Patrick White Books

This is a good book that reveals many interesting facts about the Ku Klux Klan of the 20s. It is hard to put the book down once you start reading it.

I highly recommend "Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed" for its insight and depth. Patrick O'Donnell has done a remarkable job in putting this book together and it should be read by all who have a serious interest in American (shadow) history and those who care about where this country might be headed in that regard.

The Klan's last great attempted to capture the hearts and mind of a changing nation is documented by a collection of vintage documents in this informative book. Because of the climate of racial sensitivity and political correctness that persists today, the popularity of the Klan of the 1920s (widespread and very public) has been removed from the public discourse, and thus doing a disservice to the historians of today, the precedent voices that opposed the Klan, and all races of people that rose above oppression. This book examines both the crimes committed by the Klan as well as their social acceptance by a majority of Americans at the time; both topics will be equally shocking to the present day reader.

What is so utterly fascinating about Mr. O'Donnell's attempt to bring light to the subject of organized terror is the perfectly ordinary way in which he goes about it. Not present in his book are the heavy-handed moralizations modern authors feel compelled to include in theirs. The effect can be chilling at times; especially when murder, rape, torture, and the demoralization of a race of people are described with the vernacular of the period. To think that once any issue regarding Black Americans was deemed "The Negro Problem" by the press of the day or how lynching was seen as an expectable deterrent to crime is disgraceful and does not need any author to point this fact out.

For those who enjoy reading about American history and true crime, look no further. This book wonderfully mixes both genres to create a powerful and intriguing read.

Who was Joseph Simmons and how could he have assembled a white-clad army whose scope and magnitude surpass all of the armies in the world? Much has been discussed about China's modern million-man army, but in the 1920s, at the paramount of their power, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan had four million members. Four million political votes- enough to change the out come of any national election. Four million sets of prying eyes poised at their neighbors searching for some offence against their moral code of conduct. Four million rifles aimed at the Negro, the Jew, and the immigrant, and the most importantly, four million monthly fee envelopes collected and sent to fill the KKK coffers - which has overflowing from the purchases of robes, books, pamphlets, and other Klan paraphernalia. The odds against men of decent and just character to overcome this hooded menace at the time seem to be insurmountable, but as this book will show, their engines of commerce and hate came grinding to a halt at the end of the 20s, a testament to the courageous men whose editorial attacks and literary investigations are prominently featured in this compelling book.

McManus is an excellent storyteller and his stories on this tape are those that start with a simple problem and expand out into a lengthy tale. My favorite was the story that begins with him trying to tie a fishing fly and how he always seems to be lacking a key component. In this case, it is white hairs from the tail of a calf. As he is venting his frustration, his friend comes in for another purpose and tells him that he saw some calves in a pen that had white tails. At least they are white under the barnyard gunk stuck to them. They get in the car and drive to the farm, and when they arrive they see an entire pen full of calves. He goes to the door to request permission to remove some hair but there is no answer. Three dollars are placed in an envelope for payment along with an explanation of the reason.
He then goes into the pen and the calves are extremely friendly, they begin chewing and licking him to the point where he cannot clip any hairs. His friend is then coaxed into assisting and while he holds the ears, his friend holds the tail. The calf is then spooked and takes off across the barnyard with his friend holding onto the tail. His feet raise furrows of barnyard gunk that remind him of a water skier. His friend ends up against the fence, being cautiously approached by the farmer and a hired hand. Since his friend is articulate, he leaves the friend to fend for himself, but not before he stops back at the door to the house to retrieve his three dollars.
These stories are of the type where I did not laugh out loud, and only occasionally emitted a small chuckle. However, my funny bone was constantly stimulated as I imagined the surfer. Another farm type story is when three men purchase some young pigs and try to haul them home in gunnysacks in the back of a station wagon. The pigs get loose and the erratic driving arouses the suspicions of a police officer. If you have ever chased young pigs, you know exactly what was going on inside that car.

Fans of Pat, Retch Sweeney, The Troll, Al Finley and the manic Rancid Crabtree will love this collection! I especially love the chapter where Rancid helps the boys make an ice sled out of an old truck fender and a parachute. This book made me laugh several times throughout, and brought back a lot of my own memories growing up in Washington's timber country. A must-read for any McManus fan!

