Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/652998
I n the broadest sense, it would be accurate to say that every one of the countless books that have been written on hunting and fishing celebrate some aspect of the sporting life. However, in conjunction with the theme of this special issue and in keeping with r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t t h e r e i s — a n d l o n g h a s b e e n — a d istin ctive , d e lig h tfu l lifestyle associated with those who venture afield and astream, let's look at three recently published books celebrating not only the actual act of hunting, but the traditions, rituals, and joie de vivre that form an integral part of the sporting experience. Maybe it's their longer history, the fact that hunting in the British Isles has always in some measure been the preserve of more affluent elements of society, or a deep-rooted love for tradition that can at times be missing in action when one looks at American sport—whatever the exact explanation, there's no denying that Brits have a gift for celebrating sporting life to its fullest. Whether the focus is on Best guns; natty sporting attire such as durable tweeds and Barbour jackets; sumptuous field lunches; the carefully established hierarchy of huntmasters, beaters, gun-loaders, game-keepers, a n d t h e l i k e ; o r t h e m y r i a d appurtenances such as shooting sticks and shell bags that are part of the overall picture; British sportsmen have an extraordinary knack for doing things up in proper fashion. This approach to sport, what could almost be described as a national mindset, is on full display in a book by grouse, grey and red-leg partridge, pheasants, waterfowl, snipe, woodcock, and pigeons. Chapters covering game cookery and an initiative to launch a line of clothing and guns from the author's home estate of Belvoir round out the contents. While there's no denying that a certain degree of self-promotion exists as underpinning for the book, most notably in the final ch ap te r, th is is n ice ly camouflaged thanks to the overriding theme of looking at the shooting life as it now exists in the British Isles. The reader gets a real feel for how hunts are arranged, subtle differences in approach to sport depending on the geographical region or species being hunted, and a most welcome dose of involvement of youth (including children of the Duchess) and women. There are tips from various shoots on everything from strategy to game management, delightful asides that periodically fill the reader with envy as he looks at a flight of birds or a sumptuous field lunch, and splendid photography capturing scenes of exquisite beauty. The Duchess of Belvoir's obvious devotion to sport runs as an attractive thread through the entire fabric of the book. Her determination to perpetuate a lifestyle that is threatened in the British Isles, her determination to introduce children to the world of hunting, and a real feel and flair for the abundant aesthetic appeal of shooting—all shine through with admirable passion. That passion, in turn, translates to pleasant reading. Anyone who realizes there is more—far more—to being afield than merely pulling a trigger These recently published books celebrate the traditions, rituals, and joie de vivre that form an integral part of the sporting experience. S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 6 5 mma Manners provides an in-depth look at the shooting life on the British Isles in Shooting: A Season of Discovery. E o o k s B Jim Casada Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland. Beautifully illustrated and written in conjunction with Jane Pruden, Shooting: A Season of Discovery (Quiller Publishing, 2012) chronicles a year of Manners' extensive and carefully selected shooting experiences. The authors cover a wide range of game and geographical locations, cumulatively intended to give the reader insight into shooting as an integral part of British life, along with, as the subtitle suggests, no small element of self-discovery on the part of the authors. Different sections are devoted to