WINNER OF THE 2022 FOREWORD INDIES SILVER BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD IN HISTORICAL FICTION On a remote Gaelic farmstead in medieval Ireland, word reaches Alberic of conquering Norman knights arriving from England. Oppressed by the social order that enslaved his Norman father, he yearns for the reckoning he believes the invaders will bring—but his world is about to burn. Captured by the Norman knight Hugo de Lacy and installed at Dublin Castle as a translator, Alberic’s confused loyalties are tested at every turn. When de Lacy marches inland, Alberic is set on a collision course with his former masters amidst rumours of a great Gaelic army rising in the west. Can Alberic navigate safely through revenge, lust and betrayal to find his place amidst the birth of a kingdom in a land of war?

"Ed Vance, acclaimed hunter and expert tracker, hunted mountain lions, bears, and bobcats in the mountains and forests of California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Montana for 25 years. Featured in Bowhunters Digest 1st. edition, Los Angeles Times West Magazine (1967), Saga Magazine (1968), Western Outdoors (1968), Bow & Arrow Magazine (1971), Bow & Arrow Magazine (1973), and Western Outdoors News (1968 – 1973), Ed Vance risked everything to follow his dreams, and without knowing it, chiseled a name for himself and for his dogs in the history of these places. The bond between the hunter and his hounds was one of deep trust and reliance, in a time when the changing landscape threatened to take it all. Trained by a Hound Dog recounts the legends of the hunt, in the authentic voice of the man who was there, told as if the reader were sitting with him around a campfire. The true stories he tells of his hounds and the lions and bears they caught in some of the country's toughest terrain and conditions are a glimpse into an era of Western History that has faded from view"--Back cover.

A study of the history of hunting with hounds, the development of hunting breeds, and contemporary hunting practices in North America. Hunting with Hounds in North America is a unique study of what can be considered the world’s oldest team sport. History suggests that man has hunted with hounds for at least twenty thousand years. Using evidence from ancient Egyptian drawings to paintings by the great masters, Dr. von Recum traces the evolution of the hound, or free-hunting canid, and its place beside human hunters. While hunting dogs like pointers and retrievers assist the human hunter in locating prey, hounds instinctively know how to find, track, and even capture prey on their own. Dr. von Recum describes the two classes of hounds. Sighthounds, such as greyhounds, whippets, and borzois, are lean, fast dogs designed to chase down, or course, their prey. Scenthounds, including redbones and beagles, will follow a hot or cold trail until their quarry is caught, cornered, or treed. Discussions of different breeds, including hound-and-dog hybrids, are included. Dr. von Recum vividly describes contemporary American hunting practices, from the fast-paced fury of prairie coursing to the formalities of traditional fox hunting. He also addresses important concerns facing houndsmen today, from communicable diseases to game-management practices.

"Swifter than the Arrow" explores a little-known aspect of life in Ancient Egypt, celebrating the Egyptians as the first known civilisation to have formed the special bond with the dog that persists today as the most remarkable and enduring of human-animal relationships. Five thousand years ago the Egyptians selected and bred hounds for the chase and as the loved companions of both the 'Great Ones' - the ruling classes - and of less exalted folk. For more than twenty-five centuries they kept the breed true, a remarkable achievement to be counted alongside the development of stone architecture and the building of the pyramids, the invention of hieroglyphs, the creation of kingship and of the first nation-state in the world. The dogs on which the Egyptians lavished such loving care and skill were the elegant, slender, prick-eared golden hounds, familiar from a thousand tomb reliefs, that they called tjesm. They were given affectionate names and were the companions of kings, who honoured them with rich burials to ensure that they would be together for ever in the Afterlife. Numerous representations of dogs and their masters from predynastic rock-art through to elaborate tomb paintings and reliefs leave us in no doubt as to the sincerity of the affection that the Egyptians felt for their dog companions. The first named dog-lover in history was the earliest known queen, Herneith, who was buried with her hound at Saqqara. Dogs and other canines also played their roles in the rich pantheon of ancient Egyptian religion, figuring as semi-divine messengers between the worlds of the living and the dead. Perhaps the most familiar such deity is the sleek, black jackal-headed god Anubis, guardian of the Necropolis and attendant of the underworld. "Swifter than the Arrow" also examines the evidence that hounds living today - most notably modern breeds such as the so-called 'Pharaoh Hound' - are directly descended from the Egyptian hound. It reveals remarkable information about the ancestry of the hounds of the Mediterranean islands that unmistakably share the appearance and character of the dogs that once raced across the Egyptian deserts. This unique book throws fresh light on our understanding of ancient Egypt while providing a completely fresh insight into the development of mankind's remarkable bond with the domesticated dog.

