Books from bygone days....

[AJMD429]

.
I noticed that when I get a book on trees or birds or animals nowadays it's pretty much just a guide for identification and that's about it. The books I had as a kid weren't pocket sized or as durable and the illustrations were typically black and white drawings rather than color photographs with graphics, but the books written 100 years ago went into great detail about the habitat, growth habits, commercial and recreational uses of plants and trees, and what I guess you would call 'lifestyle' when it came to birds and animals.

Much the same as happened with books about firearms and hunting. Contemporary books emphasize technical details and superlative performance, but just lack something in the narrative. The older books from what many of us might call "The Great Gun Writers" are like sitting down for an evening around the fire with coffee or bourbon and listening to someone who's been there and done that.

The wife of a friend of mine who passed away a year and a half ago brought me a grocery sack full of his books and I finally got around to reading this one and it is really a joy to read.

14243.jpeg

14240.jpeg

There are little tidbits like his comment that if you shoot a squirrel that has recently eaten Hawthorne, you should field dress it more quickly because the meat will taste poorly otherwise. I have no idea if that is true, but that kind of detail it's always interesting to hear and will be something to pay attention to to see if I find it true as well.

This might be a time to comment that some of my favorite books are:

"Hell, I've Been There" by Elmer Keith,
"Unrepentant Sinner" by Charles Atkins, and
"To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth" by Jeff Cooper.

All three describe the lives of men who grew up "when men were men" and it was socially acceptable to be a man. One might argue that all three were a little far out on the limb of manhood compared to others and probably in their youth not always the best behaved, but look at what they accomplished during their life and the overall positive things they contributed to society. Today's snowflake and man-bun generation will pale in comparison. Thankfully, I think all of us know, and have probably helped raise, exceptions to that trend.

[JimT]

I mentioned this before, but I had a friend send me all 12 issues of the 1943 American Rifleman. All in good shape. I am looking forward to reading through them this winter. Wartime issues of all magazines are interesting to me.

[Blaine]

Robert Ruark......Hemingway.....
I grew up with them. Especially Ruark....
That's in addition to all the others from bygone days......

[Walt]

I have about a dozen books by Theodore Roosevelt which I read from when I need an adventure from a true outdoorsman. I do enjoy the Skeeter Skelton books and am just finishing up "Yellowstone Kelly" which was recommended by a forum member. That story is incredible and vividly demonstrates how much the world can change in just a century and a half. I recently read Elmer Keith's "Gun Notes", including his literary conflicts with Jack O'connor as well as JOC's several books.

[kaschi]

The books and magazines of the old days had more substance simply put. Just pick up the American Rifleman magazines of the 70s and 80s and it doesn't take one long to figure that out. They were very informative, in-depth articles often several pages in length. Very instructive guides on just about anything shooting related. The magazines of today along with the (a lot of) internet trash are often superficial and sounds like something a 3rd grader wrote. What else should one expect in a wear it out and throw it away society.

[piller]

Spent an hour with Yellowstone Kelly this afternoon, and got halfway through. Really good so far.
I have read other memoirs, too. Seems to me that our society is in the "Easy times create weak men, weak men create hard times" era of the cycle.

[AJMD429]

.
Try this book...

Less than 120 years ago THIS happened.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/9857/9857-h/9857-h.htm

DEATH just trying to find a land route from New York to Hudson Bay...!!!

[arclight]

Oh, yeah, Keith's "Sixguns" and "Hell, I was THERE!" and his nemesis O'Connor's works. McBride's "A Rifleman Went to War," Ruark's "Old Man and the Boy," Short's "The Cheechakoes", the poetry of Robert Service (especially "The Cremation of Sam McGee," Barbwire Bil," and "My Friends"), and Skeeter Skelton. More recently we have the exploratory, in-depth reporting of Paco, and the objective, down-to-earth accounts of Jim Taylor (who may well deserve Skeeter's mantle). And over-arching them all, of course, the Bible.

[Walt]

Darn, Doc! I just searched Alibris and Amazon for Charles Askins' book, "Unrepentant Sinner" and Wow! That's a highly thought of book! $260 - $600; used paperback and hardcover.

[AJMD429]

Darn, Doc! I just searched Alibris and Amazon for Charles Askins' book, "Unrepentant Sinner" and Wow! That's a highly thought of book! $260 - $600; used paperback and hardcover.

Elmer Keith's "Hell, I was there!" is also rather pricey if you can find a copy.

A different kind of book, "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross, was really expensive last time I checked.

https://www.amazon.com/Unintended-Conse ... 888118040/ - even for the used PAPERBACK version...!

(It is a really good novel though)

[Walt]

I've had at least half a dozen Elmer Keith books for years and I bought, "Hell, I was There" when it was first released. All great books.

For fun, I'll look it up online and I suspect I'll be shocked.

[BenT]

My favorite two hunting books are by Francis Sell and are very affordable. They were written in the 1950's and are worth picking up.

Small Game Hunting
Advance hunting on Deer and Elk trails

He refers to stand hunting as ambush hunting. I learned a lot about still hunting from his book.

[765x53]

All of Patrick McManus' books are laugh out loud funny. Among them "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" , "Never Sniff A Gift Fish" and "They Shoot Canoes Don't They?".
Gene Hill can put "the life" into words better than anyone else I know. Try "A Hunter's Fireside Book" or "A Listening Walk".

[4t5]

Ben East was a favorite author of mine years ago.

x 2 on Patrick Mcmanus

[Drawdown]

I've been a compulsive reader my entire life, from dad's F&S's in mid 60's, then F&S OL & SA all three which he subscribed to by late 60's for me, not to mention me buying every interesting magazine off the rack since, still do! I've enjoyed lots types of hunting and fishing all my life, but none kept me like Squirrel Hunting with a 22 Rifle all my life!
So I'll agree with Doc for sure the Landis book on Hunting with the 22 was and still is my easy favorite! But these all are special favorites, Ned Robert's and Francis Sell two the best authors IMO! But I love Whelen's stories the best.
I have several books by and about Alvin York, one the most interesting individuals I've ever known of, and he was a hunter and shooter until health failed him!

20221025_193057.jpg

[AJMD429]

.
I've got to admit, I've walked out of many gun stores without buying a firearm, mostly because they tend to be fairly expensive, but it is very rare for me to walk out of a bookstore without buying a book, particularly if they have used books written in the older style...

[samsi]

I actually have, or at least have read, most of the books mentioned in this thread. The Yellowstone Kelly book was passed down from my grandfather, and I hate to admit that I haven't yet read it in spite of it being in the book case for...well, more than a couple years. There have been a couple titles mentioned that are new to me that I'll be picking up.

Along the lines of detailed information and lost knowledge, it was said that toward the end of his life Ben Lilly was working on a book about hunting lions and bears. Supposedly whatever he had that passed for a manuscript was tossed out after his passing.