SaskHunter
Well-known member
I might just skip to the whale killing people part...
What are you currently reading?
- Thread starter Scott85
- Start date
I might just skip to the whale killing people part...
CycleFishHunt
Well-known member
I am mostly sharing this for the humor and not to throw more cold water on your goal, but I recently heard this exchange on a podcast.
Background: a reporter interviewed two soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, ten years ago, and again now. One of them was Capt. Adrian Bonenberger.
Reporter
Capt. Bonenberger
Reporter
Capt. Bonenberger
Reporter
Also, my wife has finished War and Peace, but put down Moby Dick.
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SaskHunter
Well-known member
I am mostly sharing this for the humor and not to throw more cold water on your goal, but I recently heard this exchange on a podcast.
Background: a reporter interviewed two soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, ten years ago, and again now. One of them was Capt. Adrian Bonenberger.
Reporter
Capt. Bonenberger
Reporter
Capt. Bonenberger
Reporter
Also, my wife has finished War and Peace, but put down Moby Dick.
You guys are not making this easy on me. I read TWO pages last night, TWO...
come2elmo
Well-known member
Just picked up Countering Cyber Sabotage- Introducing consequence driven cyber informed engineering. Promises to be quite a page turner.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
At that pace you finish faster than I did. There were nights I couldn't finish a page. I think it took me 6 months in total to finish it.
Wildabeest
Well-known member
Interesting and thought provoking read. Basic premise is that the answer to sustainability is not more renewables, but rather less consumption. Some of the stats on increases in per capita consumption over the past 50 years is mind blowing.
thebestusernamesaretaken
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2021
- Messages
- 498
I'd be interested in your review of this.
thebestusernamesaretaken
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2021
- Messages
- 498
I recently finished The Versatile Trophy Hunter by Bill Butler as it was recommended by a member of this forum in another thread. The recomendation was for a very specific story rather than the whole of the book.
I should appologize for this in advance. I haven't written a book but I have read a lot so take this wish a grain of salt. Unfortunitly, I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone without an absurd number of disclaimers. The book can be best described as disorganized and confusingly placed collection of short stories with misplaced and somewhat dated hunting tips that may have been previously published in a periodical magazine. If the reader views the book in this way, s/he may be better able to make since of it and possibly enjoy the stories.
Mr. Butler was obviously a good hunter who thinks very highly of himself and his writings although amateurish, were okay enough to read. It was clear to me that he was a better hunter than a writer, but I think that we all can tolerate that for a time to hear a good yarn. There are even humorous antidotes such as the author claiming that he believes that his genetically superior since of balance (better than other men’s), is the cause for his constant air sickness in bush planes. You will see some good old-fashioned machoism in this work including the all the angry faced trophy picture “grip and grins”! What did we call them before, (grip and scows)? It seems to me from reading this book, that people close to the author had admired his hunting accomplishments and convinced him to write a “how to” book. This goal wasn’t really accomplished as the delivery was so poor. I believe that if he had a better proof reader, I think that it would have been a much better book.
The book doesn’t really read well and will constantly leave the reader(s) wondering if s/he missed some important page or chapter. It seems like the chapters or even the topics within a chapter are disorganized at best. The pictures and illustrations in the book are misplaced and should be viewed independently of the order in which you find them. For example, the author may write about hunting a specific animal and provide you with a picture of another animal. The format just doesn’t’ make since and seems schizophrenic most of the time.
I was however, shocked at how unprofessional the book was organized and couldn’t believe that a publisher would do that to any writer. Based on his writing, I have to believe that this poor performance is more the publisher than the writers fought. It’s rare that I would think so ill of any book that I had to look up the publisher. I looked up Walsworth Publishing to understand what went so terribly wrong with the creation of this book. I discovered that Walsworth Publishing primarily focus on publishing high school yearbooks, penny saver type of newsprint, direct mail pieces, some small number of textbooks and an even smaller number of specialty books. I suspect that this was either the only publisher that would take on the work at that time, or someone at that publisher was a connection or a friend of a friend so to speak. I must believe that another publisher would have better helped the author organize his thoughts and writings to create something that was comprehensible.
I was interested in a specific topic that Mr. Butler wrote about, but the material is dated, and it would not be considered timeless. There may be some useful historical information, but its value is likely more in the entertainment purposes of reading an individual short story.
If a person would want to absorb every bit of information that you could and decide to read this book anyway; I would recommend reading the chapters individually and where they make since to you.
I should appologize for this in advance. I haven't written a book but I have read a lot so take this wish a grain of salt. Unfortunitly, I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone without an absurd number of disclaimers. The book can be best described as disorganized and confusingly placed collection of short stories with misplaced and somewhat dated hunting tips that may have been previously published in a periodical magazine. If the reader views the book in this way, s/he may be better able to make since of it and possibly enjoy the stories.
Mr. Butler was obviously a good hunter who thinks very highly of himself and his writings although amateurish, were okay enough to read. It was clear to me that he was a better hunter than a writer, but I think that we all can tolerate that for a time to hear a good yarn. There are even humorous antidotes such as the author claiming that he believes that his genetically superior since of balance (better than other men’s), is the cause for his constant air sickness in bush planes. You will see some good old-fashioned machoism in this work including the all the angry faced trophy picture “grip and grins”! What did we call them before, (grip and scows)? It seems to me from reading this book, that people close to the author had admired his hunting accomplishments and convinced him to write a “how to” book. This goal wasn’t really accomplished as the delivery was so poor. I believe that if he had a better proof reader, I think that it would have been a much better book.