If by chance you haven't read any of Pat McManus' books yet, I might suggest you start with this one to insure you get hooked for life. If you didn't think that life in the panhandle of Idaho could be funny, your in for a real treat. Here's to you Miss Deets.

I have always thought that Patrick McManus is the funniest writer on the planet. I read his stories when I need to laugh or relax. Sometimes I irritate my wife by reading it in bed. I try not to laugh out loud, but I only succeed in sounding like I am trying to muffle continuous sneezes.

However, not everyone gets it. I have been shocked by watching people read McManus without so much as a smile (though most start snorting like wild pigs on acid) . My only guess is that getting McManus requires a couple things. First, it requires some understanding of his experiences. He absolutely nails all of the stupid things 'outdoors men (outdoors people)' do and think, but don't want anybody to know about. Second, you have to see the self-deprecating aspect of his humor. Third, you can't look for great literature in integrated books. Patrick McManus is an excellent writer, if you see these as independent stories simply collected in a volume. They are meant for adults who want to laugh at themselves. So, If you are willing to or already meet the above three criteria, you will love this book.

By the way, I am a professor of clinical psychology and (other than worrying a little about McManus) I sometimes recommend this and other McManus books. I do this with people who have racing thoughts and anxiety at bedtime, and when I believe they have the necessary experiences to find it funny. It often works quite well. I think of his stories as little pieces of happiness. (Oh, that even makes me sick to hear. Sorry)

I am the guy Pat talks about at the beginning of "Outdoor Burnout" At the time I wrote to him I was sick of the outdoors and nature in general, Pat put it all into perspective for me. Now when I get fed up with bad weather, balky lanterns, leaky tents, and all the other hazards of the great outdoors, I stop and think, "Pat could make a great story out of this".

This novel opens in Sydney, 1845, with the German explorer Voss preparing to cross the Australian continent. This physical aspect of the novel is loosely based on the ill-fated expedition of Ludwig Leichhardt.

Prior to leaving Sydney, Voss meets Laura Trevelyan. Laura is the niece of one of Voss's patrons and is perhaps the only person apart from Voss himself who perceives that his journey is a challenge of will as much as a geographical journey of discovery. Voss and Laura, despite only meeting four times before he departs, form a spiritual bond which strengthens during the course of the novel.

The novel is about discovery, about triumph and about failure. The physical elements of the journey describe many of the challenges facing explorers within central Australia at the time and combines elements of human suffering and religious metaphor.

The intense relationship between Laura and Voss develops during the course of the journey, and is conducted both through letter and telepathy.

This novel can be read as a simple story of an ill-fated expedition. Alternatively, it can be read as one man's challenge to the physical world, and of the good and evil in each of us.

By the end of the novel, the discovery seems clear, the triumphs and the failures are obvious. Or are they? Perhaps it depends on which viewpoint you choose to adopt.

I recommend this novel to anyone who wants to read well written literature which, under the guise of telling a story, invites the readers to confront their own thinking. The choice is yours.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is a deeply sad story of tragic love in Australia's colonial times. Voss, "The German" and Laura, a young Sydney woman, are societal misfits who meet quite awkwardly in drawing room one day. Soon after this meeting, Voss begins his epic journey into the unknown Australian outback. As the journey progresses he realizes his love for Laura and writes her a letter asking for her hand in marriage. She accepts his proposal and a love affair of the minds begins. More letters are written but never received by either party. Amazingly, their love blossoms for each other in a small minded, petty, and class driven society. Sadly, in the end their love is tragically never to be.
I found this book to be extremely well written and deeply moving. I believe that this novel is on par with Bronte's Jane Eyre and I do not understand why it is not on any classical reading lists. There are parts of the book that move somewhat slowly, but each part has its purpose in bringing you deeper into the story. The insights into the human soul are incredibly poignant. If you do decide to give Voss a chance read it slowly and in quite spaces. Soak up the meanings within the writing and enjoy this sad, sad tale.

This epic about a man's journey into the heart of the Australian desert and into his own heart and mind is a classic of modern literature. Johann Ulrich Voss, though he remains always just beyond the reader's grasp as a character, is as memorable as any great figure in modern literature. If Marlow and Kurtz in Heart of Darkness were one man, this would be him.

