Dave Richey OUTDOORS

23March2008

Fireships & Brimstone, Richard A. Minich

Posted by daverichey under: Book Reviews.

TITLE: Fireships & Brimstone

AUTHOR: Richard A. Minich

PUBLISHER: All Exox Publications

CONTACT:

PO Box 493
East Aurora, NY 14052

WEBSITE: All Esox Publications
COST: $37.50 + postage; Hardcover with dust jacket

The author, a deeply addicted muskie fisherman, has taken a mighty leap from his earlier how-to books on catching muskies to a fast-paced novel. The novel, the first in a series of three to be announced on a yearly basis, features a new and unusual action figure in Indian angler Joe Gaspe. The FBI uncovers a scheme to bring death and destruction to our northern frontier between the United States and Canada.

Gaspe seems the most inept and illogical person to piece together a viable network of other anglers and guides along that poorly defined International Boundary. This group of guides and others have one purpose: to keep Gaspe informed about any unusual happenings along this poorly marked and watery border.

Minich’s characters are well defined, and the Homeland Security adds a modern hook to this well-written story. Gaspe’s loose group of informants consists of cousins, old friends, hangers-on and others among the local Indians and other folks on both sides of the border. They report to Gaspe, who in turn reports to the FBI and Homeland Security.

It’s a rollicking ride of counter-terrorist actions. There are bombings, murders, attempted murders, and believe it or not, a scalping as well. I read a novel each week for recreation, and this one is an excellent first attempt. It has a few flaws, but my biggest complaint is the dust jacket illustration.

It shows a bearded Joe Gaspe with long hair, beard,, soul patch and an exploding boat. The scheme of the terrorists is to blow up the Friendship Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, and like most novels, the hero helps save the day and thwart the bad guys.

It’s got just enough muskie fishing in it to make the book a collectible one for those anglers who love to muskie fish and love to collect books about muskie fishing. I buy and sell muskie titles, and read everything muskie-related, and this book fills my two major needs – a good read and another book for my collection. Buy this first book in the Joe Gaspe series, and you’ll be notified when the next two titles come out. – Dave Richey

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14March2008

Chasing the Hunter’s Dream, Jeffrey Engel, et. al.

Posted by daverichey under: Book Reviews.

TITLE: Chasing The Hunter’s Dream
AUTHOR: Jeffrey Engel, Sherol Engel & James A. Swan
PUBLISHER: Collins Publishing

CONTACT:

Collins Publishing
10 E. 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299

WEBSITE: Harper Collins
Other Contacts: Engel Outdoors | James Swan
COST: $19.95 + postage
ISBN: 978-0-06-134382-7 (for bookstore ordering)

Subtitled

1,001 of the World’s Best Duck Marshes, Deer Runs, Elk Meadows, Pheasant Fields, Bear Woods, Safaris. And Extraordinary Hunts

is an accurate but lengthy statement. This hefty 514-page book is amply illustrated with black-and-white photos, maps and sidebar boxes of pertinent information.

The purpose of this book is to offer information on hunting locations around the world. It is a lofty project, based on current economic conditions, but it provides priceless information on hunting equipment, outfitters, safety, recipes, and trophy care of game animals taken around the world.

The three authors collectively have over 100 years of hunting experiences, certainly enough to pool their knowledge into a great how-to, where-to book. They soon discovered that what was lacking in other hunting books was information about hunting destinations.

“Despite the abundance of most game species,” they write, “and the wealth of equipment available to modern hunters, if you haven’t got a place to hunt, then the spirit of the hunt will wane, dilute the great conservation efforts that are underway, and dim the future of this noble pursuit.”

This book was designed to fill that void, covering the entire range of hunting destinations, both public and private, from no-cost hunting lands to swank resorts.

Here is expert advice on the best locations to huntbig and small game throughout North America, Mexico, Africa, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and Austrailia.

The many topics covered include: preparing for hunts in different climates and clultures; traveling with firearms on national and international flights; finding trustworthy outfitters, guides and lodges; getting your trophy home from halfway across the world; the ethics and philosophy of hunting for pleasure; favorite wild game recipes, and much more.

My only complaint was its size. If is a handful, and would have been much easier for readers to handle had it been produced in a hardcover format. Nonetheless, the information it contains is well worth the price.