What is your favorite book from 2014?

[woodsorrel]

Hi Everyone!

Each year I put together a list of 10 "bushcrafty" books I have read that I would recommend to friends (I want to keep). This year is the first time I've done it online. How this came about is rather amusing.

In my personal life, I use the list as inspiration during the holidays when I need to get a gift for a fellow bushcrafter. I put it online this year at the request of two friends. They wanted their spouses to read it because they prefer a good bushcraft book to yet another pair of moisture-wicking underwear.

Here is a link to the list with the reasons why I chose each book:


Link - My 10 books list


The list includes Ray Mears' recent autobiography, My Outdoor Life as well as Illumination in the Flatwoods and Nature's Garden. Not all of the books were published this year. Some are "oldies but goodies" I wanted to be sure to recommend.

What are some of your favorite books you read this year? But please don't simply list books! It would be great if you can explain why you chose them so the rest of us can decide if we want to read them too! I'm foraging for new titles to do some reading over the holidays.


If anyone thinks I could have chosen better books for my list, I would be interested in hearing about that, as well.

Regards,

- Woodsorrel

 

[Ruud]

A great recommendation from me would be 'The land of Feast and Famine', Helge Ingstad.
http://www.amazon.com/Land-Feast-Famine-Helge-Ingstad/dp/0773509127

I found the book earlier this year and have read it twice already.

Great report of Helge in which he describes his life in Canada as a trapper. Lots of bushcraft-related stuff in it (how Natives behaved, animal behavior, how he organized his kit before departing for a long canoe-journey and so on)

 

[Man of Tanith]

What would be even greater would if you listed the books in your post rather than linking to your blog mate.
I have limited time when I browse and havent always got time to follow links :-/

 

[Chris the Cat]

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald.

A personal journey through grief and the training of a Goshawk.

C.

 

[sandbender]

That is a good old list you have there, from your selection I have...


Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger
and
Cedar by Hilary Stewart


All of Hilary Stewart's books are worth seeking out I think.


My Outdoor Life by Ray Mears is on a to buy one day list.


Your other choices...
Illumination in the Flatwoods by Joe Hutto
Behaviour of North American Animals by Mark Elbroch and Kurt Rinehart
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior by David Allen
Natures Garden by Samuel Thayer
Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora
and
Autumn - A Season of Change by Peter J Marchand


...are all unknown to me, I will look in to them. Thanks for posting.

 

[woodsorrel]

A great recommendation from me would be 'The land of Feast and Famine', Helge Ingstad.
http://www.amazon.com/Land-Feast-Famine-Helge-Ingstad/dp/0773509127

I found the book earlier this year and have read it twice already.

Great report of Helge in which he describes his life in Canada as a trapper. Lots of bushcraft-related stuff in it (how Natives behaved, animal behavior, how he organized his kit before departing for a long canoe-journey and so on)

Ruud, this looks like a very interesting book. It was published in the 1930's, is the language hard to read?

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

... All of Hilary Stewart's books are worth seeking out I think...

sandbender, do you have any of her other books? Some seem geared toward skills and others appear to be about art. Can you recommend the ones you like the best?

And thank you for saving me some typing.

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald.

A personal journey through grief and the training of a Goshawk.

C.

This book does not appear to have been published in the United States yet. But I will keep an eye out for it. What did you like about the book?

- Woodsorrel

 

[steve a]

Ruud, this looks like a very interesting book. It was published in the 1930's, is the language hard to read?

- Woodsorrel

My version is printed in English, good book, recommended

 

[falcon]

Persuaded the kids earlier that I needed it as a Christmas present...

 

[woodsorrel]

My version is printed in English, good book, recommended

Haha! I'm sorry, my choice of words was poor.

What I meant to ask is, since the book was written more than 80 years ago, is the English difficult to read because writing styles have changed?

It sounds as if you like the book so I will look for a copy!

Thank you!

- Woodsorrel

 

[sandbender]

"...sandbender, do you have any of her other books? Some seem geared toward skills and others appear to be about art. Can you recommend the ones you like the best?..."

Indian Fishing is probably my favourite, they all have something to offer though.

 

[woodsorrel]

Indian Fishing is probably my favourite, they all have something to offer though.

This book looks terrific! Like her other books, it is out of print and very expensive to obtain. But I was very lucky. I managed to locate a more reasonably priced used copy.

Thank you, again, for the recommendation.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Ruud]

Haha! I'm sorry, my choice of words was poor.

What I meant to ask is, since the book was written more than 80 years ago, is the English difficult to read because writing styles have changed?

It sounds as if you like the book so I will look for a copy!

Thank you!

- Woodsorrel

My native language is Dutch and I didn't have any problem at all. Won't be a problem for you, I'm sure.

 

[Ruud]

Thanks for the tip about 'Wildwood Wisdom', just found it online for only 14 euros!

 

[boatman]

Current favourite is The Aran Islands by John Millington Synge. Life in the raw and on the edge, traditional lifestyle and self-sufficiency. People who "rough it" think they are tough but the people on the islands lived their whole lives like it and enjoyed that life, apart from its inevitable tragedies.

Free ebook download as well.

 

[woodsorrel]

Current favourite is The Aran Islands by John Millington Synge. Life in the raw and on the edge, traditional lifestyle and self-sufficiency. People who "rough it" think they are tough but the people on the islands lived their whole lives like it and enjoyed that life, apart from its inevitable tragedies.

Free ebook download as well.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll take a look!

- Woodsorrel

 

[Chris the Cat]

This book does not appear to have been published in the United States yet. But I will keep an eye out for it. What did you like about the book?

- Woodsorrel

I guess, the degree, during the period of her mourning for her father, in which she becomes to identify with the Hawk.
Also, some of her descriptive nature writing is stunning, up there with Roger Dean and Robert MacFarlane.

Best.

Chris.

 

[Skiritis]

Wilderness Secrets Revealed: Adventures of a Survivor by Andre-Francois Bourbeau (Author), Les Stroud (Foreword)
Survival Skills of Native California by Paul Campbell
They were both really excellent books.

 

[tiger stacker]

[h=1]The sheltering desert by Henno Martin was great, it tell the tale of surviving in a harsh desert.[/h]