Afield–American Writers on Bird Dogs Hardcover

Softcover, 260 Pages. 

This marvelous collection features stories from some of America’s finest and most respected writers about every outdoorsman’s favorite and most loyal hunting partner: his dog. For the first time, the stories of acclaimed writers such as Richard Ford, Tom Brokaw, Howell Raines, Rick Bass, Sydney Lea, Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane, Phil Caputo, and Chris Camuto, come together in one collection.

Hunters and non-hunters alike will recognize in these poignant tales the universal aspects of owning dogs: companionship, triumph, joy, forgiveness, and loss. The hunter’s outdoor spirit meets the writer’s passion for detail in these honest, fresh pieces of storytelling. Here are the days spent on the trail, shotgun in hand with Fido on point—the thrills and memories that fill the hearts of bird hunters. Here is the perfect gift for dog lovers, hunters, and bibliophiles of every makeup.

This is a delightful, handsome volume that captures the wild spirit of dogs and those who love them.This is the story of the author’s powerful connection to his family, friends and the northern outdoors. Loosely organized by the changing seasons, different sections feature essays on such topics as family fishing trips in the wilds of Maine, trophy fly fishing, turkey and deer hunting in Vermont.

Reviews:

"There is room in our moral pantheon for the small food things that stays what it is. Hunting wild birds behind a trained dog—for those of us who still do it, us oldsters, us anachronisms—is precisely that, with the stress laid on good. The writers in this volume—for all they know of life, love dogs, birds, whatever their skill set—know this, too, and pleasingly." —Richard Ford

"Some of these stories have the power of a shotgun blast, and some will rip your heart out, but every one of them rings true. DeMott and Smith have put together the best collection of writing about bird dogs that I've ever seen. No sap, no sunsets—just great stories, beautifully told." —Sid Evans