A look at competitive duck painting reflected in the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp Contest explains how the annual duck stamp raises funds for the National Wildlife Refuge System and involves clashes between hunters and conservationists.

THE WILD DUCK CHASE is the basis for “The Million Dollar Duck,” a documentary feature film, directed by Brian Golden Davis and written by Martin J. Smith, premiering at The Slamdance Film Festival in January 2016. The book takes readers into the peculiar world of competitive duck painting as it played out during the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp Contest-the only juried art competition run by the U.S. government. Since 1934, the duck stamp, which is bought annually by hunters to certify their hunting license, has generated more than $750 million, and 98 cents of each collected dollar has been used to help purchase or lease 5.3 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the United States. As Martin J. Smith chronicles in his revealing narrative, within the microcosm of the duck stamp contest are intense ideological and cultural clashes between the mostly rural hunters who buy the stamps and the mostly suburban and urban birders and conservationists who decry the hunting of waterfowl. The competition also fuels dynamic tensions between competitors and judges, and among the invariably ambitious, sometimes obsessive and eccentric artists--including Minnesota's three fabled Hautman brothers, the "New York Yankees" of competitive duck painting. Martin Smith takes readers down an arcane and uniquely American rabbit hole into a wonderland of talent, ego, art, controversy, scandal, big money, and migratory waterfowl.

Welcome to the Essays collection. A special selection of the nonfiction prose from influential and noteworthy authors. This book brings some of best essays of G. K. Chesterton, across a wide range of subjects, including literature, art, politica and many more topics.G. K. Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Time magazine observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegoriesfirst carefully turning them inside out." Many of his most relevant works were published by Tacet Books.The book contains the following texts:- Introduction by Edmund Gosse- Books to Read- Charlotte Bronte as a Romantic- As Large as Life in Dickens- On Manners- A Workman's History of England- The True Vanity of Vanities- The Apostle and the Wild Ducks- A Theory of Tyrants- What is Right With the World- What I Found in My Pocket- Utopia Of Usurers- Woman- On Running After Ones Hat

In 'The Greatest Works of G. K. Chesterton,' readers are treated to a collection of some of the most profound and thought-provoking essays, fiction, and poetry by the renowned author. Chesterton's literary style is characterized by his wit, humor, and keen observations on society, religion, and philosophy. His works are known for their paradoxical and witty nature, which challenges readers to think beyond the surface. The collection includes masterpieces such as 'Orthodoxy,' 'The Man Who Was Thursday,' and 'The Ballad of the White Horse,' showcasing Chesterton's versatility as a writer. This compilation provides an in-depth look into the mind of one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, known as G. K. Chesterton, was a prolific writer and thinker whose works continue to inspire readers to this day. His unique perspective on various topics such as religion, morality, and society set him apart as a leading intellectual of his time. Chesterton's ability to blend humor with profound insights makes his works both engaging and enlightening. I highly recommend 'The Greatest Works of G. K. Chesterton' to anyone interested in delving into the brilliant mind of this literary giant. This collection offers a comprehensive overview of Chesterton's body of work and is sure to leave readers with a newfound appreciation for his contributions to literature.

This edition includes: The Father Brown Stories: The Innocence of Father Brown The Wisdom of Father Brown The Incredulity of Father Brown The Secret of Father Brown The Scandal of Father Brown The Donnington Affair The Mask of Midas Novels: The Napoleon of Notting Hill The Man who was Thursday The Ball and the Cross Manalive The Flying Inn The Return of Don Quixote Short Stories: The Club of Queer Trades The Man Who Knew Too Much The Trees of Pride Tales of the Long Bow The Poet and the Lunatics Four Faultless Felons The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond The White Pillars Murder The Sword of Wood Poetry: Greybeards At Play The Wild Knight and Other Poems Wine, Water, and Song Poems, 1916 The Ballad of St. Barbara and Other Verses The Ballad of the White Horse Gloria in Profundis Ubi Ecclesia Rotarians Plays: Magic – A Fantastic Comedy The Turkey and the Turk Literary Criticism: A Defence of Penny Dreadfuls Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens The Victorian Age in Literature Charles Dickens - Critical Study Hilaire Belloc Robert Louis Stevenson Historical Works: A Short History of England The Barbarism of Berlin Letters to an Old Garibaldian The Crimes of England The New Jerusalem Theological Works: Heretics Orthodoxy The Everlasting Man The Catholic Church and Conversion Eugenics and other Evils Essays: The Defendant Varied Types All Things Considered Tremendous Trifles What's Wrong with the World Alarms and Discursions A Miscellany of Men Divorce versus Democracy Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays The Superstition of Divorce The Uses of Diversity Fancies Versus Fads The Outline of Sanity The Thing Come to Think All is Grist Sidelights on New London and Newer York All I Survey The Well and the Shallows As I was Saying Other Essays... Travel Sketches: Irish Impressions What I Saw in America Biographical Works Autobiography by G. K. Chesterton G. K. Chesterton – A Critical Study by Julius West