The novel is also a love story about two people who go beyond the mediocrity of their surroundings to embark on interior journeys where they learn to know themselves and unite with each other in spirit.

For 80% of the novel I was gripped, running home from college to read more and more. My only qualm would be the ending, as the tension dissipates and the last 80 pages or so peter out under the excessive Christian symbolism. But there is no way that a potential reader should be put off by this assessment

Sentence for sentence, word for word, Patrick White is as good a prose stylist as I've ever read. The phrase "tour de force" could have been invented for this book.

Patrick White gained fame as the Australian Nobel prize winner in literature, and as a person with a prickly or what some call a difficult personality. He was educated at Cambridge but then settled and wrote in Australia after World War II. He has about a dozen novels and I have read two of them, the other being The Tree of Man which is set in rural but agricultural Australia, not in the Outback as is Voss.

This is a good novel, and it deserves 5 stars. After a dozen pages or so it becomes clear to the reader that White has an unusual style and he is a gifted writer. There is no question about his writing ability.

This particular story starts off in Sydney in the mid-19th century, and White uses real street names and locations in central Sydney, just east of Darling Harbour. Since the same streets still exist today, his setting and references to the city bring a high degree of realism to the story.

The plot is about a man and a woman who become engaged by mail after meeting. Voss is the man, and he leads a voyage of discovery into the Outback, north and west of Sydney. The plot involves the hardships of the trip, the interaction among the characters travelling with Voss, the natives, and what takes place in Sydney with his fiancee while Voss is away on the trip.

The discouraging feature of White's writing is that the characters seem stiff or cardboard, a bit lifeless. Voss is not a man to show much emotion or talk. So, there are many passages where White simply describes the activities. That gives the book - especially in the middle - a dry feel. This was reinforced for me when I read The Tree of Man where White has a similar strong male protagonist, the farmer; but there, White goes into much more depth with the man's personality in the novel.

The tale has a strong and a surprise ending, and the novel picks up as the story closes.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and would recommend the book. It is not a quick read nor is it compelling stuff to digest, but it is an interesting and well written novel.

Big, powerful novel by a skilled storyteller, a master of the Australian landscape and peoples. In the 1800's the German settler Voss meets Laura Trevelyan in Sydney once or twice, then together with an ill-assorted ragtag of followers he sets off on an ill-fated expedition from Sydney westwards through the Australian desert.

Voss's purpose seems to be to get to 'love the land'. Laura waits in Sydney; she's a thoughtful person, different from the others, aware that Australian white society in those days could be shallow and not in tune with deeper things. When Voss and Laura are not together, the relationship takes place in the mind, with some sort of sixth sense resulting in a synchronisation of feelings. The is cleverly done and works well.

Aboriginals figure strongly - they are part of the land, timeless, noble. But, in the period set in this novel, there is a dark side; through and through they come across as bestial savages. They could help and save Voss, who reaches out to them, but instead they thwart and eventually kill him.

Patrick White won the 1973 Nobel prize for literature, and it's not surprising. But his style in Voss is not always easy; he's always invading his characters' minds and trying too hard to explain every nuance of their thinking. This slows it down. Ideas about 'point of view' have to be put on hold in this novel.

Ultimately though it's an indelible experience, and one is left with haunting images of Australia.

You will forever view your hunting by the moon phases in a different light after reading this book. You will also examine and very likely modify your hunting to improve and increase your harvest successes. Charlie Alsheimer backs up his philosophies and strategies with experience and research. It is not just based on random opinions and limited field experience. This is a "must read" for the serious deer hunter!

For years I chased whitetails during rifle season only hoping that the rut would be on. It rarely was so I picked up bowhunting to extend my season and give me a better chance of catching the rut. I was still sitting in a tree wait for the rut to start. Mr. Alsheimer's insights have helped me greatly. I now can request vacation time to coincide with the rut, scout an area, set up a stand, and be sitting pretty. The past two years have been great thanks to Mr. Alsheimer's help

Let's just cut to the chase: there are a lot of books out there by self-proclaimed "experts" on how to hunt the wily whitetail. Most of them are just re-hashed information that any serious deerhunter already knows (or should). The number of really interesting and innovative books on this subject is low.
In this book, Charles Alsheimer gives us some truly helpful advice--whether or not you buy the moon theory. This is a good book and well-written, to boot.

