“Did you get any gun books for Christmas?” asked nobody, ever.
Yes, actually, I did. Lawrence gave me a batch of older softcover books he picked up while shopping over Thanksgiving, including a Gun Digest I didn’t have. Someone at work sent me some “funny money” as a thank you for services rendered, which I plan to use to purchase the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 5th Edition in both the physical and Kindle editions. (It is supposed to be out January 7th according to Amazon, but some people on the forum have reported they’ve already received their copies.) And I’ve been told that I have at least one more present coming, but shipping has been delayed, so I don’t know what that is. Could be a gun book, could be not a gun book. Could be not a book at all.
I also got some books I ordered from Callahan and Company in two separate orders, so I am a bit backlogged. It is probably a good time to start cataloging those. All four of these came in the same C&C order, and there was a total of $8 media mail shipping on top of the stated prices.
An Annotated Bibliography of African Big Game Hunting Books, 1785-1999, Dr. Kenneth Czech. Trophy Room Books, Agora, CA, 2011. Too late for Riling and Biscotti.
What was that someone said about “You know you have a gun book problem when you start buying bibliographies?” Well, this is the kind of thing that both turns my crank and looks like a valuable reference if you’re interested in hunting in Africa. Dr. Czech did a previous edition of this book, but that one only covered books through 1950: this is, I believe, the most current and updated edition.
I’d call this “fine” or “as new”. I can’t find any flaws in it. $85 from C&C, which is what Trophy Room is asking for a copy. But I didn’t even know this existed until I got the Callahan catalog.
The Wildest Game, Peter Ryhiner as told to Daniel P. Mannix. J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1958. Too late for Riling, and not listed in Biscotti (under either Ryhiner or Mannix, though Biscotti does list some other Mannix books).
Daniel Mannix is one of those writers I find fascinating.
That’s a heck of a resume. He wrote Those About to Die, which inspired “Gladiator”, and the book The Fox and the Hound which the Disney movie was based on. He also was a carny, and wrote about carnival life (including Step Right Up/Memoirs of a Sword Swallower, which was reprinted by RE/Search some years back). He wrote a book about the Hellfire Club, which I rather enjoyed but which seems to be frowned upon by scholars, and a history of torture.
Man was eclectic. Anyway, Peter Ryhiner was an animal collector, specializing in collecting larger animals for zoos and other institutions. This is his “as told to” book about the business and how it works (worked?). Haven’t read it yet, but it seems like it could be a lot of fun.
I’d call this “fair”, maybe “good” if I’m feeling generous. There are a fair number of chips, scratches, and small tears to the jacket, which is also clipped on all four corners (but not price-clipped). The book itself seems tight and clean, and I didn’t pay a lot for it: $15. That’s probably a little above market, but it is hard to tell from the descriptions of other copies on ABE. I’m okay with that price.
Hunting and Fishing in Texas, Hart Stilwell. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1946. Riling 2575. Also in both the main Biscotti and his Borzoi bibliography (B-30-A). Biscotti states this is the only Knopf printing (but there was another edition from The Ryerson Press in Canada published at the same time).
This is another one of the Borzoi Books for Sportsmen for my collection. “Texas is not only a world in itself, but a sportsman’s world that has few if any rivals.” Stilwell wrote a lot about hunting and fishing for various publications, but he was also a pretty well respected Texas novelist:
This seems to me to be in nice shape, maybe “very good”. There are a few small chips to the top and bottom of the spine, one to the lower rear corner, and a couple of small tears at the top of the cover, but none of these are really intrusive. The jacket is not clipped at all. You have to look fairly hard to even notice the flaws. Not bad for a 78 year old book. $85. Copies on ABE run cheaper, but I don’t think any of them are in as good a condition.
Bass Fishing: Technique, Tactics, and Tales, Jim Gasque. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1945. Not in Riling, probably because it is more of a fishing book. Also in Biscotti’s Borzoi bibliography (B-13-A) but curiously not in his main bibliography. This is a true first and marked as such: per Biscotti, it went through three printings from Knopf, plus a simultaneous Ryerson Press edition in Canada.
Also another Borzoi book. Find a Grave has an interesting biographical essay on Mr. Gasque. Bass Fishing was his first book. His second (and last) book, Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smokies was published in 1948, also as a Borzoi. It supposedly did not sell well, and was not reprinted by Knopf. (Copies in excellent shape are available on ABE at very reasonable prices. There was also a later reprint from the University of North Carolina.) Biscotti’s biographical note says he owned an exterminating company, which “suited him well”, as he was able to work at night and fish during the day. Reminds me of someone.
I’d also call this “very good”. I don’t see any nicks or tears anywhere on the cover, but there’s an awful lot of brown spotting on the cover, from what I don’t know. Also, the inside top front of the jacket is clipped, but not price clipped. $30. I see some copies on ABE that may be in about the same condition for $20, but only one that has a photo to go with it and looks about as good. The others are later printings, are missing jackets (or don’t have a jacket), the jackets are in worse condition, or there’s no photo.
I have a second order from C&C that needs to be blogged. I also have one other “gun” book that didn’t come from C&C. It actually came from Half-Price Books, as part of their Black Friday 20% off sale. However, that’s going to be a future entry, as it is also another one of those “well, I have the gun, now I need the book” books. One might say (if one wanted to give folks a big hint) that it is one of the unintended consequences of a silly person having some money to spend. I hope I can get to that in the next few days, or at least before I have to go back to work.
I can only wish that I had a library of the many books that I have had and read, then let slip through my hands due to a lack of space. Starting from the earliest days that I could read, I could not be satisfied if I didn’t read at least 2 or 3 books a week.
I remember the many different styles and topics that I read, and long ago I realized that it was through my reading habits that I educated myself, and I put up with school only because it was expected. That and of course to play sports, to learn to play music, and to be close to the fairer sex.
I still contend that the very best way to ensure that your kids are well rounded and educated is by instilling in them a love of reading from the very youngest age possible. My oldest daughter actually taught herself to read, in a way. Myself and my ex-wife would teach her the alphabet and that each letter had a sound associated with it. One day we had gone into town, so I could get a set of brake pads for my car. Back then, our small town hardware carried such things as well as muskrat traps, ammunition, and everything in between, the only thing hunting related they did not sell was the actual firearms.
While I went in, my daughter and my ex sat in the car. I got back out and my then wife told me that my daughter had learned a word. Apparently she had used the letters and sounded out the word on the top of the building, Hardware. A 3 and a half year old reading her first word, and it was not See Spot Run, but rather Hardware, that she saw on the top of the building I was in.
I am not saying that she is a genius or something, but it certainly made a difference in her education. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she is a very pretty blonde, either. The two combined allowed her to get a job in the health care field, as a sleep technologist.
Myself, I actually have passed a test that qualified me to join Mensa. This was when I was attending a very small college in the area. All of my intelligence allowed me to work in a steel foundry my entire life. I guess that being bald and overweight didn’t hold me back! lol
One might think that I am dissatisfied with how I ended up, but quite the opposite. I have a fantastic wife with whom I grow closer to every day. I have some great kids who have solid futures, and I fortunately have kept up to date with technology which has allowed me to continue to learn from the many good things available on line. The hard part is to make certain that I avoid the many pitfalls and garbage that also lies hidden just waiting to attack and rob me of my time.
All my best to you and yours. Stay safe and keep on telling us about your newest literary acquisitions. I find it to be very informative, even if I likely will never purchase any of the books you find.