The book doesn’t really read well and will constantly leave the reader(s) wondering if s/he missed some important page or chapter. It seems like the chapters or even the topics within a chapter are disorganized at best. The pictures and illustrations in the book are misplaced and should be viewed independently of the order in which you find them. For example, the author may write about hunting a specific animal and provide you with a picture of another animal. The format just doesn’t’ make since and seems schizophrenic most of the time.
I was however, shocked at how unprofessional the book was organized and couldn’t believe that a publisher would do that to any writer. Based on his writing, I have to believe that this poor performance is more the publisher than the writers fought. It’s rare that I would think so ill of any book that I had to look up the publisher. I looked up Walsworth Publishing to understand what went so terribly wrong with the creation of this book. I discovered that Walsworth Publishing primarily focus on publishing high school yearbooks, penny saver type of newsprint, direct mail pieces, some small number of textbooks and an even smaller number of specialty books. I suspect that this was either the only publisher that would take on the work at that time, or someone at that publisher was a connection or a friend of a friend so to speak. I must believe that another publisher would have better helped the author organize his thoughts and writings to create something that was comprehensible.
I was interested in a specific topic that Mr. Butler wrote about, but the material is dated, and it would not be considered timeless. There may be some useful historical information, but its value is likely more in the entertainment purposes of reading an individual short story.
If a person would want to absorb every bit of information that you could and decide to read this book anyway; I would recommend reading the chapters individually and where they make since to you.
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Nameless Range
Well-known member
Arrived in the mail today. Stoked.
I just ordered this this morning. Also just picked up A River Runs Through It and Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean. Also, just recieved A Hunt for Justice that I haven’t read in many years it’s about an undercover warden busting a fall sheep poaching ring in the Brooks Range. Home to make it through these 4 by end of summer.
Carnage2011
Well-known member
I just finished “echo in ramadi” and it was phenomenal. Obviously it has nothing to do with hunting, but I really enjoyed it.
bobbydean
Well-known member
Nevada Barr's series on a female park service employee.
blueridge
Well-known member
Finishing Abbey’s Desert Solitaire. I really like a quarter of it. What an interesting guy. Ed surely wasn’t a sheep; that’s for damn sure. In a world where so many define themselves by the party line, he didn’t mind breaking bounds.
Alone in the silence, I understand for a moment the dread which many feel in the presence of primeval desert, the unconscious fear which compels them to tame, alter or destroy what they cannot understand, to reduce the wild and prehuman to human dimensions. Anything rather than confront directly the ante-human, the other world which frightens not through danger or hostility but in something far worse - it’s implacable indifference.
Alone in the silence, I understand for a moment the dread which many feel in the presence of primeval desert, the unconscious fear which compels them to tame, alter or destroy what they cannot understand, to reduce the wild and prehuman to human dimensions. Anything rather than confront directly the ante-human, the other world which frightens not through danger or hostility but in something far worse - it’s implacable indifference.
Wildabeest
Well-known member
Abbey has a unique way of describing what I call “the mind’s eye”. Not what you see, but how what you see makes you feel. There’s not many books that I read more than once, but his I do because it’s a different experience every time.
High Desert
Member
Desert Solitaire is a beautiful book though a clear distaste for other people and humanity in general (except a few friends) comes across in Abbey's writings. The book is mostly based on his experiences while living in Arches near Moab. The irony is that the great interest in Southern Utah that his books helped jump start have transformed the once sleepy town of Moab (post-uranium boom) into the type of bloated, tacky tourist magnet that he loathed. Arches and Island in the Sky are now filled-to-capacity traffic jams most days. I drive through the town every six to twelve months and am always amazed that commercial interests keep finding spots in which to wedge yet another hotel or UTV rental outfit. I can't imagine what he would think of glamping.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Mink River by Doyle was exceptional.
Dalva by Harrison, listened via audible, finished, then immediately listened again. Should be required reading.
Currently onto Lonesome Dove. Movie is very close to the book so far.
Dalva by Harrison, listened via audible, finished, then immediately listened again. Should be required reading.
Currently onto Lonesome Dove. Movie is very close to the book so far.
Hammsolo
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 16, 2020
- Messages
- 2,843
I’m in the midst of Joe Hutto’s “Light in High Places.” I believe every hunter should read his books. It is so good; quality writing, big horn sheep, and science meet in the Wyoming high country to teach us. The Light in High Places
geetar
Well-known member
I read it as well on a recommendation from other Hunt Talkers. I agree I didn’t find it interesting from a how to perspective and the title is a little off I think but it was recommended to me because of the Montana Unlimited Sheep hunting stories in it. I did find those interesting and I appreciated the writers honesty about that one elk he had to hamstring with a knife when he ran out of bullets. He could have left it out and presented himself as super man but he told the bad parts too.
geetar
Well-known member
Halfway through. So far so good. In my opinion it’s right up there with “ The Old Man and the Boy “ 
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