I believe Mr. Alsheimer is on to something important regarding the autumn cycle of whitetail life, but I am not sure that he has the whole story. The book is based on anecdotal evidence and observations of penned deer. Another author, John Ozoga, writes concerning the effects of age, nutrition, social status, habitat, and population dynamics among the factors influencing the onset and duration of the rut. I do not wish to disparage these observations and anecdotes, he gives sufficient from wide ranging areas to bolster his point; and; anecdotal evidence can, and sometimes does, have the force of experimentation. But then, how would one design more rigorous experiments?

I think that Mr. Alsheimer is a biological pioneer for this theory. He has shown himself to be a keen observer of whitetail life, and has made an important contribution to our understanding of the rut.

This book is, without question, well worth reading.

Charles Alsheimer coveys good usefull information on how the Moon effects Whitetail deer movement and breeding activity. The book moves along a well managed path documenting the ideas based on countless hours of research as well as observation from many an expert hunter. It covers the stages of the rut for North America and suggests times to focus hunting efforts and stratagies to use at these times. I think it's a great addition to any hunter or wildlife enthusiast's library and I can't wait to use some of the information I've learned. Two thumbs up!

Of "our world, our wooden world," as O'Brian wrote in the Nutmeg of Consolation. As an O'Brian devotee who is compiling a quotation book for naval officers and mariners (The Literary Mariner; look for it next year), I have found this Muster Book to be more useful, in its own way, than even Dean King's excellent Sea of Words. King's work is mostly a wonderful timesaver--you needn't hunt up terms in other reference books--but Gary Brown's POB Muster Book is unique and indispensable: no where else will you find the attention paid to and the cross-referenced information on the characters, ships, and animals of the entire Aubrey-Maturin series (what one reviewer called the Aubreyiad, a term I like very much).

Once the book was in hand, for example, I was able very quickly to answer three questions that had been bothering me: was Awkward Davis and Awkward Davies the same man (yes); were the Dumanoirs mentioned separate characters (yes); and what were the names of the various cannon in Surprise.

There is a very useful and succinct summary outlining the entire series, and the lengthy essays on each of the major characters also walks through all the books from that character's perspective (warning: if you haven't read the Aubreyiad through, these will be spoilers). Gary Brown also makes good use of helpful references to biographies (Dean King's and Nikolai Tolstoy's--see my Amazon reviews) and to historical works. This is simply a stunning achievement.

As an academic, I was first introduced to O'Brian by a colleague who thought I might find it interesting to compare O'Brian's works to Jane Austen's. As I did so I became convinced that there was more than a chance connection between the authors' works, but with O'Brian's expansive Aubreyiad, trying to corroborate the simplest connection became so time consuming it was discouraging. I happened across the first edition of this book on Amazon, ordered it, and three published academic articles later, it may well be the most indispensable work in my library. So much so, that when a newer edition came out that included the last few novels O'Brian wrote, I had to have it. I haven't been disappointed. Whether you're a "fan" or an academic, Gary Brown's meticulous research is sure to add to your understanding and appreciation of the genius of Patrick O'Brian.

There are other companion books to Patrick O'Brian's world and works, but none better than this one. Being a foreigner and rather a recent fan, I really need the help of such books to attain at least the merest understanding of what's going on, so I own several others which I enjoyed enormously. However none is so complete and helpful as this one. Most recommendable.

Anthony Gary Brown's "The Patrick O'Brian Muster Book" is truly the ultimate literary companion volume for O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin nautical historical novels. Every serious fan of the series should get a copy. Every named person, animal, ship, or even cannon gets its own entry, very often exploring obscure references (and nicely cross-referencing multiple appearances throughout the series). This new edition of Brown's work covers the entire series, including the twenty-first volume left unfinished at O'Brian's death. It serves to enhance reading (and re-reading) the novels and will provide many hours of pleasant browsing for the serious fan.

I must say that my recent purchase of "PO's Muster Book" is worth the investment. I wish I had bought it sooner.

I am not quite finished with all 20 and 1/2 volumes of the O'Brian 19th century odyssey, having only finished the first 18, but I became an Aubrey/Maturin junkie after reading the first two novels and watching the movie. Comprehending the wealth of people, places and events, real and imagined, combined with a liberal use of foriegn languages was difficult and intimidating. I was often confused, because I didn't readily remember names and places from one chapter to the next.

