To Know a River: A Haig-Brown Reader

A glorious anthology of selected works by the greatest of all river muses Roderick L Haig-Brown

Readers unfamiliar with the works of Roderick Haig-Brown have a treat awaiting them here. Born in England, Haig-Brown went to Canada in 1927 to live on Vancouver Island. Between 1939 and 1964, he wrote eight highly acclaimed books about angling. From A River Never Sleeps and other books, his daughter Valerie has chosen 54 sparkling essays that reflect Haig-Brown's experiences and his philosophy of the sport. To him, fly-fishing was an intimate exploration of a part of the world hidden from the eyes and minds of ordinary people. He fished for salmon and trout in local rivers, in Chile and in the Canadian Arctic. In an eloquent defense of the sport, Haig-Brown argues that the best evidence of the aesthetic value of angling is in its contributions to art and literature. These essays amply demonstrate his point. Illustrations.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Naturalist and man of letters Haig-Brown (1908-76) wrote in several genres, but his best-known works are arguably his books on fishing. This anthology offers selections from eight piscatorial texts, including the autobiographical A River Never Sleeps (1946) and the seasonal quartet that started with Fisherman's Spring (1951). The author's daughter has done a fine job of selecting and organizing 54 exemplary essays around broad topics such as rivers, fish species, fly-fishing, and conservation. Her father's concern for the relationship between people, animals, and the environment is always evident. British Columbia is the setting for most of the tales, but the themes are universal. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.?Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.