For more than thirty years, journalist and author Martin J. Smith has traveled the American West, chasing offbeat stories that often are bizarre, always compelling, and at times profound. His journey through that oft-idealized and misunderstood landscape has made him a witness to some of the West’s most interesting places, people, and events, from his Valentine’s Day at Nevada’s Mustang Ranch brothel to the deathbed of a man who spent three decades building two 150-ton concrete dinosaurs in the desert; from the eviction of a fading rock star from his mansion to the guitar king’s improbable resurrection more than a decade later; from the final rampage of an unlikely Colorado martyr to his marathon stint watching the driver’s ed snuff films of the California Highway Patrol. He spent a lot of time in the only pet cemetery in idyllic Orange County, Calif. This collection of essays, often told with the wisdom and perspective of a writer looking back, chronicles in vivid detail the heroes, heels, and cultural spasms of an endlessly fascinating frontier. Smith hits the road with marginalized astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, and dives into the middle of a corporate and existential crisis at Sea World, where friendly mascot Shamu had just drowned its trainer. He tests open water swimming with a Southern California woman who eventually swam to Antarctica. He exposes the huckster behind the worldwide Whaling Wall fraud, tours L.A. with a tireless band of Japanese honeymooners, visits the factory where the world’s finest fake rocks are made, and retrieves balls for the seventysomething podiatrist who holds the world record for basketball freethrow shooting.

One of the greatest writers of his time, G. K. Chesterton’s short stories, novels, poetry and essays demonstrate his unparalleled versatility in literature. This comprehensive eBook offers readers the complete fictional works of G. K. Chesterton, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 2) Features: * concise introductions to the novels and other works * the complete Father Brown stories, including the very rare stories * the original Father Brown illustrations * ALL the novels, with contents tables * images of how the novels first appeared, giving your eReader a taste of the Edwardian texts * special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * rare plays and poetry * features 43 non-fiction books, each with contents tables * unique uncollected essays section, with rare articles by the great essayist * includes Chesterton’s autobiography– explore the writer’s literary life! * features a special criticism section, with four works examining Chesterton’s contribution to literature, including Patrick Braybrooke’s seminal work GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON * many images relating to Chesterton’s life, works, places and film adaptations * scholarly ordering of texts in chronological order and literary genres, allowing easy navigation around Chesterton’s immense oeuvre Please note: due to copyright restrictions and the scarcity of some minor texts, this is a complete FICTIONAL works of Chesterton, with the almost complete non-fiction works. As soon as more texts become available, they will be added as free updates for customers who have already purchased this eBook. CONTENTS: Father Brown Stories THE INNOCENCE OF FATHER BROWN THE WISDOM OF FATHER BROWN THE INCREDULITY OF FATHER BROWN THE SECRET OF FATHER BROWN THE SCANDAL OF FATHER BROWN UNCOLLECTED FATHER BROWN STORIES Index of Father Brown Stories The Novels THE NAPOLEON OF NOTTING HILL THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY THE BALL AND THE CROSS MANALIVE THE FLYING INN THE RETURN OF DON QUIXOTE Short Story Collections THE CLUB OF QUEER TRADES THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH AND OTHER STORIES TALES OF THE LONG BOW THE POET AND THE LUNATICS FOUR FAULTLESS FELONS THE PARADOXES OF MR. POND UNCOLLECTED SHORT STORIES The Short Stories LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Plays MAGIC THE JUDGMENT OF DR. JOHNSON THE TURKEY AND THE TURK The Poetry Collections GREYBEARDS AT PLAY THE WILD KNIGHT AND OTHER POEMS THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE POEMS WINE, WATER AND SONG THE BALLAD OF ST. BARBARA AND OTHER POEMS GLORIA IN PROFUNDIS UBI ECCLESIA THE GRAVE OF ARTHUR The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Non-Fiction THE DEFENDANT ROBERT BROWNING TWELVE TYPES HERETICS VARIED TYPES CHARLES DICKENS ALL THINGS CONSIDERED TREMENDOUS TRIFLES ORTHODOXY WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE WORLD GEORGE BERNARD SHAW APPRECIATIONS AND CRITICISMS OF THE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS ALARMS AND DISCURSIONS A MISCELLANY OF MEN THE VICTORIAN AGE IN LITERATURE THE APPETITE OF TYRANNY THE CRIMES OF ENGLAND LORD KITCHENER UTOPIA OF USURERS AND OTHER ESSAYS A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLAND IRISH IMPRESSIONS THE SUPERSTITION OF DIVORCE THE NEW JERUSALEM WHAT I SAW IN AMERICA EUGENICS AND OTHER EVILS ST. FRANCIS FANCIES VERSUS FADS THE EVERLASTING MAN WILLIAM COBBETT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CONVERSION THE OUTLINE OF SANITY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON DO WE AGREE? THE THING COME TO THINK OF IT ALL IS GRIST ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ALL I SURVEY: A BOOK OF ESSAYS THE WELL AND THE SHALLOWS THE GLASS WALKING STICK AS I WAS SAYING THE COMMON MAN THE SPICE OF LIFE THE APOSTLE AND THE WILD DUCKS AND OTHER ESSAYS UNCOLLECTED ESSAYS The Criticism MR. G.K. CHESTERTON AND MR. HILAIRE BELLOC by Robert Lynd G. K. CHESTERTON, A CRITICAL STUDY by Julius West and more

When three ducklings arrive in Fosterland, it is the white mallard, Billie, who feels different than the others, and though he likes being in there with his friends he sometimes longs to be free in the wild.