Fortunately, before I started no. 5, I discovered, through Amazon, the companion books advertized there. I purchased "Sea Of Words", "Harbors And High Seas" and "Patrick O'Brian's Navy". Problem solved. I constantly cross referenced my new literary tools several times a chapter to interpret the rich mix of story and detail woven together in O'Brian's romantic chronology. The downside is that I needed to carry a tote when I went to read at the coffee shop as well as use an extra chair to hold my not so portable library.

Recently, I have added "The Patrick O'Brian Muster Book" and I immediately liked using it. Actually, it could be a "stand alone" companion book, except that it is absent of maps, diagrams, pictures or a commentary on the life and times. I know that this type information is beyond the scope of "Muster" by nature, so, my other books are still important to me, just not needed by the night stand.

That said, I am pleased with the appearance, organization and thoroughness of "Muster". Formatted like Webster's, it is highly informational and allows quick alphabetical access to the who and the where along with the what and the when not as easily accomplished by the other companion books. I can quickly remind myself of the names and places and not lose track of the story in doing so. Additionally, it lists all O'Brian's books with a Cliff Notes style summary and along with each item is the cross reference of all mentions in the series by book and chapter. It has helpful optional references to deliniate the fact from fiction.

While I finish the series and re-read it, as I'm sure I will, "Muster" will be my favorite companion. Now, when I'm reading on the plane, I won't have as much baggage.

Patrick White is one of those rare writers - Well, the only other one that comes to mind is Halldor Laxness - who is able to create great literature out of the seemingly mundane. How he accomplishes this feat is not a simple matter to explain in a review, but it has, in part, to do with what White describes here as the "mysticism of objects, of which some people are initiates." I could say that this is primarily a book about an uneducated fellow in the Australian Outback who clears some land, raises a family and then dies. I would be quite correct, just as correct as I would be in reviewing Laxness' book, Independent People, as a story about sheep. But I would be leaving out, well, thunderbolts like this:

"Iron lace hung from dark pubs, and the heavy smells of spilled beer. Dreams broke from windows. And cats lifted the lid off all politeness." P.22 (in my edition).


But, more importantly, I would be omitting what perhaps can't be included, the deep sense of wonder imbued in the sinews of the work. It makes all modern novels with blurbs such as "ends by exposing the dark forces at play within the heart of man" and such like ring hollow and trite. All forces of the heart, dark and light, are at play throughout the book, from first page to last, but the reader has to let these forces slowly seep into his or her own heart and mind. They aren't emblazoned on a marquee. They aren't easily accessed. But, for that, they are the more dearly prized once they begin to stir one.

It's no great surprise that there are so few reviews here of this quiet, deep work of art. To the average reader, it must come across as ineffably boring, but, for lovers of literature and art, it is moving beyond my ability to convey, moving "with all the appearance of aimlessness, which is the impression that spiritual activity frequently gives." P.397

This is one of the greatest novels ever written. Whites style is always powerful;each word, each paragraph builds vividly in your mind, and within a simple story framework he explores how human ambitions, hopes and dreams are eroded by nature and the eras we live in.
All that occurs is that Stan Parker builds his farm,takes a wife,has two children,lives through flood and drought and sees the area in which he lives expand,grow and change. No one but a supreme master craftsman can illuminate such a plot with such powerful and biblical imagry (man in Eden,the brief hopes,the failings and disallussions of human existence,the reuniting with God)
So powerful was the writing that, when White refered to a sewing machine on a hill late in the book,the image created in my mind some 400 pages earlier of that scene during the great flood instantly came back. White has that unique capability.
And the story rings true for all of us. Stan had his dreams of how things would grow,yet it is things outside our control that thwart these ambitions. Was it his fault Thelma grew up ashamed of her parents and as a prissy shrew? Or that Ray turned out to be a petty hoodlum and ended up being murdered? Something in human nature makes us blame ourselves for other peoples free will.
An extraordinary book.Not for those who like something quick and easy,but definately for anyone who loves literature and wants to be wholly absorbed for the duration of a classic book.

