Recreation Books

Absolutely the best, most accurate and most user friendly book ever published on worldwide ski resorts. Wish they would print an updated version but this is still worth purchasing.

This was an invaluable guide for going to europe and enjoying some classic and wonderful skiing. The book was so worth the cost that I packed it with me to review plans for the next day while we ski bummed through the french and italian alps. The book pulls together the information you can find and gives a real experience feel to it. It also allows you the freedom to be able to travel on your own without a group, it also allows you to take a trip to europe for less than a resort in the US! Great book, great time.

Trust me on this one folks. If you have gotten this far, pulled up this ski guide and are reading this review, just save your time and order the book immediately. While on sabbatical from a corporate job last winter I skied in Europe at 28 resorts over 4 months and used this guide exclusively. It was simply invaluable for the complex decision making required when laying out a ski trip especially if you have flexibility in choosing resorts. The layout and design of the book is first rate and gives 1 to 5 star ratings by resort for snow, size, terrain (expert, intermediate, beginner), food, liftlines, scenery, resort charm and off slope activities. The uncannily accurate judgement of the editors on these many points really clinches the value of this book. (Why are you still reading?) The book is about 70% Europe, 20% USA, and 10% rest of the world. There is an enlightening write-up on Europe vs. US ski experience differences. There is a synopsis of the skiing peculiarities of each country. There are useful high level road maps showing the geographical location of each resort. In the front section of the book there is an excellent matrix synthesis of the top 100 or so resorts for a high level view of where you might want to go. There are just enough small but clear trail maps to be useful but not cluttered. There are some accomodation listings with punchy accurate quotes from recent visitors. Because of the high efficient layout and design, all this info is easily accessible and clear.

The book is missing pricing info which is a bit of a gap but everything else is done so well its hardly a complaint. There are some real bargains to be had, especially in Italy and Austria, and less so in Switzerland and France. ... The pricing gap can be resolved by calling the local tourism boards for the resort you are interested in or accessing the local websites. Most of the tourism contact info is in the book also.

The guide is even aesthetically pleasing....very much so.....with nicely placed original small high end (whew!)photographs from some of the resorts giving a pleasant intuitive feel for the area you might be choosing. If you are planning a ski trip in N. America or Europe, buy this guide. Highly Recommended

With all the resources on skiing available on the web, printed guidebooks have almost become obsolete. Resort web sites and ski portals such as DCSki typically provide most of the information found in guidebooks. Web sites also contain up-to-the-minute information on weather and conditions plus timely reviews and firsthand accounts for just about every ski resort on the planet. Finally, many web sites are true communities of practice, places where devotees to snow sports come together and exchange information and ideas.

With that being said, I must confess that I have finally found a guidebook worth purchasing. Where to Ski and Snowboard Worldwide is the ultimate reference for those contemplating a ski trip to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The book features full length chapters on every major destination resort in Europe plus additional chapters covering major resorts in the rest of the world, including the U.S. and Canada. Within each chapter, a reader will find a general review of the resort; a description of slopes for each ability level; and a guide to accommodations, dining, and aprés ski.

Readers will appreciate the no-nonsense candor of this book. At the beginning of each chapter, the guide provides a 1-5 star rating for various aspects of the resort ranging from slopes to aprés ski, and also a quick list of pluses and minuses for each resort. The authors, for example, give Courchevel lots of stars for snow, slopes, and lifts, but only two stars for charm. In its plus/minus matrix, the authors note that Courchevel has "extensive, varied local terrain to suit everyone from beginners to expert," but then notes in the minus column that the resort is "expensive," and that its villages are "soulless." In short, Where to Ski calls the shots where it sees them, offering both compliments and criticisms for each resort profiled.

Where to Ski also offers a nifty "Mountain Facts" sidebar in each chapter that allows one to quickly compare resorts by benchmarks such as skiable vertical in both meters and feet, number of lifts, and kilometers/miles of trails. There is also a "resort ratings at a glance" section at the beginning of the book that brings together the ratings the book gives to each resort in an easy to read table format. If that were not enough, the book provides 200 resort photos, 125 full color trail maps, 70 scale village plans, and general maps for most of the world's major ski regions.

