African Rifles & Cartridges

[12], xiv, [2], 431, [3] pages. Illus. Index. Editor's Note by Dr. Jim Casada. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some page soiling noted. John Howard "Pondoro" Taylor (1904-1969) was a big-game hunter and ivory harvester of Irish descent. Born in Dublin as the son of a surgeon he developed an urge to go to Africa and become a professional hunter. Taylor mainly hunted for his own account and had little interest in guiding clients. His parents paid for his passage to Cape Town. In Africa he experimented extensively with different types of rifles and calibers which made him an expert in big game rifles. He is credited with developing the Taylor KO Factor, and authored several books. Although Taylor used various firearms for his work as a hunter, he preferred the expensive, British double rifles over anything else, especially when tackling dangerous game. His fondness for such cartridges as the .450/.400 Nitro-Express, .500/.465 Nitro-Express and .375 Holland & Holland Magnum are expressed again and again in his writing. Of the 450/.400 he says, "It has ever been one of my favorites. I have used it extensively on all kinds of African game from elephant down with the greatest possible satisfaction." Speaking of the .375 Magnum (a cartridge still sold) he wrote, "Undoubtedly one of the deadliest weapons in existence. I've had five of these rifles—two doubles and three magazines—and have fired more than 5,000 rounds of .375 Magnum ammunition at game. One of them accounted for more than 100 elephant and some 411 buffalo, besides rhino, lions and lesser game." Taylor killed over 1,000 elephants. This special edition has been privately printed for members of The Firearms Classics Library. Film was prepared from an original 1948 edition. The book was printed and bound by Quebecor Printing. The text paper was specially made for this edition by P. H. Glatfelter Company. The binding is of genuine pigskin Saderra leather, Himalay grain, furnished by the Cromwell Leather Company. Endleaves are 300-denier silk moire. edges and gilded and spines are brass-die stamped in 22-karat gold. Cover stampings and design of this edition by Selma Ordewer. Jim Casada's formal education includes a B. A. in history from King University, an M. A. in British history from Virginia Tech,and a Ph. D. in British imperial history from Vanderbilt University. He taught at Winthrop University from 1971-1996 before devoting all his energies to writing. While at Winthrop he rose to the rank of full professor, served two terms as chair of the graduate faculty, was recognized as the institution's Distinguished Professor in 1983, and won numerous excellence in teaching awards. As an academician, he wrote several books, roughly a hundred articles, and reviewed numerous books for scholarly journals. He is a long-time member of a number of outdoor writers' groups and has served as president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA), and the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association (SCOPe), as well as being a founding board member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Pigskin saderra leather, Himalaya grain binding Special Edition privately printed for members of The Firearms Classics Library.…