This is a truly extraordinary novel. It demands a certain amount of quiet to be read well. I found myself reading it more like poetry. Because of White's compelling storytelling and writing style, it held my attention despite the fact that very litte happens. Perfect to take on trains, airplanes, or to the beach.

In the tradition of DH Lawrence, Thomas Mann and Halldor Laxness, Patrick White has written a story that teases out the secrets of a family's existence and, in so doing, explores, without ever mentioning them expressly, the issues and mysteries universal to humanity.

The plot could barely be simpler. In the early days of Australia's nationhood a young man and his wife set off into the bush to begin their lives together. They find some land, build a house, have a family, grow old and finally die. Around them the dramas of life unfold: friendships, disasters, disappointments and infidelities. The book is less about them, though, than about the unremarkable moments in between. These times of quietness are White's triumphs. His unhurried prose admits us to the intimacies of the characters, their griefs, their dreams and their successes. We share in the man's unarticulated affinity with the land, the woman's chronic loneliness. We notice how many words are never spoken, how many uncertainties never resolved.

By the end, one sees that the characters' struggles are his struggles. Briefly, perhaps, one's view of life becomes wider than his self, and a larger landscape, if not a plan, crystallises in the world. You finish the last page, close the book and sit still and speechless for a second, as if someone real has died.

I have read two of White's novels: the present work and Voss. The present novel, The Tree of Man, is more complex than Voss, and unlike Voss here the author manages to breath some life into the characters.

Patrick White gained fame as the Australian Nobel prize winner in literature, and as a person with a prickly or difficult personality. He was educated at Cambridge but settled and wrote in Australia after World War II. He wrote about a dozen novels and a biography.

This is a good novel and it deserves 5 stars. After a dozen pages or so it becomes clear to the reader why White is famous: he has an unusual style and he is a gifted writer. There is no question about his writing ability. We see great writing ability in Voss and that skill is present in The Tree of Man.

The story is set in rural farm country in Australia and it follows the life of a young couple through to their deaths at old age. The male protagonist is a bit like the Voss character. In any case, we follow their lives, and the births and lives of their two children, and the lives of a few of their neighbours. The story describes the day to day life of a typical farming couple, along with the problems and challenges of raising children on a small rural farm. The story of the two children are followed into the marriage of the daughter and we follow the troubles of the adult son with the law.

I liked the way White handled the four family members. The lives of the four are realistic and interesting; they are human and one can relate to their actions. The discouraging feature of some of White's writing is that the characters seem stiff or cardboard like. His Voss character was not a man to show much emotion or talk. There are any passages that simply describe Voss's activities in that slightly dry book. The present book is much more complicated and White does a much better job with his characters. They are human and give way to temptations. Each character shows a wide range of human emotions.

Overall, I thought it was a good book and an interesting read and an interesting book to read if you are interested in the works of Patrick White.

A very real drama written by an insane author. Patrick Dillon is a master in his own right. You'll be immersed into an interracial love story between a "white" rebellious artist and a beautiful "black" but somewhat underage schoolgirl. Meanwhile, a war goes on every night on the streets of Harlem. The artist becomes an insurgent, bringing his Vietnam experiences to the streets of New York.

It's an amaizing story about many things that have happened in the best city of the world, in New York.

All I can say is tighten your belt, and get ready for a wild and dizzying and wild through the late 60's, Harlem of the drug wars, and the insane gentrification frenzy of today. It is about all these things but even more it is about a heartbreakingly real character whose life is pummeled by these events but refuses to forget how to love and pays terribly for it in the process. I read it in two impassioned sittings and was totally engrossed. White Nigger is a prophetic work by an author who I believe needs to be read.

I couldn't put this novel down. This guy combines viciousness of Bill Buford with the sex and drunkness of Charles Bukowski. Gripping, educational, and funny. Watch how the powers that be, screw over yet another group of people. Can't wait for the movie verison!

As a northern deer hunter I am delighted with this book. Most of the whitetail deer books out there (at least the managment ones) are based in the south. Ozaga's book rings home with this Michigan guy.
The book is packed with great info on northern deer behavior. The photos are good and the research is sound. I wish there were more out there like it. So far, next to Alsheimer's deer books this is my favorite. I also just found a great northern food plot and habitat book called "Grow 'Em Right" by Dougherty and Dougherty which is right on the money up here in cold country.