The major weakness of the guide is that it is very Eurocentric. The majority of the 400 resorts covered in detail are in Europe, primarily in the Alps. The book devotes a mere 38 chapters to resorts in the United States, and only four East Coast resorts receive chapter-length treatment: Killington, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, and Sunday River. I nearly returned the book when I did not find a single Mid-Atlantic venue listed in the table of contents. Shame on Reuters! How can this book devote a chapter to ski resorts in Romania and not mention the great skiing of West Virginia and Pennsylvania?

On the plus side of the matrix, what the books lacks in its North American coverage, it more than makes up for in its coverage of Europe. Furthermore, the guide does a superb job of comparing skiing on both continents with an introductory chapter entitled, "Transatlantic differences." From it, I learned that few resorts in North America possess skiable vertical greater than 3,330 feet whereas some of the biggest European resorts offer verticals of over 6,600 feet. The large resorts in Europe also dwarf the biggest resorts in North America in terms of ski terrain. On the other hand, it snows much more in North America, and North American resorts have far more advanced and comprehensive snowmaking than anything found in Europe. There are many other differences that this book describes, but you will have to purchase the book to get a complete rundown.

Whether or not this book will be useful to you depends on what type of skier you are. This doesn't mean what ability level, but whether or not you cherish the same things that the writers of the book do: good snow, good trails, good atmosphere ("charming village"), and most amusingly, good lunches. (Maybe it's because they're Brits, but these guys love a serious meal in the middle of their day and will mark it as a real minus if the resort has bad food!)
Basically, the book is fantastic. It's well organized, well laid out, and crammed full of carefully researched descriptions. If they don't have info about a particular aspect of a place, for example, the ski schools, they will say so upfront. But this is a rare occurance; usually they have clear, concise and dead-on accurate information about resorts literally worldwide. They know their own preferences well enough to state them clearly, so that you can easily figure out how your take on things compares to the authors'.
As another amazon reviewer suggested, reading the reviews of resorts that you've skied will give you a standard from which you can guage their perspective. They review trails for all levels: beginner, intermediate (see below) and expert. They are particularly good at breaking up that catch-all term "intermediate", and describing trails at different resorts as appropriate for the "aggressive" intermediate or "timid" intermediate.
I would not suggest reading this book on the fly; there is just too much information in there. Read through it before you plan your trip, if you want to get the most out of your time and money.

This book is one stop shopping for parents and coaches. In simple language with ample case studies, Whose Game Is It Anyways, covers everything, positive and negative, that adults need to know when working with youth in sports. Everything from child developmental psychology to difficult conversations with coaches and parents is covered in a no nonsense manner. I refer to this book often in a workshop I call "For the Love of the Game".

Disclosure: I'm personally acquainted with one of the authors.

For parents who have kids who aren't particularly athletic, this book can be an entertaining read, but it's not intended to show parents how to make athletes out of kids who have no aptitude or interest. I have no children at all, but I did enjoy reading the book for its anecdotes and insights.

The book's authors, clinical psychologists with plenty of hands-on experience coaching youth, give authority to common sense ideas that many well-read, psychologically sophisticated parents tend to honor more often in the breach than the observance. One hopes that this book will stimulate such parents -- who, no matter how intelligent, frequently fail to appreciate the intensity of the pressures besetting young people -- to more thoughtfully evaluate the actual influence of organized athletic activities on the development of their children.

The book is commendable for its relaxed, informal style and its refusal to prescribe bromides so typical of "self-help" books. There are no easy fixes for the myriad problems associated with growing up. But this book contains valuable advice to parents to assist them in helping their children who are involved in organized sports to (1) maximize the value of their positive experiences, and (2) acquire a healthy perspective towards the negative experiences that are an inevitable component of childhood.

