Holy Grail of Bushcraft Books

[kawasemi]

Okay,

I love being 'out there' from the walk in the woods to the extended expeditions but I also love a good (often/preferably old) book on bushcraft and wild places.

Forget the tonnes of fiction that appears on the shelves...real life stuff (no offense to fiction lovers but there is enough out there without having to make it up IMHO ). End of the day with nature is rounded of with a mug of tea (or your poison of choice ) reading about it.

So today I received what has been my 'holy grail' of bushcraft books for the last two years. I tracked a sensibly priced one down in New Zealand (home of the Swazi Man - read his book it is excellent, although Woodlore have increased the price from £28 to £40!!). Published only once in 1957 and written by one of the first European descent police officers to work with the Australian Aboriginals. A man, interviewed by Ray Mears, who went 'bush' just like the Aboriginals to prove he could do it.

I am, of course, talking about (drum roll please :vio:dash no drum smilies)...

Whispering Wind Adventures in Arnhem Land by Syd Kyle-Little

Started reading it tonight :Wow:

So it got me thinking. If it hasn't been done already...

What is YOUR holy grail of bushcraft books - you may have it or are still on the hunt...and it's always good to have some ideas for the next piece of reading material

kawasemi

 

[JonathanD]

That is an epic book, you'll love it.

My holy grail is Brown Bush Black (although it has no official title as it was hand bound and published by the author). Story of a young herpetologist on the hunt for the Black Mamba in Kenya during the Sixties. Early exploration and a precision diary of events and plenty of bushcraft thrown in. It is so rare that I only have a photocopy and only ten copies are known to exist.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Ray mears notebooks? the two field guides amazon keeps offering then taking down
in seriousness i got my holy grail when i got mr kochanski's pamphlets this christmas
next on the list is a hard copy of robert graves bushcraft series, i am almost tempted to do a bad thing to get a copy
still hunting for my holy grail of sci fi-the mars series by kim stanley robinson
JD yours sounds almost like the grail diary from indiana jones!

 

[JonathanD]

It really is THE herpetological Holy Grail. The photocopied version alone can sell for daft amounts. It was given to me by the daughter of the author. It's not a great scientific work, but the amazing detail of his journey to find, and his encounter with an almost mythical deadly snake ever, are outstanding and draw you into those pioneering days of adventure. Brilliant stuff that is very well written. The awe and passion he had for this snake actually brings a tear to my eye when he eventually encounters it and describes the utter overwhelming respect and beauty he sees in what everyone else considers evil personified back then. It is very special from both the perspective of the man and also what it does for a then, almost unknown species.

 

[kawasemi]

That is an epic book, you'll love it.

My holy grail is Brown Bush Black (although it has no official title as it was hand bound and published by the author). Story of a young herpetologist on the hunt for the Black Mamba in Kenya during the Sixties. Early exploration and a precision diary of events and plenty of bushcraft thrown in. It is so rare that I only have a photocopy and only ten copies are known to exist.

Sounds like a really cool book - I love books that are super rare. It makes the contents all the more special.

Ray mears notebooks? the two field guides amazon keeps offering then taking down

I know the feeling, I emailed my displeasure to Amazon and suggested that they wait until the publisher actually prints the book!!

 

[JonathanD]

Those damned RM books. How long has it been now? Two years?

 

[drewdunnrespect]

the holy grail is well a book call northen bushcraft by mors

drew

 

[Mesquite]

still hunting for my holy grail of sci fi-the mars series by kim stanley robinson

I'll drop you a text Sam...

Red Mars and Green Mars are sat not 2 foot from where I am right now Not sure where Blue Mars is though, I've a feeling that fell victim to a young puppy going through a chew anything stage

 

[pilotlight]

Why do we need a holy grail? Clearly bush craft is about learning from many sources?

However, I have recently read the Long Walk home by Slawomir Rawic, a tale about Poles escaping the Soviet Gulags and walking to India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sławomir_Rawicz

And then another Pole, Kazimierz Nowak, in the 1930's cycled 40,000km through Africa, By Bicycle and on foot across the black Continent, is only published in polish, but I would love to read it.

My quest will be to get the house boss to translate it for me.

I much prefer the traveller tales rather than a handbook.

 

[kawasemi]

Why do we need a holy grail? Clearly bush craft is about learning from many sources?

Apologies, I think you may be missing the point of what I said pilotlight. By 'holy grail' I am not suggesting a definitive book of Bushcraft. As an academic by profession I would go to many sources. What I meant was that one book you have always desired or are hunting for simply for the pleasure of reading it. And I'm with you on the 'traveller' style books. Syd Kyle-Little's book is one of these, certainly not a manual of bushcraft living.

Good luck with your translation

kawasemi

 

[mousey]

Perhaps not very bushcrafty but I've always liked going solo by Rold Dahl.

 

[Nonsuch]

Horace Kephart - Camping and Woodcraft.

 

[spud_23]

Scouting For Boys: First edition 1908 - Col. Sir Robert Baden-Powell

 

[John Fenna]

Horace Kephart - Camping and Woodcraft.

My local library found that one for me!

 

[sandbender]

"...I think you may be missing the point of what I said pilotlight. By 'holy grail' I am not suggesting a definitive book of Bushcraft. As an academic by profession I would go to many sources. What I meant was that one book you have always desired or are hunting for simply for the pleasure of reading it..."

In the mid Nineteen-thirties, at the age of 18, Patrick Leigh Fermor set off from England to walk to Constantinople. He wrote about his journey between London and what is now the Slovakian/Hungarian border in his book 'A Time of Gifts' this was published in the late nineteen seventies, and I read it a few years later when I started secondary school. The second part of the journey was covered in his book 'Between the Woods and the Water' that was published in the mid Nineteen-eighties long after I had left school, that volume took us to Romania.

The third volume which would complete his journey to Constantinople/Istanbul remains unpublished to this day. I'm in my mid forties and still waiting.

Not so much bushcraft or campcraft, but certainly a worthwhile read for anyone considering some serious long distance travel in Europe.

 

[kawasemi]

Excellent examples - keep them coming. Thanks for moving the thread to the correct place. When I started it I did wonder if I needed to put it here in 'Bushcraft and Wilderness Library and Media'.

kawasemi

 

[Corso]

Horace Kephart - Camping and Woodcraft.

me too both of his infact - i've online copies but if i ever found originals I'd be extracting my own kidney

 

[redneck]

Robinson Crusoe, the first,the best,the only....

 

[woodstock]

Eddie Magee, No need to die, some great tips that you rarely find in more modern books well worth a read if you can still get a hold of one

 

[kawasemi]

me too both of his infact - i've online copies but if i ever found originals I'd be extracting my own kidney

Try here my friend...

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/S...t.x=41&bt.y=14&sts=t&tn=camping+and+woodcraft

kawasemi