About Books And The New Authors Nowadays.

[tinytiger 822]

 

 

 

 

A poachers tale fred speakman

Highland deer forest L. macnally

Pennine poacher richard fawcett

The time of life sir john buchan hepburn

Very strange that is Darbo, as even before I saw your post I have started reading the book by Fred Speakman, A Poachers Tale. A guy called Mike Tomkies put together a few decent titles, but at the moment my memory fails me to what they were called. I will let you know when I manage to look them up again. Also an outstanding Author was Gavin Maxwell of the (Otter) fame. Ring of Bright Water, Raven Seek Thy Brother, The Rocks Remain, Harpoon at a venture but one in particular I would advise for anyone to read, would be The Authorised Biography by Douglas Botting, The Saga of Ring of Bright Water. The Enigma of Gavin Maxwell. It is a magnificent and moving book. A must for all country lovers. Also another book that might interest certain people is a book called: BloodSport. Hunting in Britain since 1066. By Emma Griffin. I will post some more titles if people are interested, and provide photos also.

mike tomkies ? Was he a bearded Scottish guy who wrote about an alsation and living in the highlands

Mike Tomkies The Wilderness Man (born 25 May 1928)^[1]

MIKE TOMKIES, is a British author covering subjects such as natural history, biography and fiction,^[2] a naturalist and filmmaker who has inspired thousands with his brutally honest accounts of almost 40 years experience living in the wildest and most remote parts of Canada, Scotland and Spain. He originally came to public attention as a Hollywood journalist, reporting for the London Times, where he interviewed and pulled scoops on stars including Ava Gardner (just after her divorce from Frank Sinatra); Mario Lanza, Elvis Presley, Sophia Loren, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, Clark Gable, Dean Martin, Rock Hudson, Jayne Mansfield, Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins, Peter O'Toole and Sean Connery. Biography

Born in 1928 in West Bridgeford, Notts, Mike Tomkies grew up with his family in Whitley Bay near Newcastle, later moving south to Worthing and then Henfield near Brighton. Protected and driven by his father Vincent after losing his mother, who died during childbirth with his sister, Mike developed his fascination with nature and adventure in the English countryside that surrounded him.

An early example of his wanderlust was an attempt to sail around the world in 1952, which ended with him being shipwrecked and having to walk 400 miles (640 km) from Lisbon to Madrid.

He served with the Coldstream Guards in the Middle East and at Buckingham Palace, but moved on to become a successful Fleet Street journalist, later freelancing in Paris, Madrid and Rome before being assigned as a Hollywood columnist until the age of 38 when he decided to get away from it all and emigrated to the Canadian wilds.

Starting a new life in British Columbia, he set out virtually penniless in an old milk truck driving across Canada to build a log cabin on the Canadian Pacific coast where he variously worked as a logger, assistant blaster and sea salmon fisherman but spent most of his time living alone and surviving mainly off the sea. This was where he began his wildlife studies tracking grizzly bears, cougars, caribou, bald eagles and killer whales, which over three years developed into the book Alone in the Wilderness, which was snapped up by Reader's Digest and became a critically acclaimed best seller.

Running short on funds, Tomkies returned to writing in Hollywood, accompanied by Booto, a stray wild dog who had adopted him in Canada and who enjoyed the attention of stars such as Cary Grant, Omar Sharif and Peter Finch during interviews.

The two also travelled around Mexico and Belize, where Tomkies spent hours with Dean Martin on the outdoor location of 5 Card Stud, even photographing the star doing his own dangerous stunts. Tomkies was the first to test the new Tartan Athletics Track built in Mexico City for the 1968 Olympics while writing for the Daily Express and, with Booto, climbed the Pyramid of the Sun, hacked through rough tracks to the ancient ruins of Palenque, and visited the terrifying Well of Sacrifice at Chichen Itza where the ancient Mayans sacrificed young humans to assuage the rain god Chac.

Back in Hollywood, Mike was invited to the Oscar awards ceremony where, even in his old truck, he was mistaken for Warren Beatty with compere Bob Hope joking that Beatty was so confident of winnings Oscars for Bonnie and Clyde he had brought a big truck to take them all away.

He returned briefly to Canada and hired North America's greatest Red Indian guide, Clayton Mack, and they went on dangerous treks deep in grizzly country, saw 21 bears in three days and were lucky to escape with their lives.

After another year in the wilds of Canada, Tomkies bid a very sad farewell to old Booto and returned to Hollywood for more amazing experiences with major film stars. He went motorbiking in the Mojave Desert with Steve McQueen; spent days with and gained extraordinary insights into the life of the greatest box office star of all time, John Wayne; while Doris Day, 'America's sweetheart', offered him a screen test. Tomkies had several feisty meetings with Hollywood's greatest maverick and wit, Robert Mitchum, who actually 'laid a joint' on him when he asked if Mitchum was still smoking pot.

