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The fair chase : the epic story of hunting in America / Philip Dray.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Basic Books, 2018Copyright date: ©2018Edition: First editionDescription: xi, 396 pages : illustrations ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780465061723
  • 0465061729
Other title:
  • Epic story of hunting in America
Subject(s):
Contents:
Introduction: The nature of the beast -- The prophet -- When good Queen Bess met Daniel Boone -- "Let us have more hunters" -- Hunters go west -- Forest and stream -- Arming the hunters -- Sportsman's paradise -- Buffalo Bill, Custer, and Texas Jack -- The new type of goodness -- "Times have changed, and we must change also" -- What is nature, what is man? -- The trophic crusade -- the guns of autumn -- Epilogue: A complex inheritance.
Summary: "Embodying the classic American traits of resourcefulness and rugged independence, the hunter looms larger than life in our national mythology, occupying a unique--and uniquely fraught--place in the American psyche. Popularized in the nineteenth century as a way to reconnect "soft" urban Americans with nature, for many years sport hunting was the national pastime of Americans from all walks of life, while it became a common theme in literature, art, and design. Fair chase, a code of hunting ethics emphasizing respect and restraint toward wildlife, inspired the conservation movement. Yet, hunting is linked to some less-than-honorable aspects of American history. Pioneers emulated Native American hunting methods even as they usurped their hunting grounds; market hunters drove many animal species toward extinction. Today, questions regarding wildlife protection, animal rights, the abuse of the fair chase ethos, and the sport's sometimes uneasy relationship with gun culture, continue to stir debate. In The Fair Chase, Philip Dray tells the sweeping saga of hunting in America from Daniel Boone to Annie Oakley, from Theodore Roosevelt to Ernest Hemingway. Hunting's history has much to tell us about our country's legends, its faith in manifest destiny, its evolving views on nature and wildlife, its love of sport and notions of self-reliance--in short, about nothing less than the shaping of our national character."--Jacket flaps.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 639.1 D768 Available 33111009227212
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An award-winning historian tells the story of hunting in America, showing how this sport has shaped our national identity.

From Daniel Boone to Teddy Roosevelt, hunting is one of America's most sacred-but also most fraught-traditions. It was promoted in the 19th century as a way to reconnect "soft" urban Americans with nature and to the legacy of the country's pathfinding heroes. Fair chase, a hunting code of ethics emphasizing fairness, rugged independence, and restraint towards wildlife, emerged as a worldview and gave birth to the conservation movement. But the sport's popularity also caused class, ethnic, and racial divisions, and stirred debate about the treatment of Native Americans and the role of hunting in preparing young men for war.

This sweeping and balanced book offers a definitive account of hunting in America. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the evolution of our nation's foundational myths.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: The nature of the beast -- The prophet -- When good Queen Bess met Daniel Boone -- "Let us have more hunters" -- Hunters go west -- Forest and stream -- Arming the hunters -- Sportsman's paradise -- Buffalo Bill, Custer, and Texas Jack -- The new type of goodness -- "Times have changed, and we must change also" -- What is nature, what is man? -- The trophic crusade -- the guns of autumn -- Epilogue: A complex inheritance.

"Embodying the classic American traits of resourcefulness and rugged independence, the hunter looms larger than life in our national mythology, occupying a unique--and uniquely fraught--place in the American psyche. Popularized in the nineteenth century as a way to reconnect "soft" urban Americans with nature, for many years sport hunting was the national pastime of Americans from all walks of life, while it became a common theme in literature, art, and design. Fair chase, a code of hunting ethics emphasizing respect and restraint toward wildlife, inspired the conservation movement. Yet, hunting is linked to some less-than-honorable aspects of American history. Pioneers emulated Native American hunting methods even as they usurped their hunting grounds; market hunters drove many animal species toward extinction. Today, questions regarding wildlife protection, animal rights, the abuse of the fair chase ethos, and the sport's sometimes uneasy relationship with gun culture, continue to stir debate. In The Fair Chase, Philip Dray tells the sweeping saga of hunting in America from Daniel Boone to Annie Oakley, from Theodore Roosevelt to Ernest Hemingway. Hunting's history has much to tell us about our country's legends, its faith in manifest destiny, its evolving views on nature and wildlife, its love of sport and notions of self-reliance--in short, about nothing less than the shaping of our national character."--Jacket flaps.

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