The Witchery of Archery

A gentle book telling tales of archery in the deep south of USA, poetic and visually descriptive of the slower life of holiday adventures and the enjoyment shared by two brothers with the bow and arrow during the late 1800's, don't be put off that it is a photocopy book of an out of print edition, the print might be bad, but the content is good. Good bedtime reading.

Wish I had an original print of this gem. Two fellow Hoosiers, deprived of their firearms following the civil war because they served for the Confederacy, take to their old friend stick and string. If you are an archery nut like me this is an absolute must read. This is the book that started it all. The Tri-Fecta: The Witchery of Archery by Maurice Thompson, Hunting the Hard Way by Howard Hill and Hunting With The Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope these should be in every archer's bookcase.

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This book presents quite a romantic perspective on archery and hunting with bow and arrow, something which can kindle interest in the sport, but also bring up sadness for a way of life that at the present time is largely lost and gone. One of the great ironies of the book is that while the author condemns those who would plunder nineteenth century wildlife with the lowly shotgun, (which required so much less skill to use than the longbow!)he himself tells story after story of going out into various American wildlands and shooting dozens of herons, cranes, woodpeckers, and pretty much any number of any bird that the whim of the moment inspired in him, including the now-extinct Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Which just goes to show that one can be as irresponsble with a bow and arrow as with a gun, in spirit if not by numbers. Yes, Maurice Thompson, many a US citizen who in this day and age attempted to find himself a place to live out your beautiful stories of the grand old days when boys had plenty of space to explore and camp and dream, would be saddened to find himself limited to the tiny spaces left between ever-increasing private property holdings and restrictive US Fish and Game laws. And if he tried to imitate your adventures, he might well end up in jail. NOt that it isn't valuable to dream. And the romance of archery can certainly be kindled by this sweet book with its delightful nineteenth century flavor. The book also has an appendix on the concrete specifics of building a bow, fletching, string and shooting techniques.

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Overall I found this to be an enjoyable collection of hunting stories that so well reflects what some might consider a deplorable period in our history. After all, the writer shots anything that moves (while crticizing the users of modern shotguns of the same), he beats his dog, uses woodpeckers for target practice, and holds to many of the stereotypes that were common of the time. But historical nuances aside there is something nostalgic and endearing about the chance to gaze at a simpler golden era of the sport, especially when told with such detailed passion. Mr. Thompsons love for archery and the wild places of late 19th century U.S. are palpable and moving. And all the while one can't help but pick up a tidbit or two about the art even raising a chuckle here and there at the craziness of some of the adventures told. This makes the book both a pleasurable read on its own and a must read for any toxophilite or lover of traditional archery. I recommend it without hesitation, especially now that it is in eBook form. Enjoy!

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Having friends who crossbow hunt, I thought it would benefit me to understand bow hunting from the beginning. The fundamentals of any kind of bow is in this book. It's a great book with a story.

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