The Fair Chase: The Epic Story of Hunting in America (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780465061723)

An award-winning historian tells the story of hunting in America, showing how this sport has shaped our national identity.

From Daniel Boone to Teddy Roosevelt, hunting is one of America's most sacred-but also most fraught-traditions. It was promoted in the 19th century as a way to reconnect "soft" urban Americans with nature and to the legacy of the country's pathfinding heroes. Fair chase, a hunting code of ethics emphasizing fairness, rugged independence, and restraint towards wildlife, emerged as a worldview and gave birth to the conservation movement. But the sport's popularity also caused class, ethnic, and racial divisions, and stirred debate about the treatment of Native Americans and the role of hunting in preparing young men for war.

This sweeping and balanced book offers a definitive account of hunting in America. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the evolution of our nation's foundational myths.

Author: Philip Dray
ISBN-10: 0465061729
ISBN-13: 9780465061723
Publisher: Basic Books
Language: English
Published: 05/01/2018
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.20w x 1.60d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2018
Choice 10/01/2018