For a Handful of Feathers

By Guy de la Valdene

Book Overview

A lifelong hunter and wild-game gourmet who has traveled the globe on expeditions with world-class sportsmen, Guy de la Vald ne purchased an 800-acre farm outside Tallahassee and set out to raise and hunt his favorite game bird, bobwhite quail. But de la Vald ne is also a naturalist at heart, and as he planted trees and divided fields, he found that running the farm compelled him to operate as both hunter and preservationist, predator and protector. De la Vald ne structures his reflections around a year in the life cycle of the bobwhite quail, from one generation's birth through mating and the raising of their young. Along the way, he gets pulled along on some side trips: to a masterpiece of controlled burning performed by a Vietnam veteran in a helicopter with 300 gallons of napalm, and to his own adventures when he improvises some dam-raising to fill his pond. For a Handful of Feathers reconciles a passion for hunting with a deep sentiment for the wild. Learning early on that while his work on the farm may awe his friends, he can never impress nature, de la Vald ne tries, with sensitivity and patience, to find his, and perhaps society's, place in the natural world. "A classic that compares well with Turgenev's A Sportsman's Notebook . . . simply and beautifully written."-The Bloomsbury Review; "For a Handful of Feathers is an American classic . . . a book as unapologetic as it is thoughtful about blood sport . . . . the verbal spark and pace of a fine novel."-Gray's Sporting Journal; "A gem that will appeal not only to hunters but to all readers who love the land."-Publishers Weekly.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087113697X
• ISBN13: 9780871136978
• Release Date: August 1997
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful

Hemingway proved that few subjects are better topics then hunting and the outdoors.Guy De La Valdene does a wonderful job writing about the types of things that make life worthwhile and fullfilling: birds and dogs. Additionally, he makes the point that much of our wildlife and habitat would not exist if not for the devotion of true outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen.Brett

Impressed

I have not read much hunting literature, but was quite impressed with this book. I found that De La Valdene made a good case for hunting, and I found his conservation-minded views to be very enlightening. The book covers as many aspects of the sport as possible, including De La Valdene's love for dogs and even a certain love for other predators of quail. The writing is not the best that I have read, but his passion for the sport is such that it transcends any writing difficulties. A beautiful book.

Country Boy's Review

I belive that Guy de la Valdene book was written very well. In his book he wrote numerous facts on the Bob White Quial and the management of the species. He wrote on the quial,s habitat, feeding, and average of how many quail would reach maturity. I found that in his book he didn't have harsh feelings against the birds predators. Also that he felt that killing the predators wasn't the answer to the conservation of the Bob White Quail. Although he is a hunter, I belive that he is more of a conservationist. His book would help anyone with the understanding of the Bob White Quail.

Remarkable book!

This is a remarkable book. Admittedly my vice is quail hunting, but this book is that and much, much more. It demonstrates an insight into the minds of people. Its language can be a bit rough but only in the way people speak. To anybody who has a love for the outdoors, nay, civilization, this is highly recommended. Its near literature.

fantastic reading

valdene's style is just right for the hunter and outdorsman in me. i enjoyed valdene's down-to-earth approach to hunting and his expressions of the feelings of a hunte