I think this book is great. As the mother of two young girls, both of whom are participating in sports, I am grateful for the guidance it offers. Sports have played a hugely beneficial role in my own life and I want the same for my daughters. I intend to re-read it every year, and have ordered several for all my friends with kids!

This book is helping me and my son to conquer the obstacles that are set in his way. This book is helping him to follow his dreams and have fun playing the sports that he loves. It is helping me with my role as a parent of an athletic child. I am so glad for the publication of this book. I could have used it 5 years ago. At times things can get very difficult; that is why we need this book to help us through our problems. The book should be mandatory for every person involved in the development of an athletic child.

As a clinical psychologist, sports fan and father of 3 young children, I found this book to be an extraordinary resource for any parent who wants their children to get the most out of sports, at any age. It is an extremely well written and organized book by a leading expert in the field of sports psychology and child development. I highly recommend it.

Last I checked, website Grips Etc was still selling new copies of this book for $35. So before you drop $240+ on a used copy, I suggest you investigate that avenue.

Not quite a coffee table volume, but more than a mere history, this is easily the most comprehensive, thoroughly illustrated, and ambitious history of the sport I've ever encountered. With its play-by-play of every major gymnastics event, it threatens to be TOO detailed. But who can really complain, especially when there's so much interesting stuff on offer (particularly the fascinating "where are they now" interviews with the legends of the sport)? And it's all printed on glossy white paper. Classy.

Book has some drawbacks. There isn't an index, which is a sin considering there's 400 pages of detailed text to sort through. The prose is frustratingly passive in tone and, at times, chaotically arranged (quoting paragraphs-long passages from other sources really breaks the flow). This robs the book significantly of dramatic power. The photography is good, but not breathtaking, and most of the images are relatively small, which might frustrate fans seeking something more, er, coffee-tably. In other words, this is a history for fans of 1966-1974 gymnastics only--which must be a very small audience indeed.

But that small audience will be hugely impressed. You realize how special this book is when you consider how most gymnastics history books today are just heavily authorized biographies, "inspirational" works that, quite honestly, are very dull (the only really good reads lately have been those that criticize the sport--at least there's *drama* when things go horribly wrong). It amazes me that there is a void that has yet to be filled for a great illustrated history of gymnastics (even the International Gymnastics Federation has failed to address that, preferring to put out coffee table photo books that are frustratingly devoid of detail--more propaganda works peppered with inspirational writing than real histories).

So, this book stands alone. There's never been anything like it--making the fact that the sequels seem fated never to materialize all the sadder. The thing really is (almost) worth $240. But go to Grips Etc. first for your $35 copy anyway. ;-)

The most wonderful women's gymnastics book written.
I have been waiting for a long time for volume II, and that is the ONLY dissapointing thing about this book. Worth every cent.
Mr. Simons----please put out Volume II soon!!!!

It just does not get any better than this. This book is an absolute must for any gymnastics fan. I bought it as soon as it was published and do not understand why volume 2 is not yet available. I understand four volumes were originally planned. I really hope they will be out soon.

For those who dispair that there are no books for the gymnastics fan written for an average age above 10, here is your book! I love the sport as a fan. Beyond back issues of gymnastics magazines, it is hard to find good information. This book is excellent! It describes in detail the competitions, routines, and competitors of its time. My only disappointment is that it ends in 1974, and I have yet to see Volume 2 hit the shelves. A great read!

For all you fans of women's gymnastics, this is the book you have been waiting for! It leaves no stone unturned in the gymnastics happenings between 1966-1974. We see the descriptions, both in word and in Code of Points illustrations, of the routines performed by famous gymnasts such as Caslavska, Tourisheva, Rigby, Korbut, Zuchold, Janz, and many others. The pictures are terrific! So are the bio's.

This book takes you back to the glory days when women's gymnastics was performed by WOMEN, not by anorexic teenaged dwarves. In fact, it inspired me to resume gymnastics after an 18-year hiautus!