It is not often that one encounters a book that answers long standing questions, especially those that arise from the contradictions found in the popular deer hunting press. There is nothing Gee Whiz about Mr. Ozoga, he tells it like he sees it. When he doesn't know he tells you that too. This book is based on 30 years observation and experimentation on white tails at the Cusino Wildlife Research Station and dispels many of the myths and folklore regarding deer.

Be aware, however, that this book is not easy reading, but seems to be based on the discussion and conclusion sections of his research papers. It is approachable and yields to the diligent reader. It is well worth the effort and the price.

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Barton's review.

I have been studying and hunting Whitetail deer for over 30 years and this book actually contains useful information. Too many times books of this sort are centered on some gimmick to kill the big one. This is not the case with Ozoga's work, you will come away with a deeper understanding of the deer's habits, social order and habitat requirements. Especially for the northern deer herd. For anyone who has an interest in Whitetails this is a must read.

Larry Koller's 'Shots at Whitetails' is a book that truly captures the spirit and meaning of deer hunting. The book is filled with many helpful tips and strategies, along with many amusing anecdotes. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hunting whitetail deer. Although some topics are a little outdated, there are foot notes in the margins with up to date information. This book was a pleasure to read, and I enjoyed being brought back to the 1940's to go on a deer hunt with Larry and his buddies.

Also recommended: Big Bucks the Benoit Way by Bryce Towsley, Way of the Whitetail by Leonard Lee Rue III, The Deer Trackers by R.G. Bernier

"Shots at Whitetails", published in 1948, became THE deer-hunting book almost instantly. Larry Koller's clear, straightforward writing based on years of hunting Whitetails in the Adirondacks became the primer for generations of deerhunters.
But things change. Rifles, ammo, laws, clothes, and attitudes keep evolving. Even the deer ranges changed. Prior to 1950, Whitetail deer hunting in the Eastern U.S. meant deep woods hunting. But a short 20 years later deer were in huntable populations thorughout much of the farm country of the Midwest and the sport had a new, much different challenge on the tables.
And of course Koller didn't, and couldn't foresee that, thus didn't write about it. So why give this "re-introduced" book five stars?
Whereas "Shots at Whitetails" was an excellent "hands-on, how-to" book for the Eastern Deer Hunter circa 1950s & 60s, it is also an excellent deer hunting book for any U.S. deer hunter in 2005 -but it's value is now on a different plane, a more charming and elevated plane.
For example, Koller's astute discussion of sighting equipment is solid grounding for any rifleman of any era - a snapshot of where it all was, and came from, and a pleasant, unexpected look into Grampa's days afield. "Peep sights" - You gotta be kidding? But No, they were once a very viable and valuable option - the nuances of which were the topic of more than a few heated discussions back at the deer cabin. And reading of the old deer cabin chores and hunt "mechanics" is just as interesting and educational as the old guns and ammo discussions.
Thus "Shots at Whitetails" - once the " Ultimate How-to" book has become the easy and entertaining, and enlighteniing "magic carpet" that peels away the years to let today's deer hunter relish a few days hunting with Grandad in his prime. It's a grand step back beyond ourselves to the place we came from. That's why five stars.

This book is the best deer hunting book in print for the Northeast still hunter. Written in the 40's, not much has changed. Big bucks still live the way they always have in these woods and the hunting tatics have not changed.

If you are a tree stand hunter hunting in farmland or small tracts, this is not the book for you.

If you hunt in the big woods, this is an excellent resource.

I really enjoyed this book. Well written and informative. Fun to read. I know I've read a good book if I keep referring back to it in my mind after I've read it. I particularly enjoyed the decoying sections. Well done.

Thank you Gary for this book. I bought it at the close of last falls hunting season and poured over it till this season. It took my calling to a higher plain than I ever imagined.
One area where I might humbly dissagree with you is the snort/wheeze call. I used the snort/wheeze in conjunction with an aggravated grunt and called in my biggest deer to date.
Everything in this book is gold. I've got twenty-five years of hunting under my belt and this distills the very essence of effectively calling deer.
Thanks again

Gary Clancy is probaly the world's best authority on decoying deer. If you have been wondering how decoying deer might work for you, or if you want to try it and are not really sure of the what type of scenario to set up or when to to try it, this book is for you.