However, the wild kept calling, and eventually Tomkies returned to the UK and moved to Eilean Shona, a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. There he rebuilt a wooden crofthouse which had been used as a shelter for sheep and began observing and writing about Scottish nature including golden eagle, black throated diver, pine marten and Scottish wildcat.

The studies and writing continued at a small crofter's cottage called Gaskan on the shore of Loch Shiel, which Tomkies renamed "Wildernesse", and where he cared for a variety of injured animals, tracked and studied golden eagles over a 300-square-mile (780 km²) area for the government and was the first person to successfully breed the now critically endangered Scottish wildcat and return individuals to the wild. It was here he wrote nine books about the wildlife in the Scottish West Highlands.

Tomkies studied eagles in Canada, Scotland and Spain for 44 years in total (1967 to 2011) spending more than 3000 hours on precarious cliff ledges in his home made "invisible" hides for up to 38 hours at a time. Over his 20 years in the Highlands Tomkies revealed Scotland's rarest wildlife in his books to widespread acclaim from naturalists, conservationists, critics and even the Duke of Edinburgh;

"This book does more than describe a piece of wild country and its population of wild animals: it gives a picture of someone totally absorbed by his subject... The North west of Scotland is indeed a wild place, but to the observant eye of the author it is full of wonderful life."

"A Last Wild Place" is the most famous of his books written about Wildernesse, it has been a best seller ever since it was first published in 1984. For eight years, Tomkies' only companion was his german shepherd dog Moobli, who assisted him in his wildlife tracking. After Moobli died Tomkies spent the next four years alone, completing his studies of golden eagles and rare Scottish species. He then spent five years in mountain ranges throughout Spain making two films and writing a book about species including brown bear, lynx, wolf, wild boar, vultures and eagles working out of a crumbling old villa with no glass in the windows or running water.

A keen interest in film making also developed throughout the experiences in Scotland and Spain, beginning with mountainous slogs carrying 60 lb (27 kg) of 16mm camera equipment, all the way up to modern miniDV cameras. Tomkies recorded twelve feature length films on wildlife with a focus on Scotland and the golden eagle. Three network TV programmes were made about his life and work in the wilds, the last of which "Wild Cathedral" was repeated seven times.

In 1988 he was recognised for his work by being elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Today, Mike Tomkies is based in an Elizabethan Farmstead in Henfield, England still writing his books and always observing the world that surrounds him. He appeared in the documentary film Last of the Scottish Wildcats (Coffee Films 2006) and became the patron for a new charity, the Scottish Wildcat Association in 2009, who also recognised his achievements naming him an Honorary Member of the Association for life. He continued to travel regularly into the Scottish Highlands spending his 83rd birthday filming nesting eagles in Galloway with an RSPB team, and in 2014, having said his first fictional work, "Let Ape and Tiger Die", would be his last novel, he released a new wildlife book, "Running Wild", through publishers Whittles, bringing his life experiences in the wild up to date. Bibliography

wow what a full life..read the Mobil book when i was about9 or 10

[pointer 543]

I haven't read those so I'll check them out.

[Lutra Lutra 611]

 

 

 

A poachers tale fred speakman

Highland deer forest L. macnally

Pennine poacher richard fawcett

The time of life sir john buchan hepburn

Very strange that is Darbo, as even before I saw your post I have started reading the book by Fred Speakman, A Poachers Tale. A guy called Mike Tomkies put together a few decent titles, but at the moment my memory fails me to what they were called. I will let you know when I manage to look them up again. Also an outstanding Author was Gavin Maxwell of the (Otter) fame. Ring of Bright Water, Raven Seek Thy Brother, The Rocks Remain, Harpoon at a venture but one in particular I would advise for anyone to read, would be The Authorised Biography by Douglas Botting, The Saga of Ring of Bright Water. The Enigma of Gavin Maxwell. It is a magnificent and moving book. A must for all country lovers. Also another book that might interest certain people is a book called: BloodSport. Hunting in Britain since 1066. By Emma Griffin. I will post some more titles if people are interested, and provide photos also.

mike tomkies ? Was he a bearded Scottish guy who wrote about an alsation and living in the highlands

 

Mike Tomkies The Wilderness Man (born 25 May 1928)^[1]

MIKE TOMKIES, is a British author covering subjects such as natural history, biography and fiction,^[2] a naturalist and filmmaker who has inspired thousands with his brutally honest accounts of almost 40 years experience living in the wildest and most remote parts of Canada, Scotland and Spain. He originally came to public attention as a Hollywood journalist, reporting for the London Times, where he interviewed and pulled scoops on stars including Ava Gardner (just after her divorce from Frank Sinatra); Mario Lanza, Elvis Presley, Sophia Loren, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, Clark Gable, Dean Martin, Rock Hudson, Jayne Mansfield, Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins, Peter O'Toole and Sean Connery.

