September 2013 - Page 2 of 2 - Sportsman's Vintage Press

In the first part of this series we covered how classic books about the outdoors can stand the test of time purely for their entertainment value to readers, particularly the enjoyment that is can be had from the stories of hunting and fishing.

The second part of the series is similar to the first part, but instead of deriving enjoyment from stories of trophy elk or trout, the enjoyment comes from connecting to another time. Granted, these books are not that old, ranging anywhere from fifty to one hundred years old, but to many people, it’s an era that holds a certain level of fascination. Whether the fascination stems from learning how your father hunted, how your grandfather hunted, or remembering how you hunted as a youth, the fascination is undeniable and these books provide a way to learn about the history of hunting.

Some people are simply captivated by how things were done in the past, even if they have no intention of using those tools and techniques in their own sporting excursions. For people like that, classic books about the outdoors are a goldmine of information. Almost all of these books cover in great detail the tools used for the particular subject—rifles, cartridges, clothing, rods, reels, lures, tents, packs, etc.—so that one can get a complete picture of how hunting, fishing, or match shooting was done decades ago.

History of hunting and camping — A hunting camp the old-fashioned way.

Examples of books of this kind are ample, the most notable being Wilderness Hunting and Wildcraft by Townsend Whelen, Keith’s Rifles for Large Game by Elmer Keith, and Rifle-Craft by C. S. Landis—currently the oldest book published we publish, dating from 1923.

We can learn about the history of hunting from C. S. Landis — Information circa 1923

One of the more unique books that comes to mind for its historical value is This Business of Exploring by Roy Chapman Andrews. While this book is not about hunting or fishing or any other sportsman-like pursuit, it remains a fascinating account of a bygone era. The book is about one of the expeditions of the author, a noted explorer, in his search for fossils and other artifacts in Mongolia in the late 1920’s. In the book, Andrews writes of death, war, and groundbreaking discoveries in an age of scientific exploration which no longer exists. Reading almost like the journal of a real-life Indiana Jones, Andrews’ book has tons of entertainment and historical significance.

history of archaeological expeditions — An account of the 1928-1930 Mongolian expedition of Roy Chapman Andrews.

Smith & Wesson Hand Guns by Walter Roper and Roy McHenry is a book written about the history of the Smith & Wesson Company from the founding of the company through World War II. This particular book was written from the ground up as a historical account and has been used by Smith & Wesson collectors as a reference for decades, as the book contains a fair amount of detail on the changes to each Smith & Wesson model through the years.

Elmer Keith makes reference to Smith & Wesson Hand Guns many times in his own brief historical account of the revolver—which can be found in Sixguns—and Keith’s history of the revolver is itself a valuable reference work to firearms historians as a secondary source, since Keith personally interacted with Civil War veterans and other Old West survivors.

history of hunting and revolvers used in hunting and self defense — The standard by which all other books about revolvers are measured.

It is impossible to deny that these books are valuable to those of us who read books for their historical content. From learning how things were done by a prior generation, to learning about the founding of a company and the technological advancements of firearms, these books have it covered.

In the final part of this series we will discuss the practical value of classic sporting books.

Sportsman’s Vintage Press publishes books which were generally written in the first half of the 20^th Century by men who were born as early as the late 1800’s, so we clearly have a stake in the old-fashioned ways of doing things. Not everyone will be interested in reading books from several decades ago, but for those who are thinking about picking up a classic book about the outdoors, I thought I would provide some rationale for doing so.

The most obvious reason that someone might pick up a classic book is purely for entertainment value. Just as with a novel, many of the older books about hunting are plenty entertaining to read regardless of any practical knowledge they may contain. While the original purpose of the these books was to instruct the reader about how to do certain things, the authors almost always include a good deal of first-hand accounts and fishing and hunting stories.

Elmer Keith’s books, for example, are chock-full of his experiences in the game fields and the match shooting ranges. Keith’s stories about his successes and failures with a firearm are so entertaining that a book like Sixguns—which at its core is a practical volume on the use of a revolver—can rival a novel for its ability to keep the reader firmly planted in their chair and their eyes glued to the page. Additionally, Keith tells many stories which he heard second-hand from an even older generation of men who lived through the Civil War and Old West era–which is reason enough on its own to read one of his books.

Elmer Keith told great hunting stories — Elmer Keith: A legendary American sportsman and a great storyteller

Many of these old books give us the chance to live vicariously through someone who had the means to take a sporting trip we can only dream of, and did it in one of the golden ages of hunting. For example, many hunters dream of making it to Africa someday for a safari, but such a trip is expensive and time-consuming, so the opportunities for excursions of this kind are limited. However, Charles Askins made many trips to Africa and a recounting of one of his more extensive trips is available in Asian Jungle, African Bush. This book not only includes practical how-to information for the travelling hunter but also includes a journal of Col. Askins’ trip which details in both words and pictures his hunting experience on two continents.

hunting stories from Asia and Africa — Asian Jungle, African Bush includes a journal of Col. Askins’ hunt on two exotic continents.

Another writer who gives us a look at a world we may never experience first-hand is John “Pondoro” Taylor, who was a professional hunter in Africa and whose book African Rifles and Cartridges draws on his decades of experience on the Dark Continent. And a book like Greatest Fishing by Joe Brooks is a similar recounting of exotic trips taken in pursuit of game, but this time the quarry is fish.

Hunting stories from the golden age of African hunting — “Pondoro” Taylor was a professional hunter in Africa and wrote “African Rifles and Cartridges” specifically for Americans who planned to venture abroad

So, while the original intent of these books was primarily to teach the readers how to do something—whether it was how to hunt, fish, or shoot—these books can and should be read purely for their entertainment value. Whether one wants to be regaled with stories of a far away land or hear of events which happened on our own continent, authors such as Elmer Keith, Charles Askins, “Pondoro” Taylor, and Joe Brooks are happy to oblige.

In the second part of this series, we will cover the historical value of older books.

Month: September 2013

Why We Read Old Books Part II

Why We Read Old Books Part I