Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How about more on the old gunwriters?

The recent postings on Elmer Keith and Jack O'Connor sparked my interest. I have many of the books both these men wrote and feel they were not as far apart as is often portrayed. Ken Howell was kind enough to share some interesting information regarding these two famous writers. I would be interested to hear about other well-known gun scribes like Skeeter Skelton, Col. Charles Askins, Bill Jordan, John Amber, and others if anyone feels comfortable sharing their personal rememberances.

All the above were esteemed friends.

Quite a spread!

� Charlie was often charming and likable but was no man to admire.
� Skeeter had much to admire, much to regret.
� John was an incomparable conversationalist and confidant � one of the deepest and most erudite men whom I've ever known.
� Bill was my favorite hunting partner, even over Ken Waters � the most fun to be with, and the quickest wit.

I wish that everybody here could've known 'em.

And so many other out-standing fellows, with pleasantly few exceptions (about whom the less said, the better).

And so many others whom I wish that I'd known.

Memories!

Blessings!

Regrets!

To the extent you feel comfortable, Ken; could you elaborate on your comment about Skeeter Skelton? There seems to be a dirth of information on him as a person.

Skeeter and I were scheduled several times to hunt together, but he was never able to make it � some persistent personal problem. I'll never forget my aching regret and loss. He was a grand guy, a very skillful writer and tormented man, with a captivating dry wit and never a pity party. I never knew what bothered him so.

"Ken, I owe you something," he said to me sorrowfully the last time I chatted with him, "but I can't remember what."

"No, Skeets, you don't owe me anything."

"Oh, yes, I do." He persisted, and finally went away unconvinced.

He didn't owe me anything but thought that I was just being nice about it.

Very interesting. Skeeter is one of my all-time favorite writers and I treasure my collection of his works.

There are people still in the publishing industry who knew, or met, Skeeter Skelton.
A couple will on occasion mention a tendency later in life toward a fondness for self-medication, as it's termed in some counseling circles.
That does not mean drugs, it does not imply mental illness, and beyond it I won't go any further.

We all have our own problems and our own ways of dealing with them.
Skelton touched a lot of people, led an interesting life in interesting times, and left a great firearms legacy behind.
Those are the things he should be respected & honored for.

Denis

Ditto and Amen!

EIP Skeeter, gone much too soon!

� and fondly remembered by many �

How about the famous Jeff Cooper? He seemed like a very interesting person.

Back in the 70's and early 80's there was a gunwriter that I used to enjoy reading, to the extent that I couldn't wait until the next issue came out, to see what he wrote next. His name was Jan Stevenson, and he wrote the Handgunning column in "Guns" magazine. A series of columns that I enjoyed in particular was his micro-analysis of the various ways a 1911 pattern pistol can be carried, from Condition "0" to Condition "13".
I heard that he left for Great Britain, and wrote for,or published a handgun magazine over there.
Another writer that I enjoyed was George C. Nonte. Also Bob Milek, a good guy that we have discussed here in the past.

Anybody read much of Russell Annabell's work?

I have a few of his articles in my library. Another entertaining writer; and, I understand, an interesting character.

One I always enjoyed was Bob Hagle.....in fact I'm currently re-reading one of his books now. Others may have been better writers technically, but he along with Elmer Keith had more practical knowlege than any of their peers....and it showed in their words and advise.

He was indeed!

A good friend.

A multi-carat gem of the first water, with many facets.

A man to look up to, no matter who you are.

George was a member of my Handloader-Rifle staff. I tried to enlist my buddy Bob, too, but his contract with Petersen blocked that mutually desired wish.

How about Jim Rearden, and Gary Sitton?

Jim Rearden was a highly esteemed friend of my mentor Chuck Keim, but I never had the honor and pleasure of meeting him.

How about Grit's Gresham?

How about Byron Dalry.mple

I have six of Elmer's 10 books plus both volumes of his Gun Notes and absolutely love them. I have The Complete Guide to Handloading by Phil Sharpe; Yours Truly, Harvey Donaldson edited by Dave Wolfe; No Second Place Winner by Bill Jordan; To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth by Jeff Cooper; Kuhloff on Guns by Pete Kuhloff; The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns and The Best of Jack O'Connor by JOC; both collections of Skeeter Skelton's magazine articles; Unrepentant Sinner by Charles Askins, Jr.; Hatcher's Notebook by Julian Hatcher; Fast & Fancy Revolver Shooting by Ed McGivern; and a few short stories by Townsend Whelen, plus a few more.

All of the old-timers are worth reading, and each has their own merit.

Ed McGivern is by far the toughest read, but you can't help but like the guy and the photos are worth the price of the book. If he were alive today, I'd stand in line to meet him, which is something I can't say about most world-class whatevers.

Phil Sharpe uses 20 words where 10 would suffice, but again has a lot of good photos and gives an interesting, historical perspective of handloading.

Askins, Jr.'s autobiography is a little disturbing but keeps your interest; it's certainly one-of-a-kind.

Harvey Donaldson's letters (published in Handloader as a monthly column) are somewhat dated, but fascinating and entertaining nonetheless. Again, you can't help but like him, and wish you could hang out with him in his second-story haven or be one of his multitude of pen pals.

Jeff Cooper's book is a collection of short stories, some of them fiction; all are good. His best work, imho and with apologies to his Principles of Personal Defense, is an article he wrote for Guns & Ammo called "The Yankee Fist" in which he makes the case for the 1911 in combat.

Bill Jordan's book was intended to be instructional but is obviously dated now; it's still a must-read.

Julian Hatcher's work is encyclopedic in scope and technical in nature, yet very, very good.

O'Connor is definitely the most refined writer of the bunch, and was grand master class in both his content and his delivery.

Elmer Keith had the most compelling story; I've read Hell, I Was There literally a hundred times. I still pull it out three or four times a year and read it cover to cover, and I still find something new each time I read it. If I could pick an old-time writer for a hunting companion, Elmer would be the one.

But for my money, the most talented was Skeeter Skelton. I've read and re-read his stories, and the book put out by his widow, which fills in some gaps with background material. I feel like he was my best friend, even though he was 40 years older than me and we never met. His gun articles were informative and entertaining and even laugh-out-loud funny. But it's his fiction that really stands out. His relationship and adventures with the fictional Dobe Grant is incomparable to anything in gunwriting. The world has acclaimed The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Hemingway as a great short story, but as I see it if Cosmopolitan magazine rather than Shooting Times had published The Golden Spurs of Dobe Grant, then Skeeter Skelton would be a household name and required reading in American literature classes.

Jack O'Connor wrote a couple of novels, but they strike me as "blah." According to Robert Anderson's biography of O'Connor, JOC was anguished by his unfulfilled dream as a novelist. I don't know what tormented ol' Skeet, as the alcohol was not a cause but an effect. Great though he was, he definitely had a lot of untapped potential as a writer.

I feel indebted to all of these old-timers, as their words have helped shape the hunter, and shooter and rifle looney I've become. All of them are gone now, "another good man gone down the long trail" as Elmer would say. Well, except for Askins anyway.

They were all different, yet they were all the same in one respect--like all of you they captured my imagination, and still do.

I too wonder about Gary Sitton. Really enjoyed his stuff.