I got in touch recently with Mr. Simons, the author, to order Volume II, but it has not yet been released. Please do so immediately, sir!! So many people are waiting eagerly for it!

My son is in his 3rd year of wrestling, and my husband helps coach him and some other boys in the program (they are part of AAU youth wrestling). They both have gotten a lot out of this book that neither one really "got" at practice. There have been a lot of "oh...so that's why that move hasn't worked for me" stuff like that. Great book, glad we got it.

the wrestling drill book is a great tool for any coach at any level from youth wrestling to varsity. easy to understand from start to finish. a must have drill book.

As the editor and author of "The Wrestling Drill Book," I first want to thank the wrestling community throughout the country for nationwide acceptance of the book. It's a no nonsense, "cut to the chase" book that emphasizes the importance of drill work and perfecting wrestling moves in the neutral, bottom, and top positions. The book fundamentally teaches the science of "memorization," physical memorization of move development in the mat sport.
One hall of fame coach put it bluntly, "If I have to yell at you what to do, it's probably too late. A wrestler must react to situations, not think and then react. The Wrestling Drill Book stresses this doctrine, along with the importance of 'hip position' in all areas of the sport."
I, as the editor and author, was very fortunate to secure the expertise of some of the finest "drill work" technicians in the country, with many, many years of coaching success to back their methods of training.
Chapter 7 demonstrates how to incorporate "drill work" into the daily wrestling practice format, and much more. The final segment of the chapter gives the astute coach and dedicated wrestler a solid framework for off-season activities that will complete their development into championship wrestlers.
Finally, I want to share with all wrestling enthusiasts [...]

"Wrestling USA Magazine understands the value of THE WRESTLING DRILL BOOK to aid and assist the wrestling coach and wrestler to build championship programs. We have run several excerpts in WUSA to get out to the wrestling world this valuable information found in Welker's book."

Lanny Bryant
Editor-In-Chief
Wrestling USA Magazine

"The Wrestling Drill Book" is a comprehensive guide for wrestlers at the youth and high school levels. The guide is easy-to-follow, with excellent photo diagrams explaining moves, positions and drills. For those of us who believe 'visualization' is a crucial aspect of wrestling, you couldn't have a better book to read and review.

Craig Mathew's brief but detailed writings for each water is just great and stating plain facts. It's even just fun to read. Also, his store "Blue Ribbon Flies" is probably the best in West Yellowstone. Fly-fishing guides are very experienced and the store has lots of fly-tying material in high grades. I also recommend to review Craig's other book "Fly Fishing the Madison". That's also well-written with his smooth and detailed explanation. SY

Craig Matthews gives you great information and helps the reader pick and choose where to fish in YNP. With Matthews knowledge of the Park and insect activity it's hard to go wrong with this book. Great information on hatches,locations and whether the hike is worthwhile to take make this a great book. If you are planning on fishing YNP you need this book. I would also purchase his dvd on fishing Yellowstone National Park and on fishing the Madison.

This guide provides very detailed information on the rivers, streams and lakes in Yellowstone National Park, the fly hatches and terrestrials found on each (by month of year) and the best patterns to fish with. It also shows which fishing areas can be accessed by car and which require a long hike. I found it invaluable for planning a fly fishing trip to Yellowstone.

The "Go to Book" for fishing in the Park. Has all the information one needs to find "backcountry waters" as well as the "hotspots". I've fished Montanna for the last 7 years, but have never fished in the Park until last year. This book cut the learning curve by a considerable margin. Not only does he unleash his considerable knowledge of the "spots". He is very complete in informing the angler of the certain flies and times of the year to use them. I read this book practically every time I sit down to the flybench. Just to jog my memory on what to prepare for the coming trip. I wsih I had bought this years ago and fished the park alot earlier in my years. Could have cut alot of corners! Thanks Craig---great job!

