and his entourage rode elephant-back to find and shoot the intruder. An exciting but insignificant vignette of life under the British Raj, we may think. Yet to the participants, the hunt was laden with symbolism. Carefully choreographed according to royal protocols, recorded by scribes and commemorated by court artists, it was a potent display of regal dominion over men and beasts alike. Animal Kingdoms uncovers the far-reaching cultural, political, and environmental importance of hunting in colonial India. Julie E. Hughes explores how Indian princes relied on their prowess as hunters to advance personal status and solidify power. Believing that men and animals developed similar characteristics by inhabiting a shared environment, they sought out quarry-fierce tigers, agile boar-with traits they hoped to cultivate in themselves. Largely debarred from military activities under the British, they also used the hunt to establish meaningful links with the historic battlefields and legendary deeds of their ancestors. Hunting was not only a means of displaying masculinity and heroism, however. Indian rulers strove to present a picture of privileged ease, perched in luxuriously outfitted shooting boxes and accompanied by lavish retinues. Their interest in being sumptuously sovereign was crucial to elevating the prestige of prized game. Animal Kingdoms will inform historians of the subcontinent with new perspectives and captivate readers with descriptions of its magnificent landscapes and wildlife.

In recalling the early part of this century in baseball history, casual fans tend to glorify legends like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. While these remarkable players dazzled fans and grabbed headlines, black players who were every bit as good went unnoticed outside the Negro leagues. Because a "gentleman's agreement" among the white owners of organized baseball banned blacks from the major and minor leagues from the 1880s through 1946, the Negro National League provided black players the sole opportunity to display their talent. In Turkey Stearnes and the Detroit Stars, Richard Bak documents the extraordinary history of Detroit's first and foremost black professional baseball team. This groundbreaking analysis of Detroit's entry in the Negro National League brings to life a fascinating story of skill, pride, and perseverance. As a charter member of Andrew "Rube" Foster's National Negro League, the Detroit Stars quickly evolved into an integral part of black culture. From the team's beginning in 1919 to its demise in 1933, the Stars offered Detroit's black community entertainment and a short respite from the hardships of daily life. Moreover, the Detroit Stars represented a rare example of successful black entrepreneurship. The greatest Star of them all was Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, the brilliant longball-hitting center fielder. Stearnes established virtually all of the team's individual and career records during his nine seasons with Detroit.

This is much more than a manual; it is a celebration of the exhilarating sport of hawking. Martin Hollinshead brings his wealth of experience and expertise to the topic of hunting mammalian quarry with Goshawks, Buteos and Golden Eagles. The book picks up where beginner manuals leave off. It comes with stories from German forests to America.

A Sportsman's Journey lyrically and spiritually connects readers with the natural world. Donald C. Jackson explores the rhythms and ways of hunting and fishing, particularly in America's Deep South, and in so doing helps readers understand and find meaning in why hunters and anglers venture far afield. Journeying alongside the author, readers will savor the magic of sunrises and the mystery of twilight. Hearts will quicken as deer drift from shadows and ducks circle a woodland pond. The ocean will challenge them as they fight large fish from the deck of a wave-tossed boat far out at sea. Restless winds will whisper messages during a spring squirrel hunt on a Mississippi farm. Bird dogs, old guns, old friends, and times shared with loved ones will remind anglers and hunters of those special, shared memories. Ancient forests and powerful rivers remind us of our fragile, ephemeral state. Quail hunts strengthen cherished relationships with companions. Encounters with a mountain man will take us into a world thought to have vanished generations ago. A gathering of anglers on a Gulf Coast fishing pier at night reminds us of those hidden communities that exist around us, and are often unrecognized or perhaps even unknown. Jackson reveals how all of us depend on the natural world and share very personal interactions with it and with each other. This book reminds us that rediscovering, resurrecting, and celebrating these primal linkages are the real reasons we explore the world.

Deer stalking is widely regarded as the fastest growing sector within shooting sports in Britain today. Those who stalk deer for sport recognise and appreciate the exciting challenge that comes from hunting a wild and wary quarry, moreover, they enjoy the opportunity to participate in a sport that can take them to some of Britain's wildest and most beautiful places, from the hushed calm of an ancient English forest at dawn, to the magnificence of the Scottish hill. Successful stalking, however, demands a high level of knowledge and skill. Much of this can only be learned through long hours of apprenticeship and experience. This book provides a basic grounding in the principles which the newcomer to the sport needs to know in order to enjoy a safe, successful and responsible stalking career. The author explains the history, background and rationale behind deer stalking in the UK, covers the choice of stalking rifles, optics, ammunition and accessories, and deals with the all-important issue of safety. The law related to firearms and deer is covered in detail, together with guidance on firearm security in the home and when travelling, while the natural history of Britain's six species of wild deer is described, with notes and illustrations to assist with recognition. Stalking tactics are discussed and explained from the perspective both of the stalking guest who is accompanied by a professional guide and of the more experienced hunter whose responsibility it is to plan and execute a woodland stalking outing on his own. Finally, the book deals with what the stalker must do should his day meet with success, from the gralloch and preparation of the carcass for the game dealer, through to butchering for the home kitchen. Here is a book to which the amateur deer stalker will want to refer time and time again.

Now in its Third Edition, The Great Shoots continues to be unique in the history of sporting literature: the first and only book to ever embark on a comprehensive survey of the game-shooting scene, both as it was and as it stands today. In this new and revised edition the fascinating story is brought right up to date. Many of the shoots chosen are owned by the rich and famous, and Brian Martin here provides a rare insight into their social lives; providing fascinating comment on their own estates and on shooting generally. Before detailing the history and present sport of each estate, region by region, the author sets the scene by outlining the history of game shooting in Britain: the changing attitude of society; how economics have played an increasingly important part; how the popular press has perpetuated an often inaccurate image, how technical developments have shaped both gun-making and game rearing; and much more. The inter-relationship between shooting and conservation, and the important contribution to the general welfare of our flora and fauna by the overwhelming majority of shoot proprietors, are given special attention. This superb volume has become the established celebration of the gameshooting world today.

Already recognized as a master of adventure writing for his classic "Death in the Long Grass, "former big-game hunter Capstick now turns from his own exploits to those of some of the greatest hunters of the past, in "Death in the Silent Places." With his characteristic color and flair he recalls the extraordinary careers of hunting men like Colonel J.H. Patterson and Colonel Jim Corbett, who stalked legendary man-eaters through the silent darkness on opposite sides of the world; men like Karamojo Bell, acknowledged as the greatest elephant hunter of all time; men like the valiant Sasha Siemel, who tracked killer jaguars though the Matto Grosso armed only with a spear. With an authenticity gained by having shared the experiences he writes of, Peter Capstick eloquently recreates the acrid taste of terror in the mouth of a man whose gun has jammed as a lion begins his charge, the exhilaration of tracking and finding a long-sought prey, the bravery and even nobility of performing under circumstances of primitive and savage stress, with death all around in the silent places of the wilderness.