The Gun - Afield & Afloat (History of Shooting Series - Game & Wildfowling) - Hardcover

Sharp, Henry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1905124848 ISBN 13: 9781905124848

Publisher: Read Country Book, 2005

Synopsis

Everything an Edwardian sportsman needed to know about his weapon and his quarry, from choke and cartridge to the tides of the estuary and the dogs that worked it.

First published in London in 1904, The Gun – Afield & Afloat was written by Henry Sharp, a practised wildfowler and game shot who was also an acknowledged authority on large-calibre guns and the loads they took. Eight of its sixteen chapters go to the hardware alone – game and wildfowl guns, gun testing, target results, shotgun patterns, ammunition, powder caps and cartridge cases, wadding and shot – and together they give one of the clearest pictures we have of how the Edwardian sporting trade worked.

The rest turns to the field. Sharp writes on gundogs and their handling, then works through the quarry itself: capercaillie, black and red grouse, ptarmigan, pheasant, partridge, quail, woodcock and snipe, hare and rabbit, wild pigeon and rook, and the swans, geese, ducks, plover, and shore birds of the coast. He closes with game shooting, wildfowling with gun and punt, and vermin furred and feathered.

This edition features:

• Sixteen chapters covering guns, testing, patterns, ammunition, wadding, shot, and gundogs
• Thirteen full-page plates by Herbert Sharp, with numerous further illustrations through the text
• A full survey of the sportsman's quarry, from grouse and snipe to geese, duck, and shore birds
• Chapters on game shooting, wildfowling by punt and on foot, and the control of vermin
• The original 1904 text, a record of British sporting practice before the First World War

About this title

Synopsis

This scarce volume was first published in London 1904, and is considered one of the foremost books on wildfowling and game shooting of its time. The author was an experienced wildfowler and game shot and an acknowledged expert on game guns, big bore guns and their associated ammunition and loads, to which subject he has devoted several detailed chapters. The book's 350 pages contain 16 comprehensive chapters on: Game Guns; Wild-Fowl Guns; Gun Testing; Target Results; Shotgun Patterns; Ammunition; Powder Caps and Cartridge Cases; Wadding and Shot; Gundogs; Sportsman's Quarry; Great Bustard, Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Ptarmigan, Pheasant, Partridge, Quail, Landrail, Woodcock, Great Snipe, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe; Hare, Rabbit, Wild Pigeons and Rooks; Wild-Fowl, Swans, Geese, Ducks, Plover and Shore Birds; Game Shooting; Wildfowling with Gun and Punt; Vermin; Furred and Feathered; and more. Read Country Books has now re-published "the Gun Afield & Afloat" using the original text and incorporating its 13 full page plates and numerous text illustrations. This wonderful historical record of late 19th century shooting is recommended for inclusion in the library of all true sportsmen. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. Read Country Books are reprinting these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions. These editions are republished using the original text and artwork.

Edition details

• Publisher: Read Country Book
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1905124848
• ISBN 13: 9781905124848
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 363