This book is easy to use and extreamly useful. It splits the park up into four regions, tells you where (or not to) fish, and where to start looking in your flybox. I have used it the last 3 or 4 years and will use it as long as I vacation in Yellowstone. I have looked at several books on fishing in Yellowstone and this is by far the best that I have found.

In this age of video games and cartoons, its wonderful to see a room full of 80 second grade students fascinated for a full hour by Matt Travares reading his old fashioned tale about baseball and describing the writing process. No technology can replace the power of a good book!

The plot of ZACHARY'S BALL is basic enough: it tells the story of Zachary and his father attending a baseball game, Zachary's father catching a ball, and the dream that the young man has when he falls asleep. Tavaraes accomplishes three things in this book. First, he beautifully tells the story of a touching father/son memory. He also writes about his love of baseball. Perhaps the book's greatest accomplishment is the way in which he brings Fenway Park and the Red Sox to life. The Red Sox are one of the more magical and mythical teams in baseball and fit well into Tavares' tale.

Young readers will love the book, but it will definitely touch a chord with Red Sox fans young and old.

Like all good baseball stories, this one is a little corny. The somewhat smarmy illustrations tell a story better appreciated by adults than by kids, about nostalgia and Fenway Park. This book is sure to be most popular in the Boston area, but all baseball fans may enjoy its hopeful tone.

Matt has captured the magic of attending a game at Fenway Park in splendid fashion. It brought back warm memories of attending my first Red Sox game with my father almost 25 years ago. With a sweet story and the amazing drawings, this is a must-read book for any young kid. It will surely start a love affair with the game of baseball.

I often read these reviews, but I've never written one before... I got this for my 4 1/2 year old boy and he loves it. I'm not a big baseball fan, but I get choked up every time I read "Zachary' Ball." I've just ordered more copies to have on hand for gifts. The sense of innocence, magic and timelessness remind me of "The Polar Express." I look forward to more from Matt Tavares.

I am the Publisher of Zee Bees. Roger Staubach, one of America's superlative athletes, has recommended the book. I pass along his comments to all readers who may be interested;

"Zee Bees took me vividly back to my football days...the hard work, the bruises, the excitement, the camaraderie, the emotional ups and downs, ...it's all there. This is an inspirational book that teaches the lessons that team sports teaches so well...how to establish goals, stick to it, work together, ...and succeed! I highly recommend Zee Bees for readers of all ages!"

Roger Staubach
Heisman Trophy Winner Navy 1963
ALL Pro Quarterback Dallas Cowboys

"Zee Bees" by Bob Osman is an exceptional read. The story about a group of young people, a football team and their friends(girl friends and teammates)is a great portrayal of growing up in America in the 50's. It has many lessons about friendship and working for your goals that would serve any generation of young people. Once you start reading the book you can't put it down. I recommend it to young people of any age. You will enjoy it. My son and daughters read it and enjoyed the story and it was not just because their mother is the girl that swept Bob off his feet in the book and the star center on the team is their uncle. It is a good story and one all of us can relate to regardless of the generation in which we grew up.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I had a general idea of what the book was about but once I started reading it brought me back to a place that I have never been, and really never even heard about growing up. You see my dad is Paul Jackola and reading this book showed me how different values and team work was before my teen age years. We all expect things and back then you had to work for them. This book is something that all kids should read, make them think of how it used to be, how it is now and what they can do for the future. This book will be read by my 3 children and then it will be brought to the local schools for teachers to read and hope to teach a lesson for all children of today.

As a foreign exchange student at Zion-Benton in 1961-62 - 7 years after Bob Osmon graduated - I was delighted to read his book about the team and the coach that set out to win the championship - and did! - against formidable foes like Lake Forest and New Trier. You don't need to understand the rules and tactics of American football (I frankly don't) to enjoy this fascinating story. And you don't need to know Zion - which springs to life even 50 years later - because this could be any small community anywhere in the USA. A book for grown-ups and youngsters - everyone will want to immerse themselves in this tale of challenge, frustration, team building - and winning.

