The Sportsman's Bedside Book

[SussexMan]

Very recently acquired the above in an antique shop in Sussex very cheaply. BB is, as expected, a real delight when covering the rural wildlife in authentic great depth. This book concentrates on fox-hunting and wildfowling exploits but as usual with BB it is the observations of the details he witnesses that are the reader's real reward. BB's fishing approach always sounded rather genteel and I now suspect that this was because he regarded wildfowling as his true calling. It really is astonishing to read of his setting off on bitter winter nights and crawling through frost and mud for hundreds of yards in order to avoid alarming his quarry, often with an unsuccessful outcome.

[Dave Burr]

Very recently acquired the above in an antique shop in Sussex very cheaply. BB is, as expected, a real delight when covering the rural wildlife in authentic great depth. This book concentrates on fox-hunting and wildfowling exploits but as usual with BB it is the observations of the details he witnesses that are the reader's real reward. BB's fishing approach always sounded rather genteel and I now suspect that this was because he regarded wildfowling as his true calling. It really is astonishing to read of his setting off on bitter winter nights and crawling through frost and mud for hundreds of yards in order to avoid alarming his quarry, often with an unsuccessful outcome.

BB's passion for wildfowling flows through his writings and the descriptions of creeping around the marshes are incredibly atmospheric. His Countryman's Bedside Book is another fascinating way to spend your time - mermaids and all.