David Jones has written a fascinating and comprehensive book on the subject of gamekeeping from the inception of the profession in the late seventeenth century to the present day. He writes about all aspects of gamekeeping with chapters on training, pay, cottages, gamekeepers in wartime, loaders and loading, lady gamekeepers, gamekeeping throughout the UK and Ireland and also overseas, especially in the days of the British empire. There is a fascinating section on the moorland gamekeeper which includes the memories of George Grass of Ramsgill. Gamekeeping not only contains a large selection of historic illustrations depicting the gamekeeper's work but also draws on oral and written testimonies from gamekeepers, contemporary newspaper cuttings and extracts from historic documents. With its comprehensive coverage and wealth of stunning illustrations, this book provides a unique insight into gamekeeping and provides an accurate record of gamekeeping in times past, something often neglected by other authors who have painted a much rosier picture of the gamekeeper's life in bygone days, rather than a truthful one based on hard facts. AUTHOR: David S. D. Jones has been an archivist and historian for the National Gamekeepers' Organisation for over a decade. He is descended from a long line of outdoor servants employed on country estates throughout England and Wales and numbers amongst his ancestors and relatives gamekeepers; hunt servants; gardeners; grooms; woodmen; farm workers; land agents and more. He owns the Gamekeeping Photographic Archive and the David S. D. Jones Photographic Collection. 150 colour illustrations
Industry Reviews
'Published in hardback and attractively designed, this fascinating book will be of interest to all who appreciate the ole which game and gamekeeping have had in the development and management of the British countryside which we enjoy today.'
'This is a book that every naturalist and shooting person should have on their bookshelf, as without an understanding of the history of the subject you cannot fully understand the subject today or in the future.'
'Cleverly crafted, meticulously researched and generously illustrated by archive photographs, illustrations and gamekeeper's personal records this substantial hardback is a must-read for anyone who's even remotely interested in game shooting and the countryside.'
'Jones's comprehensive volume is enlightening, from the modern requirements for the job and the dedication it entails, to a look at the often gritty history of the gamekeeper. Chapters on lady gamekeepers, gamekeepers at home and abroad, those during wartime and from the great estates all demonstrate the gamekeeper's worth... A valuable addition to the sporting world's memory but, one hopes, not its eulogy.'