This is an excellent book. I couldn't put the book down! It tells about how people lived in this small town of Zion, IL and the values they had which rubbed off in their high school students. It tells about the football team who had their dreams of championship and persevered toward it. The high school students had respect for their coach no matter how they were treated, they could see, they all had one goal in mind. That is pretty difficult for teenagers, sometimes. The book will make you laugh and cry and bring you right into that small town. The descriptions of the football games and the sights of that town are so real! This book should be read by everyone who wants to make a difference in thier lives by overcoming any problem. Work hard and have respect.

This is my third copy of the Cosmic Ray book; the other copies have been "borrowed" and not returned. The maps are amusing, and it fits into a jacket pocket pretty easy...Good book if you like a cartoon type picture.

I have both hiking books--Best of Phoenix and Best of Flagstaff/Sedona. In fact, I am on my second copy of both as I have lent my first Phoenix copy to a friend (it disappeared) and wore out the first copy of my the Flagstaff/Sedona book. The maps are easy to follow and the topographical maps are awesome. Whenever I go hiking, I have two little girls (ages 1 and 4) in tow, so it is necessary to know the terrain inside and out before ever leaving home... Cosmic Ray is so detailed and so accurate that I never worry about being misinformed. Buy a copy for yourself and buy one for a friend... That way yours won't go missing!

Just got back from Arizona- and we used this book extensively as it was easy to read, the maps accurate, and the book is quite entertaining. My 6 year old son stated that the Lava River Cave trail "changed his life" (in a good way). The trail trips turned out to be the highlight of our trip!! The authors advise is excellent and the designation of level of difficulty is on target.

This is it...look no further...

Trail maps and information as well as local business area beta....covers all the well-known hikes and even some of the lesser known...

A must hiking guide for Northern Arizona.

Both Sedona and Flagstaff are covered....the book is stout and put together very well; this sturdiness provides needed protection in your pack!!

As a transplanted Montanan, I don't trust much advice on hiking in Arizona. I thank you for the Favorite Hikes book. I used to hike in the Glacier and Bozeman area but have been out of the action for a few years since moving to Flagstaff and having a baby. I have found this guide to be accurate and reliable when planning hikes with my son and/or dog. Thanks again. Buying this book is the best 10 bucks I ever spent.

"This is the first time I have enjoyed a golf instructional book so much! Just simple common sense". Mike Arsenault, Rosemere,QC

"My fear of sand bunkers was playing havoc with my game. After reading the ABC's of golf's bunker chapter, I realized what I was doing...I was stopping for a 'coffee break'as you stated. Now when I land in the bunker, I just tell myself "NO COFFEE BREAK" and follow through. It really works."

Kay Haggert, Dorval QC

"I appreciate the simple basic approach that your book takes to the game. Too often authors try to teach their readers to adapt to their particular style of play; whereas you recognize that not everyone has the same physical abilities and encourage the reader to take this into account. Your book should be able to help me knock 3 or 4 strokes off my score and perhaps enjoy the game even more than I do now".

Sam Chaif,Technical Service Rep.Alliance products Inc., Montreal,QC

Dan Kirby's book, "The ABC's of Golf," does what golf books should do, but don't. His book is simple, easy to understand, and is loaded with common sense. The hight light of Dans book is that he keeps the point sharply focused on the original goal of golf....and that is to have fun and enjoy yourself. Jim McLellan, golf professional...

The author, Dan Kirby, goes through the normal steps of teaching golf but he also goes much further. He delves into the mental and spiritual aspects of the game that are rarely addressed in other instructional books. He has taught me to relax and stop trying so hard. The game of golf, in my mind, is 25% mechanical and 75% mental. He focuses on the mechanical side of golf of course, but more importantly, he explains the importance of concentration, the enjoyment of playing golf and just being alive. This new outlook on golf that I learned from reading Dan's book has greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the game and has shaved a couple of strokes off my scorecard!!

