Traditional Bowyers of America: The Bowhunting and Bowmaking World of the Nation's Top Crafters of Longbows And Recurves

Rating:
Summary: Great Trad Bow Reference, Great Bios, Great Stories
Review: First my disclaimer...I don't know Mr. Bertalan. I state this so you know that I am totally impartial.

This is a great book for anyone interested in Archery, especially Traditional Archery. Even the armchair adventurer will find some wonderful gems in this very well written book. (I read a lot, and know good writing). It contains not only what you would expect from the title, but so much more. Over 500 pages of 20th (21st) century Archery history are featured in the 31 chapters featuring 30 prominent bowyers. A chapter may start with a bowhunting story or painting a portrait of the picturesque settings where a bowyer performs his magic, or any number of ways that pull a reader into a good yarn without the obvious formulaic monotony. Each chapter is as if you bumped into a friend and he said..." I met this guy named Fred Bear (et al) whose been making archery bows over in Grayling. Let me tell you a bit about him.

Do you know what prompted Ken Beck to buy Black Widow from the renowned Wilson Bros.,after several other entreprenuerial endeavors foundered? It's a sad story but I'm glad I know it. I feel far more connected to him as a member of the macrocosmic community of hunting first, and the microcosmic (but growing) community of Tradition Bowhunters and target archers.

Tim Meigs whose wife Fern was on the cover of Trad Bowhunter Mag has a wonderful hunting story called "The Skinny Dip Buck". He arrows a nice buck drinking at the pond, the deer falls into the pond and starts swimming, he runs down the hill to get a kill shot and slips on a cow pie. He gets his kill shot and the deer starts sinking. This was a story I have retold so many times, that it was worth the price of the book. Love Tim's bows too. I met him after reading this chapter when Business took me to Carson City. When I asked my customer where Kit Kat Rd. was, her jaw dropped as Tim's is the only business on this short street that is not a brothel. Another great story.

Fifteen years (as of 2004) after the publication it could use some updating and include some of the new bowyers but it's still worth every penny. I reach for it when I see a used bow of interest or I want to just relax with a re reading of a chapter or two.