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

Maybe others can tell you more.IIRC he did a series (24-36)of articles for Sports Afield in the early to mid-late 60's. He kept you on the edge of your seat every story. While I've only ever read a few of Eric Collier's he was another who could tell it like it was "Meat-in-the-Pot". Outdoor Life in the 40's to 50's?. Also liked Nash Buckingham's waterfowling stories "Magnum Opus" etc. Lots of good stuff out there just keep looking. Magnum_Man

Not a "gun writer" by any means but for a good time by a fire in the cold winter nights, I just LOVE to read the books by Gene Hill. Now there is a guy I would like to know a lot more about. He passed on a few years back and I don't think I'll likely read a better story than Gene put out.

I have most of his books and have an 85 year old friend that was born and raised on Nantucket Island. Each year he will borrow my Hill books and reread them. He says Hill tells it just the way it was.

Gene Hill could tell a story, no doubt about it. He was one of my favorites too.

An outstanding writer. I have several of his books.

I have a book autograghed by Gene. I met him at a sports show in Chicago of all places. An older friend and I did alot of grouse hunting and had all of Genes books. We rounded the corner of the show and there he was,very nice man to talk to. That man could write!---1Longbow

Me too. He was/is my favorite, and I've always thought he was very underrrated. I've heard that he had a drinking problem, but that's no never mind to me. In my view, he had the best back page column out there with his "Backtracking" for Peterson's.

John Wooters!

Really enjoy John W. articles very much. Met him at SCI and got to chat quite a bit.He seemed like a great guy and very knowlegeable s well.

Didn't the bottle take him early?

I believe he died of cancer, but I've heard he had a drinking problem too.

These threads always sadden me. Not because I dislike remembering my favorite writers, but it seems to bring out the worst things about them. Mr Howell, in his graciousness often refuses to tell the whole truth (especially when not especially flattering...)

I believe the writers who have gone on to their eternal reward would much rather be remembered for their contribiutions to our enjoyment rather than their personal weaknesses.

I, too, have my favorites, and some once favorites I have lost some respect for due to threads like this.

If one really wants to know, one can search these pages and find much information on many of the aforementioned writers. Much of it not so flattering... I see no purpose in bringing any of that to light for yet another viewing.

It just may be that is why Bart Skelton no longer hangs out here at the 'fire.

I say let us enjoy their legacy and forget their sins...

GH

While I see no point in dwelling on them unduly, I think the quirks & flaws do serve at least a minor benefit in reminding us that these people WERE people, not gods, and whatever struggles they may have had along the way just make 'em more human.

If you have to judge at all, judge the body of work they put out, not the body they lived in.

Many of the great writers in all literary fields had character flaws ranging from minor to major, but we don't let those get in the way of enjoying their contributions to classical literature, or of respecting their ability to create it despite those flaws.
Poe, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, are just three that came to mind.

How's about, instead of losing respect for people when you discover they were human, you judge them by what they were able to accomplish while living through whatever trials they had to endure along the way?

Let me tell you- in some circles Elmer Keith is not mistaken for God, and he certainly was no saint. But, look at what he gave us. On balance, his work matters more to me.
Same with Skelton, and others.
Denis

GH, Denis,

Your are both right. However, if it weren't for the desire to know everything about someone, the supermarket tabloids would never sell an issue. It's human nature I suppose. When Robert Anderson came out with his biography on Jack O'Connor, most of the critical comments on it that I read all dealt with the absence of enough dirt!

Of those mentioned so far, I did not know Jim Reardon, Jan Stevenson, George Nonte, Byron Dalrymple, or Russell Annabell. I have though read a good bit of their work except for Stevenson. I did know Gary Sitton, Jeff Cooper, Bobby Milek, Skeeter, Charlie Askins Jr., Bill Jordan, John Amber, Grits Gresham, Gene Hill, and Elmer Keith. All that I knew had a few warts, but none horribly so, with the possible exception of Charlie Askins Jr., though he treated me very well. Perhaps it was because we both spent a career in the military. I don't doubt that he had major problems, I just never saw them. Of the rest of the group, I knew Gary Sitton and John Amber the best. Sitton was a good friend and a brilliant writer. Amber was my mentor in the writing business and almost like a second father to me. He was a wonderful editor, and a great writer to boot! He helped me tremendously early in my writing career. Dr. Ken Howell helped me a great deal in my early days as well. In my dealings with all the rest, they came across as fine men, doing what they loved. The were fun to be around.

Tom

Byron Dalrymple was almost responsible for my very first centerfire rifle being a .243 instead of a .30-30, but my father had more influence on my decision than Mr. Dalrymple. This was in 1969, maybe 1970.

I don't presently have a .243, but have owned them, and his writings still come to mind when I think about the cartridge. It wasn't that he championed it, but that, if I recall correctly, his son used one, and had I not been influenced so much by my father and his love for the Wichester M94, my first rifle would have been a Model 70 in .243.

Mr Howell,

You are a bridge to a grand time and place. Thank you for your knowledge and sharing it with us. You are a treasure Sir.


ddj

In addition to many of the above noted "gunwriters," I always enjoyed the stories written by John Jobson. He was not so much a dedicated gun writer as he was an all around outdoor writer.

Another writer whose work I often enjoyed, was Walter Rickell. Aside from being very well versed in firearms and shooting, Rickell also had a passion for writing about mules and their uses related to the hunting fields.

L.W.

I've never heard of Jan Stevenson, but a writer that I do remember is Jan Libourel. Could this be the writer you are referring to? He's definitely a detail nut, fits your description, and I just can't imagine more than one "Jan" male gunwriter!

I haven't read anything by him in the last few years, so if he went to England, that would make sense.

Jan Libourel retired after several years editing Gun World about four months ago, living happily in California.
Denis

Skelton was a great read in my youth. I have a Colt New Frontier 5.5" .44 Special largely because of his affection for that revolver. Ditto the Colt Gold Cup.

That plus how much will getcha a cuppa coffee at Starbuck's?

Help ain't shurtha wit 'thout a lotta good stuff that's already there and will keep going.