The Complete Angler - Izaak Walton and Chalres Cotton

This book deserves a place in a collection of great angling books, such as those of John Geirach, Henry Middleton and Scott Waldie. It is really two books and an odd sort of middle section on property rights and fishing (funny how some issues have not changed much since the late 17th century). It has some wonderful discourses on not just fishing but the lifestyle and philosophy of fishing. There are some sections and descriptions that can be tedious but they minor compared to the overall wonderful dialogue of the majority of the book.

The first section is written by Izaak Walton and, to me, was Canterbury Tales-esque, is it's older English language (which is entertainingly preserved) and its format. Three travelers - a fisherman (angler), hunter and falconer meet. In the course of discussing the merits of their activities the angler convinces the hunter to come along fishing with him (after seeing a hunt with hounds). Over the course of a few days on the rivers of England, the angler turns the hunter to the quiet joys of angling. He goes through the fish in England and all the baits and methods of fishing for them as well as how to prepare each of them. I had never through of carp of chubs and fish to eat, but after some of the descriptions in this book, I may have to give the a second look someday. The first book is as much of a celebration of the social and contemplative nature of angling as it is descriptions and methods of fishing. Interspersed are encounters with the local farmers, milker and inn-keepers as well as the talking over of the days activities among friends. But the highlight of this first section, and in my opinion the entire book, is the parting words of the angler to the hunter of how angling is a life philosophy that departs sharply from the hustle and bustle of the capitalist life. The first book is replete with references to early Christianity and its admonitions against looking to wealth for happiness.

There is an odd middle section about property rights and fishing which serves as a rather odd bridge to Charles Cotton's section. This book focuses on fishing for trout and graylings in a small section of England. If found the wordy descriptions of the flies by month to be tedious and the lack of philosophical discussion of fishing to be a little disappointing of an end.

Five days of fishing along the river Lea which joins the Thames near London is the background on which the cheerful narrative of The Compleat Angler is laid. The splendid civil conversation of Latin named Piscator, Venator, Auceps, Viator, and Piscator Junior is a joy to hear. Shakespeare was just publishing his first work when Izaak Walton was born in 1593 in Stafford. Walton retired in his early fifties and traveled about rural England visiting friends, fishing, and writing in his easy-going fashion. After publication of The Compleat Angler in 1653 he continued to add to it in his leisurely way for the next quarter century. Samuel Johnson praised the book in the eighteenth century and later Charles Lamb recommended The Compleat Angler to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 'It breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of heart,' he noted. 'It would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it; it would Christianise every angry, discordant passion; pray make yourself acquainted with it.'
The Compleat Angler is a true classic of English literature that owes it's esteem not to advice about fishing but to Izaak Walton's pre-occupations and exquisite manner. Subtitled The Contemplative Man's Recreation the pages glow with delight in the hills and dales, woods and streams of the beloved countryside. Walton conveys a message of meek thankful fellowship and peace to all "honest, civil, quiet men". 'The Compleat Angler is not about how to fish but about how to be,' said novelist Thomas McGuane. 'Walton spoke of an amiable mortality and rightness on the earth that has been envied by his readers for three hundred years.'

This is surely one of the earliest books available to the modern angler. But it's worth distinguishing 'anglers' from 'fishermen'. I take 'anglers' to be people who go after fish for fun or sport or pleasure and 'fishermen' to be people who go after fish for work.

The first thing to be said about Izaak Walton's book, is that it is a play followed by a text book. The second thing, is that it's in a foreign language even to the English, because it was first published in 1653 when the author was 60. A ripe old age in England in those days.

Walton was essentially a biographer. He got paid for it - often commissioned as a good artist might. He wrote 'The Life of Donne' - a poet who even I've heard of. He's alleged to have been a prosperous merchant, but it doesn't really matter. Great angling writers like Richard Walker were engineers. Old school writers like George Skues, were public school educated solicitors in London practices who took the train to the chalk streams of Winchester in Hampshire at weekends, tying flies as they went.

