Old Norris' Fox Hunting Page
This country is going to the dogs, when it should be following hounds

Hunting Books

Ever looked at a book dealer's catalogue and wondered if a particular title would be of interest? Even worse, ever bought a hunting book on the strength of a recommendation made in a review only to discover that the reviewer knew nothing of the chase? This page seeks to put that right.


You are invited to send reviews and publishing details for inclusion.
Please send information as below to Nick

The books listed on this page are all out of print. A recommended directory of dealers is provided by Countryside Webservices.

As this list grows it will be indexed by topic, theme, author and hunt.

The Batsford Book of Sporting Verse

Peter Verney (Ed.)

ISBN 0 713 42009 X

A general anthology of sporting verse with sections on Hunting (21 poems), Fishing (32 poems) and Shooting (20 poems).

Batsford (London)
1979

A Hunting Pageant

Mary S. Lovell

ISBN 0 904 55877 0

A meticulously researched history of the New Forest Hounds (UK)

Saiga Publishing (Hindhead UK)
c. 1980

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Somerville and Ross - The World of the Irish RM

Gifford Lewis

ISBN 0 140 08262 X

A well researched biography of the cousins who wrote the "Irish RM" stories. With many illustrations.

Penguin (London)
1987

In Praise of Hunting

David James and Wilson Stephens

A series of essays - Cruelty in Sport: How we inherited hunting: Masters and Huntsmen: The followers: Hunting and the horse: hunting and the hound: the fox: hunting in art and literature: Stag hunting: some foxhunting eccentrics: summing up and memories.

Hollis and Carter (London) 1960

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The Hunting Year

Tony Jackson illustrated by Alison Guest

ISBN 0 214 20478 2

An overview of hunting with chapters that tackle the arguments for hunting. There are countless illustrations by Alison Guest.

Barrie and Jenkins (London) 1978

Tom Firr of the Quorn

Roy Heron

ISBN 0 946474 281

An excellent biography of Tom Firr (1841-1902), most famously huntsmen to the Quorn for 27 years. Lavishly illustrated with contemporary paintings, photographs and engravings. The introduction is by James Teacher, a former Joint Master of the Quorn. It includes a selection of Tom Firr's songs or poems and extracts from his hunting diaries.

Nimrod Book Services (Liss) 1984

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Reminisciences of Hunting and Horses by a Fox-Hunting Woman

Mrs. Philip Martineau

A personal memoire of a life with horses. Mention is made of The Flint and Denbigh, Sir Watkin Wynn's, New Forest Buckhounds, Pytchley, The Dunhallow, The United, Whaddon Chase, The Garth, South Berks, East Sussex and with an unnamed pack in Massachusetts (she was staying at Lenox).

Benn and Co (London) 1930

Bells of the Chase

"Yoi-Over" ex-huntsman

A general and amusing treatise on foxhunting illustrated by the author. Particular emphasis is placed on hound.

Hutchinson (London)

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Huic Holloa! Being the sporting reminisciences of a totally unimportant person

"Spider" Jacobson

Includes wartime chapters and accounts of hunting with the Southdown and in France

Sampson Low Marston and Co. (London) c.1935

A Master of Hounds being the life story of Harry Buckland of Ashford

"One Who Knows Him"

A biography of one of the most famous Huntsmen to The Ashford Valley

Faber and Faber (London) 1931

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The Hunting Reminisciences of H.W. Selby Lowndes Esq. M.F.H

Edited by J. Fairfax-Blakeborough

A biography of The East Kent Hunt's most famous Master and Huntsman.

Allen (London) 1926

Hunts with Jorrocks

R.J. Surtees

An anthology of hunting stories from Handley Cross. This edition has 25 glorious, coloured illustrations by G.D. Armour. The illustrations will be included in this site soon. Check the Hunting Illustrations Index.

T.N. Foulis Ltd. (London) 1924