Biography

Born in 1928 in West Bridgeford, Notts, Mike Tomkies grew up with his family in Whitley Bay near Newcastle, later moving south to Worthing and then Henfield near Brighton. Protected and driven by his father Vincent after losing his mother, who died during childbirth with his sister, Mike developed his fascination with nature and adventure in the English countryside that surrounded him.

An early example of his wanderlust was an attempt to sail around the world in 1952, which ended with him being shipwrecked and having to walk 400 miles (640 km) from Lisbon to Madrid.

He served with the Coldstream Guards in the Middle East and at Buckingham Palace, but moved on to become a successful Fleet Street journalist, later freelancing in Paris, Madrid and Rome before being assigned as a Hollywood columnist until the age of 38 when he decided to get away from it all and emigrated to the Canadian wilds.

Starting a new life in British Columbia, he set out virtually penniless in an old milk truck driving across Canada to build a log cabin on the Canadian Pacific coast where he variously worked as a logger, assistant blaster and sea salmon fisherman but spent most of his time living alone and surviving mainly off the sea. This was where he began his wildlife studies tracking grizzly bears, cougars, caribou, bald eagles and killer whales, which over three years developed into the book Alone in the Wilderness, which was snapped up by Reader's Digest and became a critically acclaimed best seller.

Running short on funds, Tomkies returned to writing in Hollywood, accompanied by Booto, a stray wild dog who had adopted him in Canada and who enjoyed the attention of stars such as Cary Grant, Omar Sharif and Peter Finch during interviews.

The two also travelled around Mexico and Belize, where Tomkies spent hours with Dean Martin on the outdoor location of 5 Card Stud, even photographing the star doing his own dangerous stunts. Tomkies was the first to test the new Tartan Athletics Track built in Mexico City for the 1968 Olympics while writing for the Daily Express and, with Booto, climbed the Pyramid of the Sun, hacked through rough tracks to the ancient ruins of Palenque, and visited the terrifying Well of Sacrifice at Chichen Itza where the ancient Mayans sacrificed young humans to assuage the rain god Chac.

Back in Hollywood, Mike was invited to the Oscar awards ceremony where, even in his old truck, he was mistaken for Warren Beatty with compere Bob Hope joking that Beatty was so confident of winnings Oscars for Bonnie and Clyde he had brought a big truck to take them all away.

He returned briefly to Canada and hired North America's greatest Red Indian guide, Clayton Mack, and they went on dangerous treks deep in grizzly country, saw 21 bears in three days and were lucky to escape with their lives.

After another year in the wilds of Canada, Tomkies bid a very sad farewell to old Booto and returned to Hollywood for more amazing experiences with major film stars. He went motorbiking in the Mojave Desert with Steve McQueen; spent days with and gained extraordinary insights into the life of the greatest box office star of all time, John Wayne; while Doris Day, 'America's sweetheart', offered him a screen test. Tomkies had several feisty meetings with Hollywood's greatest maverick and wit, Robert Mitchum, who actually 'laid a joint' on him when he asked if Mitchum was still smoking pot.

However, the wild kept calling, and eventually Tomkies returned to the UK and moved to Eilean Shona, a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. There he rebuilt a wooden crofthouse which had been used as a shelter for sheep and began observing and writing about Scottish nature including golden eagle, black throated diver, pine marten and Scottish wildcat.

The studies and writing continued at a small crofter's cottage called Gaskan on the shore of Loch Shiel, which Tomkies renamed "Wildernesse", and where he cared for a variety of injured animals, tracked and studied golden eagles over a 300-square-mile (780 km²) area for the government and was the first person to successfully breed the now critically endangered Scottish wildcat and return individuals to the wild. It was here he wrote nine books about the wildlife in the Scottish West Highlands.

Tomkies studied eagles in Canada, Scotland and Spain for 44 years in total (1967 to 2011) spending more than 3000 hours on precarious cliff ledges in his home made "invisible" hides for up to 38 hours at a time. Over his 20 years in the Highlands Tomkies revealed Scotland's rarest wildlife in his books to widespread acclaim from naturalists, conservationists, critics and even the Duke of Edinburgh;

"This book does more than describe a piece of wild country and its population of wild animals: it gives a picture of someone totally absorbed by his subject... The North west of Scotland is indeed a wild place, but to the observant eye of the author it is full of wonderful life."