The play concerns three people who meet by chance and get into conversation about their interests. They're travelling at a walk, and so they lighten their journey with convoluted conversation. Before long, it develops into a bit of a competition. Walton is the angler (Piscator). Another gentleman is keen on falconry (Venator) and yet another is keen on hunting (Auceps).

If you tire of 17th century banter, skip forward to the chapters on each particular species of fish, which will ring true immediately. To me it's a revelation that these friendly old fish will still fall for the same tricks as Walton was playing on their ancestors over 350 years ago.

Three hundred fifty years ago Izaak Walton wrote of the curious blend of inner peace and giddy excitement which the amateur naturalist finds at streamside. He invites us to stroll with him through the countryside, discussing the mythology, superstition, and the science of England's aquatic fauna. It is an unrushed journey, though we often arise at sunrise, and the author introduces us to many of the local inhabitants. Indeed, if our fishing is successful, we might exchange our catch for the song of a pretty milkmaid. The Compleat Angler is a brief book, and Walton's intent is to hook the reader, and encourage him to try fishing for himself: "I do not undertake to say all that is known...but I undertake to acquaint the Reader with many things that are not usually known to every Angler; and I shall leave gleanings and observations enough to be made out of the experience that all that love and practise this recreation, to which I shall encourage them." Interestingly, Walton starts off on the defensive, since the fisherman's passion was even then caricatured. By the end the reader has joined the "Brotherhood of the Angle," making artificial flies and enjoying the poetry of fishing: "The jealous Trout, that low did lie, Rose at a well-dissembled fly." To the modern ear Walton's literal belief in naturalists' old wives tales may seem humorously anachronistic, and it comprises a remarkably large part of his affection for his subject. We are also frequently reminded of the book's timeline with comments such as "...the Royal Society have found and published lately that there be thirty and three kinds of Spiders," while we now know that there are thirty thousand species of Arachnids. And the Brotherhood of the Angle is a genuine fraternity to Walton, "...I love all Anglers, they be such honest, civil, quiet men." The prospective reader must also be disabused of the misconception that Walton was a purist for artificial lures; he strongly recommends worms, minnows, and live flies. In Walton's watery world there is no dry humor, only fresh. Following his description of the twelve most effective artificial flies he says, "Thus you have a jury of flies likely to betray and condem all the Trouts in the river." And here he compares the beautiful coloration of a living trout to...well, you'll see: "Their bodies [are] adorned with such red spots, and...with black or blackish spots, as give them such an addition of natural beauty as, I think, was never given to any woman by the artificial paint or patches in which they so much pride themselves in this age." At the risk of taking some of the surprise out of the book, I here present a sample of Walton's fishing secrets: "Take the stinking oil drawn out of Polypody of the oak by a retort, mixed with turpentine and hive-honey, and anoint your bait therewith, and it will doubtless draw the fish to it." I would guess that Walton wasn't much of a cook, however, and I do not recommend his recipe for eel (partially skinning it, packing the viceral cavity with nutmeg and anchovy, cutting off the head, slipping the skin back over the body, and sewing it together where the head formerly was, then barbecuing it on skewers). Walton's affection for fish and fishing extends beyond the aquatic nobility of trout and salmon, to the often ignored commoners: gudgeons, sprats, bleaks, herns, tench, roach, umber, loach, and sticklebag. And as for the importance of fishing in Walton's world: "I envy not him that eats better meat than I do, nor him that is richer, or that wears better clothes than I do; I envy nobody but him, and him only, that catches more fish than I do."

Walton uses the perspective of an enthusiastic angler to promote a lifestyle of reflectiveness, gentle humor, and appreciation for nature. The book is easy to read, despite being first published in the 1600s.
The Coachwhip Publications reprint edition (ISBN 1930585209) is inexpensive and contains Cotton's "Part 2," written at Walton's request for the fifth published edition of "The Compleat Angler."