An illustrated overview of the history of "man's best friend" throughout time, information about various breeds and behaviors, and more!

Training Your Pointing Dog for Hunting and Home tells how to develop an obedient gun dog that is also an affectionate family companion, with training schedules and advice on everything from handling a newborn pup to teaching advanced field techniques and finely tuned pointing manners. The book presents a simplified, commonsense approach that can be used in its entirety or to troubleshoot individual aspects of your dog's education. Explains the importance of early obedience training and appropriate transition to the field, including tips for retrieving, quartering, sight pointing, and bird work. With proper care and handling, you can cultivate your pup's natural aptitudes and achieve a rewarding relationship with a healthy, happy gun dog. • Tells how to choose the right breed for your personality and hunting and includes training tips for housebreaking and basic living commands • Techniques for introducing the gun, achieving staunchness on point, and advanced field quartering and retrieving • Preventing problem behaviors of deer chasing, blinking, gun shyness, hardmouth, short stopping

Mink are famous worldwide for their luxurious coat of fur, and yet most people know very little about them beyond their use as clothing. Even trappers, naturalists, and fur farmers, those who should know mink best, typically know only one side of the mink... their bad side. Those who do "know mink" will tell you how extremely aggressive and blood thirsty the mink is, and truth be told, they aren't that far off. But there is a different side to mink that very few have seen. This book not only tells how the art of Minkenry began, but more importantly, it is a step by step guide to those wanting to train a hunting mink. In this book I share how to tame, train, and properly care for this very intense little predator, the North American mink. Though still in its infancy, the sport of minkenry has been spreading thanks to the information sharing power of the Internet. First started in the western state of Utah, there are now minkeners springing up across the United States, and even as far away as the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries! As there is a growing need for a "how to" manual on the art of minkenry, this book was written specifically to fill that need. Minkenry is a very challenging sport, and is definitely not for everyone! Though highly intelligent, and surprisingly affectionate, mink are also very high-strung and stubborn creatures. They typically use their intelligence to work against you, far more than they do to work with you. Though not an adventure for the faint of heart; falconers, hunters, trappers, and other sportsmen worldwide, are being drawn to the art of minkenry with a pioneer's spirit. They have the desire to become part of something that has never been done before! If you yearn to experience the challenge of hunting with an aggressive, high strung, truly wild animal; then join us and become one of the pioneers in the new sport of minkenry!

Breeding & Training Versatile Hunting Dogs for Hunting and Hunt Tests is the first book covering both breeding and training of your versatile dog for upland bird hunting, waterfowling, shed hunting, blood tracking, along with numerous human interest chapters. This book starts with the most insightful and complete explanation of what a quality breeding program involves: how to breed better dogs, how to achieve genetic diversity, selecting the best stud dog, reading a pedigree including the different breeding coefficients and how to use Hunt Test information to support breeding decisions. Bob's Cedarwood Pudelpointers (clients purchasing pups) have seen nearly 400 NAVHDA natural ability test entries across North America with a 90% success rate passing this test since he began his breeding program. Also, 175 NAVHDA utility test entries had a 74% success rate. Bob gives outstanding coverage of how to train your dog for any of the Hunt Test organizations offering natural ability tests as well as their utility tests. Of the 106 dogs Bob trained/handled in NAVHDA's natural ability test he earned 81 Prize 1s and of the 49 dogs trained/handled in utility he earned 15 Prize 1s with all dogs prizing. He has paid his dues in the testing arena and his record speaks for itself. A hunter who sees 80 to 100 days annually in the field supports his knowledge to training for hunting wild birds. This book gives excellent advice on training your dog for hunting. Bob covers chukar hunting tactics, waterfowling from a blind, duck searches, tracking wounded big game and off season shed hunting. You do not want to purchase a versatile pup or plan to test your pup in any of the offered hunt tests without reading this book.