In this absorbing memoir Duff Hart-Davis looks back over fifty years of watching, stalking and writing about deer. From his first experience of fallow in South-East England to his many sojourns among the reds of the Scottish Highlands, he has spent countless hours in the woods and on the hill, learning more with every excursion.
Along the way he describes some memorable characters and conjures up images of the many famous Highland Forests, including an account of how he once accidentally shot two red deer with a single bullet. Again and again he captures the grace and mystery of his elusive quarry, for which – like all true hunters – he has an abiding love.
About the Author
Duff Hart-Davis has written or edited fifty books on a wide variety of subjects, including novels and biographies. A deep interest in natural history led to Monarchs of the Glen, a history of the Highland deer forests and the much-praised illustrated encyclopedia Fauna Britannica. For many years he worked as Literary Editor and feature writer to The Daily Telegraph, and was a contributor to the weekly Country Matters column for The Independent.
Review
"A stalking memoir that may be among the greatest of our generation. This is a brilliant and totally absorbing memoir by a sporting sage who has written or edited 50 books and clearly has a deep, respectful admiration for all British deer. It will be of immense interest to all who pursue deer in our woods and hills... Although the author's early stalking career began in the southern woodlands, it is his vivid accounts of stalking Scotland's red deer in famous Highland deer forests such as Loch Choire, Knoydart, Letterewe, Glen Etive, and Glenfeshie that grip the reader the most. The author effortlessly brings to life the many characters involved in this book, and has a fascinating grip of the Scottish vernacular and a rare ability to transfer dialect to the page without losing any of its meaning... A healthy dose of humour is interspersed throughout this extremely entertaining memoir. One particular chapter really had my splitting my sides. It starts with the author collecting a new rifle from a gunmaker in Mayfair and being apprehended by the police en route to his place of work, Fleet Street, on a bicycle. The chapter then takes the reader all the way to an excursion darting a rhino in Nepal. Hart-Davis is guided on his hunt by a wonderful character: a Wildlife Ranger whose perfect English had an added dimension, containing some interesting expletives picked up on a season's sojourn working as a ghillie in the Highlands. The chapter ends with a priceless comment that concludes a disagreement with Lady Camoys... Among the Deer is a must-have for every stalker, or indeed anyone with an interest in British deer. It is a refreshing read, written by an experienced hand, that easily captures the grace and majesty of our quarry and the wildness of our hills and woodlands." Peter Carr, Sporting Rifle magazine.