"A Last Wild Place" is the most famous of his books written about Wildernesse, it has been a best seller ever since it was first published in 1984. For eight years, Tomkies' only companion was his german shepherd dog Moobli, who assisted him in his wildlife tracking. After Moobli died Tomkies spent the next four years alone, completing his studies of golden eagles and rare Scottish species. He then spent five years in mountain ranges throughout Spain making two films and writing a book about species including brown bear, lynx, wolf, wild boar, vultures and eagles working out of a crumbling old villa with no glass in the windows or running water.

A keen interest in film making also developed throughout the experiences in Scotland and Spain, beginning with mountainous slogs carrying 60 lb (27 kg) of 16mm camera equipment, all the way up to modern miniDV cameras. Tomkies recorded twelve feature length films on wildlife with a focus on Scotland and the golden eagle. Three network TV programmes were made about his life and work in the wilds, the last of which "Wild Cathedral" was repeated seven times.

In 1988 he was recognised for his work by being elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Today, Mike Tomkies is based in an Elizabethan Farmstead in Henfield, England still writing his books and always observing the world that surrounds him. He appeared in the documentary film Last of the Scottish Wildcats (Coffee Films 2006) and became the patron for a new charity, the Scottish Wildcat Association in 2009, who also recognised his achievements naming him an Honorary Member of the Association for life. He continued to travel regularly into the Scottish Highlands spending his 83rd birthday filming nesting eagles in Galloway with an RSPB team, and in 2014, having said his first fictional work, "Let Ape and Tiger Die", would be his last novel, he released a new wildlife book, "Running Wild", through publishers Whittles, bringing his life experiences in the wild up to date.

Bibliography

Yes, it was his German Shepherd called Moobli. Very good read! Another world renowned Author was W.H. Hudson and he produced some excellent books. We can go on and on and on; there are some excellent Authors who have produced some very good titles. I am going to visit BB's grave pretty soon so I will post some photos, but before that particular journey I will again go to Bert Griptons graveside and take some flowers. Lutra Lutra.

[Bosun11 537]

This page (18) of this thred must be the longest page in THL history..!

[timmy k 590]

Yep it's getting boring now someone start an argument!!

[Glyn..... 5,208]

some good reading

 

Running with the Fox by David Macdonald

The Private Life of the Rabbit: An Account of the Life History and Social Behavior of the Wild Rabbit by Lockley R. M.

The Natural History of Badgers by Ernest G. Neal

European Mammals David Macdonald

Edited May 29, 2015 by Glyn.....

[Accip74 7,112]

some good reading

 

Running with the Fox by David Macdonald

The Private Life of the Rabbit: An Account of the Life History and Social Behavior of the Wild Rabbit by Lockley R. M.

The Natural History of Badgers by Ernest G. Neal

European Mammals David Macdonald

I got Running with the Fox when I was a teenager, I really liked it.......& it made a nice change from just reading about hunting them :-) Edited May 29, 2015 by Accip74

[darbo 4,774]

I still rate the great game Harold Wyman as one of the best ive read

The amateur poacher Richard Jefferies

Tales of a derby poacher Tom Gwinnutt

Kenzie the wild gooseman Colin Wilcock.

[neil cooney 10,416]

some good reading

 

Running with the Fox by David Macdonald

The Private Life of the Rabbit: An Account of the Life History and Social Behavior of the Wild Rabbit by Lockley R. M.

The Natural History of Badgers by Ernest G. Neal

European Mammals David Macdonald

While on the subject of wild mammals, Jill Masons book on The Hare is a must read for any coursing man.

 

Anyone who likes reading about the countryside and animals should read James Herriot's books.

[Bosun11 537]

If we are talking books then the ones that i've come back to are;

 

Fell Terrier - Plummer

 

World of the Working Terrier -Harcolme

 

The Poachers Companion - Walsh

 

A Mouchers Tale - Lloyd

 

Stormy Nights, Frosty Mornings - Dooley

 

I Walked By Night - Haggard

 

Nathan - Plummer

 

Green And Pleasant Land - Mursell

 

In my opinion Plummer is the greatest writer of my generation, whatever his shortcomings and there where many, he could both spin a yarn or research like no other BUT I do believe Lloyd is a better wordsmith, says it like it is, factual and speaks to my ear more. I just wish he would bloody write more!

[leethedog 3,071]

If anyone has any terrier books for sale please pm me

[undertaker 831]

There is aload on ebay

[leethedog 3,071]

There is aload on ebay

dont like flea bay would rather deal with cash or bank transfer

[Lutra Lutra 611]

If anyone has any terrier books for sale please pm me

What books are you after?

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

The works of Sean Frain are far superior to anything mentioned yet ,especially his attention to detail in his drawings .Modern day authors would do well to emulate his style .